Do Latin American students have to learn English? (cost, train, people)
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In Argentina, English is a mandatory subject in both Primary and Secondary school (with some exceptions here and there), but in most schools you are unlikely to learn anything other than the very basics.
In Brazil we study the verb to be during all elementary school, and in the end most students can't even put the phrase "The book is on the table" into the negative form.
(In many public schools many students aren't able to interpret a text in portuguese either - It was made a research that shows that half of Brazilians cannot locate Brazil on the world map)
I'm living and working in Peru. I'm told that they start English in the 2nd grade keeping in mind that a large number of kids here go to private schools because the public schools generally suck. There are also plenty of English immersion schools the classes are in English...which gives those kids a huge advantage in employment here.
Well in Panama, English is mandatory both in elementary and secondary schools. We have had a great influence of English because of our relation with the USA which goes back to 1850, but most kids in the poor neighborhoods do not want or refuse to learn it, on the other hand, middle class and high class kids learn it with no problem at all and their parents even pay for special courses for them. Now, you also have to remember that Panama has a big fully bilingual community, therefore, English is not a problem in Panama.
Well in Panama, English is mandatory both in elementary and secondary schools. We have had a great influence of English because of our relation with the USA which goes back to 1850, but most kids in the poor neighborhoods do not want or refuse to learn it, on the other hand, middle class and high class kids learn it with no problem at all and their parents even pay for special courses for them. Now, you also have to remember that Panama has a big fully bilingual community, therefore, English is not a problem in Panama.
It is super smart to push manditory additional language training is all schools. I am Canadian and ya sure we have French as a manditory subject for several years jury school, but the intensity is pathetic so the skills are not really properly developed for most students. I was in Costa Rica for a friend's wedding and I felt so stupid because I was meeting kids from there that were like 4 and 5 that could speak with me in English and almost every adult I met at the wedding spoke English. I also get the same impression when I am in Europe or North Africa that a lot more people learn multiple languages. Even though I took Italian in school from the age of 4 and French from the age of 6 because it is not really seen as a serious subject compared to Math, Science and English so I really did not get much out of it. Part of that is my fault too for being a lazy student, but a stronger push may have actually helped. From what I am hearing about the education system in Panama they appear to be making some really smart moves. I heard that one of the major dialectics spoken in China is also going to be part of manditory education.
It is super smart to push manditory additional language training is all schools. I am Canadian and ya sure we have French as a manditory subject for several years jury school, but the intensity is pathetic so the skills are not really properly developed for most students. I was in Costa Rica for a friend's wedding and I felt so stupid because I was meeting kids from there that were like 4 and 5 that could speak with me in English and almost every adult I met at the wedding spoke English. I also get the same impression when I am in Europe or North Africa that a lot more people learn multiple languages. Even though I took Italian in school from the age of 4 and French from the age of 6 because it is not really seen as a serious subject compared to Math, Science and English so I really did not get much out of it. Part of that is my fault too for being a lazy student, but a stronger push may have actually helped. From what I am hearing about the education system in Panama they appear to be making some really smart moves. I heard that one of the major dialectics spoken in China is also going to be part of manditory education.
Most upper class kids will go to schools where all the subjects are taught in English. Search this (CNG Bogota) to see such a school.
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