Learning English in South America (country, speaking, cheap, cons)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Can you learn to speak good English by attending public schools in South America?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4tUfhT8uZt0&t=197s

[adrianf91]

English in South America sucks.

I suggest you learn Spanish.

[aab7855]

Considering my wife´s university level English PROFESSOR talks like,

"...ehhh....ok...now we going estart de estep finally, jew need write like deez..."

Not so much....

That being said, it varies greatly by country and city. Bogotá is without a doubt better off that anywhere else in Colombia. Argentina is supposed to have the highest English level in South America. Some countries like further up (México, El Salvador, etc.) have these weird deportee communities and that is bound to inject a little English into the equation.

Families with money have no problem getting their kids bilingual education in private schools. Bilingual programs are taking off in public schools, but they´re woefully unprepared and often staff burnout backpackers or non-native teachers whose accents inhibit true learning.

Anyone know if the immigrants from the British Isles in Chile still speak English?

[dmlandis]

She is speaking English and he is speaking French. What is this all about?

[gus2]

Originally Posted by dmlandis

She is speaking English and he is speaking French. What is this all about?

This. I am confused.

[southwest88]

Originally Posted by dmlandis

She is speaking English and he is speaking French. What is this all about?

The slug on the video segment says:


"mariandreacortesd

"Published on Feb 2, 2011


"Subscribe 1
@ Sony Ericsson Open Miami 2010."

So if we can believe the slug on the segment, maria has a sports blog or something similar, & she recorded & maybe posted this from the Sony Ericsson Open Miami 2010 (tennis tournament for men and women held from March 22 to April 4, 2010. It was the 26th edition of the Miami Masters event). Certainly not from Latin America, although I can't tell from his accent where he's from.

Tsonga is a professional French tennis player.

[cebuan]

I met a Japanese boy in Antigua, among the hordes of Americans studying Spanish. I asked if he was studying Spanish. "No, English. Everybody speaks English in the Parque, I practice with them. Much cheaper than America."

[aab7855]

Originally Posted by cebuan

I met a Japanese boy in Antigua, among the hordes of Americans studying Spanish. I asked if he was studying Spanish. "No, English. Everybody speaks English in the Parque, I practice with them. Much cheaper than America."

In some tourist bubbles, sure. You latch on to backpackers, teachers, etc.

Good point.

It´s not systematic though by any means, and outside of maybe México and Puerto Rico the level in public schools doesn´t cut it.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by aab7855

Anyone know if the immigrants from the British Isles in Chile still speak English?

I attended a public high school in Chile in 1971. Nobody at the school spoke English aside from some phrases, and the English teachers had more of a textbook and grammar knowledge, rather than speaking capability. I had several classmates with English first & last names, who were 2 or 3 generations after the immigrants from England, and they spoke virtually no English.

Not surprising, the same thing happens often in the USA 2 or 3 generations after the arrival of an immigrant. My father's maternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany in the late 1800s. My grandmother spoke some German, but my father never learned any. I speak German quite well, but I lived in Germany nearly 4 years while in the US Army and studied the language for several years. Now, retired, I spend several months during the summer in Germany, and I speak almost no English while I am here.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

FWIW, thelady in the YouTube clip went to an English-language school in Brazil.
Idon’t Understand why he is responding in French.