How are languages taught in Europe? I know Europeans usually speak at least two languages?

Question

Do they start learning a different language when they first go to school then learn a different one in the higher grades? Or do they just pick it up from being near a country that speaks that other language?

Answer 1

Hello, I`m from Croatia.
Here you have lots and lots of kindergartens in English, German, some in Italian or some other language. So, some kids start learning at a really early age (I was 3 when I started learning English and German). But even if you don`t study it like that, you must study at least one language at school from the age of 7, when you begin the 1st grade. The languages are usually English; German in the continental part, Italian at the coast. Also, there are a lot of good-quality language schools in Croatia where you can learn everything from Japanese to Russian.
Also, Croatians are rather good at English (especially the younger generations) because our TV has more than 50% of films and shows in English, with subtitles. Note that the Germans synchronize everything and therefore do not have the same advantage.
The French and Italians are very protective about their languages, very few of them speak any other languages, and if they do, they have a strong accent (and rarely work hard on removing it:).
Also, in highschool you can pick a different language, from the selection the school gives. There are many student exchanges, for 2 weeks or more, between school-partners in other towns and countries, and the kids who go usually speak the language and want to improve it.
The kids with richer parents go to summer camps to other countries, or to language schools... It`s become very popular here.
Our bookshops usually have a wide selection of books in English, and aldo some books in other languages (German, Italian Spanish, Russian...)
Really good question, by the way!

Answer 2

I live in Norway which is in Europe, I know English, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. I know English because I started learning it from second grade at school. I learned Swedish and Danish because I often traveled there, and the countries are very close and the languages very similar. There isn't much difference in the languages when the countries are neighbors, but now I don't know about the other countries though. But I think that French, Italian and Spanish are pretty similar too. When people get in higher grades at middle school, they start learning German, French, Spanish or English if they want to but they will learn more English anyway. Europeans usually know two languages because they learn their own language first, then they learn English. Then they learn most or some of the language of their neighbors. And they might learn another language when they have finished school. And some of those I know have mother from one country and father from another so they learn two main languages from they were born and they learn English, and maybe another.

Answer 3

Hi there,

language teaching might vary from country to country in Europe I can only give you the view of Germany.
First language teaching starts in 3rd grade, normally with English. These tough are rather non formal classes, doing songs and some basics.
Serious language teaching starts in 5th grade with in most cases English, but some schools also offer French or Latin.
Depending on the type of school will you continue with a second language in 7th grade (French or Latin or English if you did not have it before).
In Gymnasium (similar to British Grammar Schools) will you add a 3rd language in10th grade (French or Latin or other depending on school).
So at the end of your school time in Germany might you have learned 3 languages.
Other countries in Europe have similar systems, but to my experience does it depend on your mother-tongue if you learn another language properly. Especially English speaking nations do not have as deep language curriculums as non English speaking ones.
Surely it also helps that students can travel pretty easily to the countries were they can test their language skills, but that is not everything.

Hope this helps
Ina

Answer 4

Hello, I am from Finland. Here children go to school at the age of six or seven. In Finland we have 2 languages, Finnish and 5 % of us speak Swedish (of course Swedish speaking children learn Finnish and vice versa just by listening and many children have one parent speaking Finnish and the other Swedish, so they learn both languages at home). At first the children learn their own language thoroughly for a couple of years and then about the age of 10 -12 they can choose between English or German. In higher grades you can choose French or Spanish, some even choose Russian. According to international surveys Finland has one of the best school systems in the world as well as the other Scandinavian countries.

Answer 5

It depends from country to country. In Ireland, primary school children start learning Irish and English. Later, when they start secondary school, usually at around age 12, they start learning other languages like French, German or Spanish.

In the Netherlands, children start learning English at age 10, during the last 2 years of primary school. However, what really helps in the Netherlands and in Denmark is that the television programmers use subtitling in the language of the country and leave the programme's original language, rather than simply dubbing the programmes with voices speaking the language of the country, as is commonplace in Germany, France and Spain.

My husband is Dutch and learned German in a very natural way - his family home was about 50 km from the German border, so they got German television and he learned German by watching their programmes. He started learning English at age 12 (at that time they didn't start with English quite so young) and is now perfectly bilingual with Dutch and English, so much so that people assume he is a native of the region of Ireland in which we live. Until they hear his name ....

Answer 6

What Evanlah says isn't true for all European schools! Maybe for her country, but not in Scandinavia.

We are taught English from the 3. grade: It is an important language internationally and you really can't take a higher education without it (books are often in English at universities and some courses are in English)

In grade 6/7 we have to option between French and German, however many school only offers German. I'm from Denmark so Germany is one of our neighbours and Germany is one of the biggest export countries for Denmark. In upper secondary schools/high schools many chooses Spanish instead of German.

Answer 7

Europe is big, it consists of many different countries with different governments and school systems, so when you ask about how languages are taught in Europe. I know that in Germany, and even there the school systems are different from State to State, they start teaching languages when the kids are about 9 or ten, and two are mandatory. In some school kids even have to learn three.

Answer 8

In Italy nowadays children take a foreign language when they first go to school at 6, and a second one at 11. It wasn't so when I went to school, we started a foreign language (usaully English or French) only at 11, and when you moved to secondary schools at 14 some schools didn't offer any foreign language.

Answer 9

we start studying at school... English (compulsory) French or Spanish as you like... but I can assure you it's very difficult do it properly.. that's why you better go to the country where is spoken... so that you learn the way people speak, live, and above all you hear the right accent...
kisses

Answer 10

most countries in europe teach I.B (International Baccalaureate) which requires students to learn at least 2 languages.