(July 15, 2015 at 8:22 am)Metis Wrote: Not to offend anyone personally but I really don't understand why if I can reach this standard in less than three years why the British and Americans can't in eighteen. Plenty of other Europeans manage to become fluent in two, often three east of Germany and these aren't always smart people; I've even met illiterates who can speak several languages perfectly.
I can't say I know what happens in them but the state ran English speaking education systems must be terrible.
Here. Read and learn.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/collegeprose...e-deficit/
Quote:At the same time, however, schools at every level are balancing their budgets and offsetting reductions in government allocations by cutting their offerings and/or eliminating foreign language requirements.
Consider this:
- The percentage of public and private elementary schools offering foreign language instruction decreased from 31 to 25 percent from 1997 to 2008. Instruction in public elementary schools dropped from 24 percent to 15 percent, with rural districts hit the hardest.
- The percentage of all middle schools offering foreign language instruction decreased from 75 to 58 percent.
- The percentage of high schools offering some foreign language courses remained about the same, at 91 percent.
- About 25 percent of elementary schools and 30 percent of middle schools report a shortage of qualified foreign language teachers.
