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[Meso]

Someone mentioned a country having 10 languages being confusing.

Here in South Africa there are 13 official languages, and usually things like warnings have to be written in 3 of them.

Doesn't really bother me though, everyone is entitled to equality. Though granted everything in English would be easier, there are those who don't speak it and deserve to somewhat catered for.

[HURAKAN]

I took a class last semester called "Geography of North America" and Southern Florida, mainly Miami-Dade County, is associated with "the Islands" and not the South of the United States. Some people here joke that Miami-Dade should be called North Cuba or North Havana since the major, most commissioners and most people in government are Cubans or of Cuban descent.

[Derek Ortt]

I took a class last semester called "Geography of North America" and Southern Florida, mainly Miami-Dade County, is associated with "the Islands" and not the South of the United States. Some people here joke that Miami-Dade should be called North Cuba or North Havana since the major, most commissioners and most people in government are Cubans or of Cuban descent.

Cubalibre may be a better name for South Florida, lol

[RL3AO]

I wish public schools in the US would start teaching a 2nd language in elementary school. By the time your a teen, you ability to learn a new language has fallen. Your blind, an idiot, or both if you don't see a reason for today's children not to be able to speak Spanish, or by 2030, Chinese.

Of course putting Spanish in the curriculum of eight year olds in most states would cause riots.

[vbhoutex]

I wish public schools in the US would start teaching a 2nd language in elementary school. By the time your a teen, you ability to learn a new language has fallen. Your blind, an idiot, or both if you don't see a reason for today's children not to be able to speak Spanish, or by 2030, Chinese.

Of course putting Spanish in the curriculum of eight year olds in most states would cause riots.

I was taught Spanish in elementary school in N. FL.(a small Christian school) and took French in high school(the teacher was HOT!!). Though I still know bits and pieces of what I was taught, not a whole lot of it stuck with me. One has to use what they are taught on a regular basis for it to "stick".
I won't go into the rest of it as I would offend many with some of my thoughts.

[Dionne]

I was taught both French and Spanish in parochial school. While I can read and understand both languages......I have not retained everything.....I am no longer fluent. It's kind of like being in the West Indies.....where the specific dialect of English is difficult to understand. The only universal language is in mathematics.

[gtalum]

I agree that a foreign language should be taught to young kids. We're teaching our 3-year-old Spanish right now. We'll probably teach her Mandarin Chinese next.

She picks it up so much faster than we do, it's amazing.