We also have the distinct disadvantage in that it had only been relatively recently that kids in primary schools started to learn foreign languages from early on. When other countries start at 4 or 5 with languages and we start at 10 or even 11 then no wonder we lose out. I'd like to see pre-school language classes personally and would like to have it back dated to when I was at that age too.
I do think that until you are able to think in a foreign language you really haven't learnt it yet. I have never done that. My sister spent two years in Italy and came back talking to us in Italian. It was always funny to hear her start in Italian, realise that and continue in English only to revert back to Italian again. She found it hard when she came back to think and speak only in English again. Although she was working in a really chavvy area of Italy so the language was not good Italian. She spoke with letters at the end of words dropped as was the local dialect. Made it easier to learn as you didn't need to learn the tenses so much but marked you as low class but that was what they all spoke like where she was.
Anyway English is the language of international transport. What I mean is ships and planes all operate with English as the language used to communicate. Also it is the language of the second largest film and visual media industry (Hollywood which is behind Bollywood I think with HK coming in second). Most places have English language films showing with subtitles and it is more widely distributed so it is easier to become exposed to English as a foreign language. It takes specialist cinemas to see French or Italian or Spanish language films so less exposure. I reckon in USA Spanish is more widely spoken than over here too.
I do think that until you are able to think in a foreign language you really haven't learnt it yet. I have never done that. My sister spent two years in Italy and came back talking to us in Italian. It was always funny to hear her start in Italian, realise that and continue in English only to revert back to Italian again. She found it hard when she came back to think and speak only in English again. Although she was working in a really chavvy area of Italy so the language was not good Italian. She spoke with letters at the end of words dropped as was the local dialect. Made it easier to learn as you didn't need to learn the tenses so much but marked you as low class but that was what they all spoke like where she was.
Anyway English is the language of international transport. What I mean is ships and planes all operate with English as the language used to communicate. Also it is the language of the second largest film and visual media industry (Hollywood which is behind Bollywood I think with HK coming in second). Most places have English language films showing with subtitles and it is more widely distributed so it is easier to become exposed to English as a foreign language. It takes specialist cinemas to see French or Italian or Spanish language films so less exposure. I reckon in USA Spanish is more widely spoken than over here too.
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