My Vision For America

[Tellos Athenaios]

Studying foreign languages is generally a waste of time if you already speak English.

I sort of see your point, especially considering the rest of the world by and large will accommodate English to some degree. But later on you proceed to declare that the time currently taken to learn other languages should be spent on learning better English instead.

While I won't argue the merits of teaching kids proper English, my question is: what about those kids on whom language education is not entirely wasted? You have people who do have some aptitude for language, and you would be doing them a big disservice by requiring them to sit through twice as much English -- given how classes tend to gravitate towards the lowest common denominator. By contrast a second language at least gives them some worthwhile skills, and might in fact improve their own English as they become more aware of it through having been taught a different perspective if you will.

Though this view might be somewhat skewed due to my recollections of playing Tic Tac Toe to while away those English classes, much to the chagrin of the teacher; compared to the rather revealing insights gained from classic Greek. <_<

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I sort of see your point, especially considering the rest of the world by and large will accommodate English to some degree. But later on you proceed to declare that the time currently taken to learn other languages should be spent on learning better English instead.

While I won't argue the merits of teaching kids proper English, my question is: what about those kids on whom language education is not entirely wasted? You have people who do have some aptitude for language, and you would be doing them a big disservice by requiring them to sit through twice as much English -- given how classes tend to gravitate towards the lowest common denominator. By contrast a second language at least gives them some worthwhile skills, and might in fact improve their own English as they become more aware of it through having been taught a different perspective if you will.

Though this view might be somewhat skewed due to my recollections of playing Tic Tac Toe to while away those English classes, much to the chagrin of the teacher; compared to the rather revealing insights gained from classic Greek. <_<

Yes, you're right. I chose "double english" because it makes a nice contrast with the foreign language. I would actually say extra history would be more worthwhile.