# Why does America wait so long to teach foreign langauages to kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-america-wait-so-long-to-teach-foreign-langauages-to-kids/333447 "2005-11-30T21:43:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-america-wait-so-long-to-teach-foreign-langauages-to-kids/333447/41 "2005-12-09T13:44:51Z")
> [@Patty O'Furniture](#): > > Multilingual: Person who speaks several languages. > Bilingual: Person who speaks two languages. > American: Person who speaks only one language. And write one language ? This list from SDMB dopers posts: acheive beleive benifits capatalism capitol (for capital) cite (site) compatable curser (cursor) decieve definately, infinately desparately devine (divine) equivalant euphanism (euphemisn) existance furnature garuntee grammer helocopter humerus (humorous) infallable interchangible intergated (integrated) legitimite litarary necissity occir (occur) passanger peice preferance principle (adjective) privalege prostylitzing (proselytizing) protocal (protocol) recieve rediculous relavant, relavent, irrelavant ripercussion scenareo sentance seperate speckletion (speculation) tempurature testicals unconscience (unconscious) unequivically vegitable wierd No sneering intended. English is devilish to spell for a native. Learning other languages helps tremendously. Especially Romance languages: most of the above list are from Romance/Latin, except helicopter, believe, infallible and weird. ---
**Author:** ![Fridgemagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@Fridgemagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fridgemagnet)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-america-wait-so-long-to-teach-foreign-langauages-to-kids/333447/42 "2005-12-09T14:11:46Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > The Japanese don’t have the best reputation when it comes to dealing with other cultures. I think America would benefit from having a more worldly, literate and connected voting populace. I think if we travelled more and exhibited more interest in other cultures, we would be able to make better foreign policy decisions. And since the entire world has to live by the our foreign policy decisions, I think we have a duty to humanity to make sure our voters are as capable as they are. Frankly, I wouldn’t want Japan running the world. They arn’t the ones we want to be emulating here. > > So if learning a second language is a luxury, what isn’t? I mean, we have to have some requirements, right? Kids go to school for six periods. What do they think they ought to be doing in these six periods that is wasted on foreign language? Even if you think they should increase math and science (something that I personally think comes up way less than foreign language) there are still four more periods to go. Japanese women tend to speak second languages (usually US English) better than Japanese men, which says something interesting about a difference in motivations in this case. I love the way the Japanese mangle the English language for their own ends, and aren’t particularly bothered about spelling, typos or grammar. By spooky coincidence, I recall one tobacconists shop in Osaka sporting a big sign that advertised “Lucky Sven” cigarettes. I get the impression US citizens don’t travel abroad much anyway, given that only about 20%\* own a passport, so learning French might be a bit of an educational luxury. The difference between Japanese and US insularity, is that while both don’t really care about the outside world, the Japanese at least don’t meddle. Except with trying to eat up all the whales, of course. - A difficult figure to pin down. [Estimates vary](http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2003/01/31/how_many_america.php#c4262) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-america-wait-so-long-to-teach-foreign-langauages-to-kids/333447/43 "2005-12-09T17:55:53Z")
Schools in other countries teach the native langauge and an international language (which basically nowadays is English). It just happens that in the United States, the international language is also the native language. In the UK, there presumedly is a greater emphasis on other languages because of the proximity to Europe. In Ireland and Canada there are two native languages, and even more in India. I’d guess public education in Africa and the Caribbean isn’t comparable to North American or European standards. So that leaves Australia and New Zealand as the closest equvalent to the United States for this purpose. So what is language instruction like in those countries? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-america-wait-so-long-to-teach-foreign-langauages-to-kids/333447.md?page=2)