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makingthematrix t1_j9e8wdl wrote

Reply to comment by Kesshh in [OC] % of American students taking a foreign language class by state by ASoloTrip90000

In EU countries, teaching English as the second language usually starts at 12 or earlier. It's required. The percentage is close to 100%.

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moepsenstreusel t1_j9eg9js wrote

Yeah, but English is really fucking useful.

It's the world's second language. In a fair few countries, kids already speak English before they start school because of the TV shows in English.

Things often look very different when looking at any other foreign language.

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makingthematrix t1_j9ejryn wrote

It seems to me that in the case of US, teaching Spanish to children should be just as important as teaching English in many European countries.

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[deleted] t1_j9jfvod wrote

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makingthematrix t1_j9jnfsw wrote

I think this is the first time I read that I should learn English to speak to a customer.

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[deleted] t1_j9tn21z wrote

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makingthematrix t1_j9u3qgj wrote

And you can't see any good reason why a person who already knows English should learn another language?

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vtTownie t1_j9erj3n wrote

Worlds second language?

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[deleted] t1_j9jemg3 wrote

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vtTownie t1_j9jers8 wrote

Ahh okay; I was thinking world overall, of which it’s most widely used language not in a country sense of “French is the country’s language but English is the second most common” sort of thing

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krautbaguette t1_j9eql0i wrote

I think for many schools it starts at first grade here in Germany bow, and there are kindergartens offering English too. By age 12 you typically pick a 2nd foreign language

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