I've noticed people from countries all over the world here, and 99.9% of you type great English. Some are even very young. Which makes me curious, how is English taught in your country?

Well I have an unfair advantage as I am English 

tonymiller wrote:Well I have an unfair advantage as I am English 

Ahahaha yeah Tony   

Well in France we really start learning English when we are... approximately 12 years old (probably less, it depends in what school you are etc).

But I think in our country, we don't really learn english mostly thanks to school, but because of... hum... "the trend of the generation" ? (Here it is, I'm not very good in english xD)

I mean, a lot of french children listen American or British music, watch American movies or series etc... so they improve their english thanks to this.

In my case, I learn english mostly thanks to SCANDAL HEAVEN haha  .clap.

Leyh wrote:Well in France we really start learning English when we are... approximately 12 years old (probably less, it depends in what school you are etc).

But I think in our country, we don't really learn english mostly thanks to school, but because of... hum... "the trend of the generation" ? (Here it is, I'm not very good in english xD)

I mean, a lot of french children listen American or British music, watch American movies or series etc... so they improve their english thanks to this.

It's nearly the same here in Germany. Except that as far as I know a few years ago most children start learning english in elementary school, when they are about 6 to 8 years old.

As Leyh said, in France it's in school we got the basis but I think nowadays it must be earlier than 12 years, at least the very first lessons to introduce english to kids come way before 12 years I think. Then you have lessons every year, not sure if or when they become optional.

As for me I got the basics from school (I remember I had 4 years with english lessons but not sure if some were optional or not) and then I learned by myself because I was listening to a lot of music, a huge amount of it was in english. So I had that little french-english dictionary in my room and while listening to music I tried to look at a lot of words to learn vocabulary and the meaning of the songs.

Later I continued with movies in original version and TV shows but I prefer to have subtitles with it to feel more comfortable.

But I'm still better at understand english than speaking/writing it ^^

@tony cheater!!!    

In the Philippines, English is basically the second language! At home we learn basic words even in a young age. When you enter kindergarten English is already use for the medium of the class, all workbooks are in a form of English except from Filipino subject. All throughout Grade school and High School until College there is an English subject. Probably because Math, Science subjects are hard to translate into Filipino so English is really mold a great part in School!

My Japanese friends say they started to learn English word even at pre school when they were 3 years old but like any language if you do not use it you forget it !
Japanese people also fear humiliation and will often be afraid to speak English in case they get it wrong, I have found many Japanese schoolgirls have quite good English because they like English bands in just the same way that we like Scandal.

kaitanuva wrote:I've noticed people from countries all over the world here, and 99.9% of you type great English. Some are even very young. Which makes me curious, how is English taught in your country?

I'm probably in the 0.01%  .balloon. 

I had English all the time in the school a total of 9 years, but the school was not the best student.
Many also taught me the game. 
At one time there was no translation for games,I wanted to know the storyline. Was sitting with a dictionary in front of a console or computer  and explained himself.
Suffered on that my grammar.

and and watch movies with subtitles helps in learning.

I'm probably in that 0.1% too

Actually in Canada English is the main language but not in Québec.
When i was at school we were starting to have English class when we were 7 years old but i think it changed to be from 5 or 6 now. Its an obligatory class until we have 16/17 years and if you go to collegial level there is still a general formation that is also obligatory of English. Also in Québec, when i was younger only English version of game were published in Canada.
Also random fact about Québec but when pokémon was still playing on television here, we had our own version made from the french version with pokemon name in English.

quacky wrote:In the Philippines, English is basically the second language! At home we learn basic words even in a young age. When you enter kindergarten English is already use for the medium of the class, all workbooks are in a form of English except from Filipino subject. All throughout Grade school and High School until College there is an English subject. Probably because Math, Science subjects are hard to translate into Filipino so English is really mold a great part in School!

Totally This. but in regards to learning it at school, English was basically my first language since my Mom never made me speak our Native Language. A pity 

^THAT

Yeah English is our second language here. but i speak native all the time with friends.. much fun that way specially on bonding moments (drinking or just chilling). at home or school is different tho >_>

Yeah as they mentioned, In the Philippines, English is our second language. Mine is not great, I still have troubles when it comes to grammar even though I've been studying English for 8-10 years already. Lol. Anyway, in the Philippines, well, in my observation and experience, we have good teachers, that helps a lot I believe.

In my country English is the 3rd (obligatory) language   that we  learn at school (2nd one is the French =p). it starts being taught in the middle school to 12 years old students and it lasts until... oh wait I don't really know when it lasts since I still have english classes even in university xD. despite that there is not much peopol who talk it compared to french.

I'm also in the 0.01% even if I can understand some writen and spoken english I can't watch a full american show without subtitles and I usually use google trad to correct my messages before posting them on the forum. :p

I think the earliest I picked up English was before Kindergarten. Just random phrases and words I'd see on TV. Once I was old enough to get into elementary school, the very basics were taught. Simple picture books and phonics worksheets were the main resources.

In my country children start learn english when they are 6 years old. We have to learn this language in elementary and secondary school, when you study at university etc. English is in every school just like math or history so you can't forget this.

I also visit blogs, sites (like SH), read books, watch films with subtitles. It helps a lot!
I know my english isn't perfect but i try to speak/write correctly.

In Puerto Rico english is taught since first grade as far as I know, but its the basic-intermediate level. How good you are at english in the end depends on yourself, since spanish is the every day spoken language in the island.

As they have mentioned, English is the second language in the Philippines. In my case, my mother taught me how to read and write in Filipino and English even before I was sent to school so that's how it started for me.

I have cousins who learned English first before our native language because English was the language they use at home.

Way back before my mother act as my English tutor who teaches me some basic English phases like dog cat and etc but as she send me to school i observe that English language must be though in order to communicate with people with other citizenship....


so up to this point English language are though to us .......

i think it's easier for europeans due the fact that many words are similar between our languages. (written spanish, italian and french are almost te same)