It is no doubt that English is one of the most used languages in the world. It is spoken as an official language in more than 50 countries, and widely learned as a second language because of its usefulness. But the education of English differs depending on the country because of an assortment of reasons. Here are some examples:
China
The Chinese government initiated English education in elementary schools in 2001 aimed at getting their students to gain practical use of English. Even though there is a slight gap in the education between urban areas and rural areas, some schools hire native speakers to enhance their students’ ability to speak English.
Germany
Each province in Germany has most of the authority regarding English education, so each province has different styles in the way they offer English education. Approximately half of the provinces offer only English education. On the other hand, some provinces offer Italian, Russian, or French education. Education places an emphasis on listening and speaking more than writing and reading skills to enhance cross-cultural communication.
Netherlands
English education in elementary schools in the Netherlands started from early 1970. English class is offered 4 times a week, and it is a popular subject for students. Students don’t learn English grammar in a school. They just listen to English, and an emphasis is placed on speaking. Lots of teachers in the Netherlands are fluent speakers of English, so they mostly don’t hire native speakers of English.
France
Education of foreign languages started in the 1960s in France. Now education of English starts from elementary school (from 6 years old). After 2008, 2 hours of English class is mandatory in an elementary school (class of 8 to 10 years old) per week, and 95% of students are learning English as a first foreign language. Some schools even offer foreign exchange programs with schools in the United Kingdom.
As you see, styles of education of English differ depending on the country. As it is essential in today’s world, every country puts in an effort to offer better English education. Here at LingoStar, we can provide language services in over 100 languages as well as English. Call us today or send us an email for a free quote!
