When did you start to learn a second language?

[GingerSpice]

Foreign language learning was a part of our curriculum in school, we had to take either Spanish or French starting in the 7th grade. I picked Spanish and took six years of Spanish all throughout middle and high school. That was when I realized I absolutely loved learning another language and another culture, and now I'm addicted to learning new languages!

[babyleans]

i started about two years ago and i've been learning spanish on and off since then but i think i have the basics and essentials down. i can converse pretty well. i have been learning on my own and i did not learn it at highschool at all.

[lindsayraeann]

I started taking Spanish classes in 7th grade, then took 8th grade off and restarted in 9th grade. Only two years were mandatory, but I chose to continue through graduation! My goal is to continue with Spanish language classes in university next semester, but I'm not sure yet if it will work with my schedule.

I am interested in minoring in Spanish, because I want to go into nursing and I think that being fluent in Spanish (particularly in CA) will be very helpful!

[angie51]

As I was educated in Scotland, French is taught to all children from the age of nine or ten. I continued to learn French throughout my high school. At the age of thirteen I began to have German lessons, (also at high school).

I found the German language far easier to comprehend, Perhaps this was due to the fact that the Scottish accent and pronunciation of words is similar to the German language.

[003]

My second language is English. When I started to learn it, I was too young that I cannot remember how I have like eating and reading. For us, it is very natural to learn it. Almost everyone of us understand, can write and read in it. Before we start schooling, we are already expected to know it. Honestly, I am confused if I should really consider it as my second-language. (Technically speaking it is.)

[Rosyrain]

I began to learn American sign language and Spanish when I was in college. I wish I had started when I was younger so I could have had more time to study. It is so much harder to learn a new language the older you get.

[trenchant]

I grew up in a bilingual family, since my family is Chinese and I live in the United States. I consider myself blessed to have grown up in a bilingual family; learning Chinese would be almost impossible for me had I not grown up knowing it.

I began learning Spanish halfway through Elementary School, and continued lessons up until my final year in High School.

[Poikanen]

I started learning English in 3rd grade. (in Finland, that's when I was 9 years old.) Then I started learning Swedish in 7th grade. Both languages were mandatory for everyone. Then in high school I added Russian too.

[Sly14Cat]

Since I live in Canada, we have to start learning French from the age of 10 I believe (at least that's how it is in Ontario). I decided to take Extended French, so I did and still do much of my schooling in French. So although not by choice that is the first time I really tried to learn a second language.

[Elly]

My mother spoke English at home, and I wasn't much of a social butterfly, but I lived in a country (or two, really) where English wasn't the only language spoken so these other languages were always around. I learned from osmosis since I was a child, but osmosis is evidently an unreliable teacher!

[MeganBeanCobain]

I started to learn my second language (French) when I was six. My parents had just gotten a divorce, so I traveled with my father. He got a job in France, so we lived there for about three years. - Then we moved to Germany. So French is my second language. :grin:

[whnuien]

I spoke only one language until I was 8 years old then I started my second when I was in primary. I started school quite late and I was kind of far behind everybody but I managed to catch them in the end. I had to learn my second language at that time because it is a national language in my country. I can't remember how the learning went or how difficult it was but I guess we all learnt a lot faster when we were younger compare to learning when we are already an adult.

[MrHurricane89]

We started learning English in elementary school, when I was about 8-9 years old. When I got my computer and I got into Computer Roleplaying Games, I had to use a dictionary and look up many words to understand what those games were about and how to progress in them.

[forextraspecialstuff]

I started learning French when I was in 7th grade and took it for the next six years. I wish I had started earlier, but at the time I wasn't thinking of it. I really think starting early is the way to go. If/ when I have children I plan to start them on language lessons fairly young.

[Oogles]

Since pre-school. The Philippines has a mandatory English language subject since pre-school until College. Basically as long as you're in school, you'll have to attend English classes. 

[Wolf]

Tagalog was my second language - I've been learning it since preschool, and it was seriously one of the hardest languages ever. xD I started Dutch when I was 11, and German at around 10. I also recall attempting to learn Japanese at 6, but since the internet wasn't really big in our area at the time I only had a Japanese dictionary to help me. xD;

[trenchant]

I started learning a second language since pretty much kindergarten, as my family was bilingual to begin with.

But I'd say I started learning a third language in elementary school, when I took Spanish lessons as an after-school activity.

[mmalka01]

I have been learning Spanish in school ever since 2nd grade but I never understood even a syllable until 11th grade, where I had an instructor who was willing to try new methods and break down the form of every language in order to get it correct.

[pcgamer]

Back when I was a little kid, I started learning both my native as well as second language simultaneously. We have to learn two languages from our childhood. The third and fourth languages are English and French respectively.

[AmYy]

I started to learn German as a second language in the 4th grade, but I haven't been using it for a long time so I have forgotten almost all of it. Also I started learning Spanish at an early age but not officially in school. I was learning it by watching so many soap operas, but I got on a high level quickly and I was able to communicate with native Spanish speakers.

[CrystalMarie]

I just started studying my second language about a month ago. I make it my business to learn at least 30 new words a day. I have hopes of becoming fluent in less than 4 months with this technique.

[AgentD22]

When I was very young, around 7 years old, everything I watched, from movies to videogames was in english. That kept, being the case until around my 14th birthday, then I didn't need subtitles anymore.

[Azurix]

I started learning how to speak the Spanish language when I was in high school (I was in the ninth grade). I really wish that they had offered the classes sooner, because now I have a limited time to take all of the Spanish classes while taking other equally important classes as well. It would be an amazing thing if more schools had offered more foreign language classes at a younger age. Learning a new language not only increases memory, but several other brain functions as well.

[Victor Leigh]

I started learning a second language when I was just a few years old. I am a Chinese and we lived in a Malay community. So it was natural for me to start learning Malay. Then I went to an English kindergarten and I started learning a third language. Maybe this early exposure to different languages helped me to learn more languages as I grew older.

[GamerPerson]

I believe I was in kindergarten or first grade when I was learning Spanish. I can't really recall. Of course, I never become fully fluent in the language because at some point they no longer offered it to the younger students. I think it actually stopped around 1st or 2nd grade, I can't really remember. It did, however, help me a bit in high school in my first year because even though it was years later, I recall almost everything I learned in those primary years. Thanks, teach!