Forced Foreign Language Classes

[Magikarp]

For those of you don't know, in recent years foreign language classes have become a part of the required curriculum for many high schools; most high schools have a the normal slew of German, French, and Spanish classes, and most of you are probably in one or are going to go into one.

Next year is my Senior year, and I can't graduate unless I take a French 2 course (I took French 1 my sophomore year). This is pure, utter bulll$hit. Since when do I need to learn a language of another country to graduate from an American high school? Oh, because we want to promote diversity? Screw that. The administrators of public high schools can take their foreign language classes and shove it.

I can see why these classes could be electives, but they have no right to force us to take them. I will probably use my minimal french vocabulary about as much as I am going to use a typewriter.

Globalism is overrated.

[ORC-r0x0r-ROC]

I know a man in Britain, he used to live in a council house, he is now rich for the sheer fact that he knows German. He didn't start off rich, his buisness sent him to Germany because he knew the language and it all went uphill from there. With English, French and German I would be able to go anywhere (you know what I mean). If you are a person that spends your time hopping from country to country in Europe on buisness trips ect then it is vital. Knowing a second language makes it easyier to learn other languages. America is sending jobs to other countrys, Ireland ect. If you think that you are going to be successful by staying in your country then you are naive. If you had your own buisness in America is it still likely you would have to deal with people that do not know English.

[Forged]

Rygon most countries require a 2nd language in school not just U.S...

Most colleges also require that you have atleast two years of a forgein language.

[Kuzmich]

You should be happy, in Russia i have to learn German, English, Russian, and French to get a diploma, i have to get atleast 3 years of english, 2 German, 2 french, and 7 russian. How does that sound.
I barely pass most of the languages on the list exept english and Russian.

[Plumpamania]

That's b/c French is the suxx0r all the way round.

[Forged]

we have 12 years of english I have had 4 years of spanish, but I still speak it terriblly. I want to learn French but am way to lazy.

[KoreanP8ntballer]

In my elementry years we were forced to learn spanish, and o'yea, we did the same word everyday!

[IDefy]

At my highschool we were required to have 3 years of Russian, German, Spanish or French (only languages they offered). Personally since i've completed the 3 years of Spanish, I haven't used it other than entertainment such as joking around with friends, it's simply not necessary for me to use it and won't be. I would like to learn Chinese however seeings how it is the 2nd most spoken language in the world.

[darkrionis]

Originally posted by KoreanP8ntballer
In my elementry years we were forced to learn spanish, and o'yea, we did the same word everyday!

lol same here

it wasn't till like last year that they actually started teachin me more than the basics like colors and numbers.
And now i can almost understand half the words the mexican construction workers in the house next to mine are sayin

[jd-inflames]

At my school we were forced to have two consecutive foreign language courses (IE French 1 and 2 or Spanish 1 or 2)

I was lucky however...Beings I was a member of the class of 2003, I JUST missed having to do it. They made it mandatory for everyone class of 2004 and up. Even though I didn't graduate till 2004, I still got to keep my requirements.

[Speedy]

For us the first 3 years of middle school, learning a language is an elective. Then in 8th grade we havta choose which one we want to take: German, Spanish, French, Latin, or ASL. Then all through highschool we take whichever we have chosen. I chose spanish. So the first 2 years of high school i will have a fluent english and spanish speakin teacher. Then the last 2 years i will have a teacher that speaks spanish and almost no english. Yay. :-|. But like forged said, "Most colleges also require that you have atleast two years of a forgein language.".

[jd-inflames]

Damn...if I had the selection that you had, I would have taken both German and Latin...I've always wanted to learn that.

[amrtin77]

heh... i failed spanish and i aint takin it again. i thought i had to to foreign languages, but its just a requirement to get into a good college to have 2 years of a foriegn language. im already in a college and oughta have my associates by the time im outta high school, paid by the state


its not required here to get a diploma.

[jd-inflames]

I was going to a Vocational School throughout High School (kinda like a community college) so I have about 5 college credits through it..

[ZoidBerg]

Heh taking another language gives ya benefits. I took spanish in middle school for 2 years and then 2 more years in high school and i'm a junior. I'm thinking of taking spanish for another year and this will be my last. Spanish is pretty easy and beneficial. I can understand the spanish channel and spanish soaps. :P Also i have a part-time job where many of my co-workers are spanish-speakers. So it also helps because i can help them and we're friends.

[jd-inflames]

My friend Jack took a few years of spanish and now he's just about fluent...which is a good thing because he works at a warehouse now where he works mostly with mexicans.

Not that they can't be benificial, but seriously...In todays society (US that is...) Spanish is the only language that you are truely going to benifit from. I would say that everyone should learn latin though...just because most languages derived from it. Latin is to language as C is to programming, If you can learn latin, you can learn em all

[Above_70Percent]

but some of us still need to learn our own language

[septoiD2]

hah, in Canada its a bit leniant, you have to take french up to grade 9, and then you can drop it, but thats just normal core french. some people enroll in extended, and this begins from when they are in grade 9, they take their courses half english/half french, until they graduate highschool (grade 12), thankfully i didn't take extended, but would've been neat if i did, another language never hurts, y'know?

[N[U]TS]

bah i took german my fresh and soph year...... dont remember much but just how to say thank you please and to wish u good health

[jd-inflames]

Especially if you were living in Canada where half of the country speaks french fluently...