foreign language

[Forceape]

Should foreign language lessons be a core part of the national curiculum until 16, with at least one GCSE having to be in a foreign language?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, should more teaching time be devoted to teaching other subjects like science, maths, english...

[Hukaideez]

It should stay as it is now where pupils are given a choice of subjects for G.C.S.E., after all some people are hopeless at learning languages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I would have liked my school to have a better choice of languages, we only had French and Welsh. There was one compulsory Welsh lesson a week but there should have been more IMO.

[Necromagus]

In Holland, all foreign languages that are part of the curriculum are split into level 1 and 2. Level 1 is mandatory for all pupils, and it only covers basic reading, writing and vocabulary. Level 2 is mandatory for English and optional for French and German. It also covers spoken language, more extensive writing and reading, and literature. The idea is that in colleges and universities, not all study resources will be available in Dutch, so with some basic training the pupils will also be able to use sources in other languages.

[willyhenriksen]

it shouldnt, we get to choose, we have english a couple of days a week, and deutch or french two hours a week (optional) next year we might get russian and spanish...

[Triplets_KGB]

In Holland, all foreign languages that are part of the curriculum are split into level 1 and 2. Level 1 is mandatory for all pupils, and it only covers basic reading, writing and vocabulary. Level 2 is mandatory for English and optional for French and German. It also covers spoken language, more extensive writing and reading, and literature. The idea is that in colleges and universities, not all study resources will be available in Dutch, so with some basic training the pupils will also be able to use sources in other languages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

European countries have a much wider and quality enriched curriciulum(sp?) than most others. Lucky ppl :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here in NZ, it depends on which school you go to, state/private....

[Lionheart_0]

:? Im extreamly glad our ciriculem lets us drop french at grd 10 (This is canada). I really sucked at it, and even though it required for government jobs, i dont think im gonna be doing gov't stuff.

[Phil]

Here I think languages should be taught earlier, like in primary school (we learnt a small bit of French and Gaelic) but I think we should have learned more.

[How2PK]

I agree, i think people should be taught languages from year 1. I am currently in Holland staying with Daan and I cant understand anyone lol. Its quite sad really

[Lionheart_0]

 

I agree, i think people should be taught languages from year 1. I am currently in Holland staying with Daan and I cant understand anyone lol. Its quite sad really

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dotn think thats a good idea over hear in north america when half the population cant speak their first language properly, or even write it with good grammer :? :lol:

[weezcake]

I dotn think thats a good idea over hear in north america when half the population cant speak their first language properly, or even write it with good grammer :? :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lol, I think you've illustrated your point quite well :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But on topic.. I don't think it should be mandatory. You have to take a year (or two, to get into a university) in a foreign language here to graduate. Most people forget how to speak the language after a while anyways. You'll only learn and actually remember the language if you WANT to learn it, not if you HAVE to. :wink:

[Purecheese]

Yes, learning foreign languages should be a core part of any proper curiculum.

 

 

 

In highschool I spend on average a good 10 to 15 hours per week on languages. In 6 years I've had lessons in dutch, english, german, french, latin and ancient greek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I might not have liked these lessons much when I had them. Now I find it very usefull that I can understand atleast some german and french.

 

 

 

The english lesson prove to be quite usefull aswell ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from that, learning a foreign languages requires you to understand and learn an entire new system of grammar. I believe that learning this gives you better insight in the way your own language works.

 

 

 

Also by learning the grammar of a foreign language you learn how to learn these systems. In result you're more capeable to analyse complex systems and you're able to put the system into practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning a language teaches you more then just the language :wink:

[Lionheart_0]

 

I dotn think thats a good idea over hear in north america when half the population cant speak their first language properly, or even write it with good grammer :? :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lol, I think you've illustrated your point quite well :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But on topic.. I don't think it should be mandatory. You have to take a year (or two, to get into a university) in a foreign language here to graduate. Most people forget how to speak the language after a while anyways. You'll only learn and actually remember the language if you WANT to learn it, not if you HAVE to. :wink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:cry: :cry: I hate being the example my own point....

[CoRnMaN]

foreign laungage? whats that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i think we should have at least 2 hours of math a day. its really sad, most people just dont get math. math is the most logical science, so if u dont get that, what do u get?

[weezcake]

foreign laungage? whats that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i think we should have at least 2 hours of math a day. its really sad, most people just dont get math. math is the most logical science, so if u dont get that, what do u get?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate math. It's too straight forward, and there's usually only one right answer. I understand simpler math (algebra, geometry), but once you get past that, I have trouble with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand history and science very well though. :wink:

[Lionheart_0]

 

foreign laungage? whats that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i think we should have at least 2 hours of math a day. its really sad, most people just dont get math. math is the most logical science, so if u dont get that, what do u get?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate math. It's too straight forward, and there's usually only one right answer. I understand simpler math (algebra, geometry), but once you get past that, I have trouble with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand history and science very well though. :wink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History math, and science all fall into the same catagory though... all are facts... or atleast history and math. Scienc ehas many theorys, but till dissproven, they are facts.

[J272]

I go to a school that has 7 periods at 45-50 mins per period per day...I think that this is kinda unfair since, as previously stated, some classes need more emphasis than others...However, trying to work out that kind of schedule for every single person in the entire school (which in my case is about 60 in the entire HS, so I dont count as much, but for other schools.....just think about it ;) ) it would be extremely tough....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that math needs to be emphasized more, as do some of your sciences (i.e. Chemistry, biology, etc.) as they are the subjects in which there are still advances to be made....Now I know that others may want other subjects emphasized...which I cant in any way argue with. Everyone will want something different since everyone has a different passion and/or field they wish to enter. So....Going back to the weighted schedules...its pretty much impossible to change the schedule tooo much without causing some sort of conflict of intrest...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J272

[niner]

Here I think languages should be taught earlier, like in primary school (we learnt a small bit of French and Gaelic) but I think we should have learned more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here in the States i've read about these "English" preschools (age 3-5?) that teach the kids French and/or Spanish and maybe a few other languages as well. I imagine the cost is quite high (never found what it was) but i like the idea. One article i read said that we're more adept to learning other languages at younger ages, so this type of thing makes sense. Imagine having a bi or tri-lingual toddler running around the house :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been studying German lately and I find it quite hysterical when my mind is thinking in German naturally instead of English. Example, i was asking someone how much they paid for something on RS and they told me how much each and how many but not the total price. I found myself wanting to scream "alles zusammen!!!" (all together!) at them lol. Even when i go around town i have similar experiances where i'm still in Deutsch mode and havent switched to English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We human beings are limited by how well we can communicate with others. Learning a language means that you are now able to converse with that many more people. Plus you can make your friends jelous by calling them names when they dont understand (always a good thing).

[KnightLite]

i rarely use foreign languages, mostly just to show off knowledge that i know them. Maybe it's just the area that I live in but still..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dont think foreign language should be a requirement, but certainly an option..