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<DIV>Hey everyone,</DIV>
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<DIV>I just wanted to drop a line and give you the "inside scoop" on the L2 programs in US high schools. I'm only a junior in high school, but I noticed something scary about how the schools here teach foreign languages after I compared my Spanish skills to my German exchange student's English skills. We've both been on similar tracks, and we've both studied our L2 for five years; however, his English was much better than my Spanish (as an amateur linguist, I threw out this whole business about English being the 'most important language' now). So, I talked to him about his classes. He told me that they were geared much more towards overall fluency, with added stress primarily on speaking. Compared to the L2 programs (with the exception of ESL) of high schools that I've studied, his school's English program seemed like a blessing to anyone wishing to pick up another language. <STRONG>As for my conclusion about schools, here it is: The second language programs of US grammar and high schools, public and private, are in terrible condition. Instead of focusing on fluency and instruction in the target language, programs have chosen to emphasize test-taking skills, primarily those in regard to the SAT II and various college exams.</STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV>If anyone else has noticed this or a similar trend, please explain the situation and possible causes.</DIV>
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<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
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<DIV>--Chris</DIV></BODY></HTML>