Do your children learn a second language in Primary School?

[SorryImKnew]

I'm Irish, so we obviously study Irish alongside English from Baby Infants (your Reception I think). It's an obligatory subject with some exemptions, much like English and Maths.
I'm just curious whether schools in England/Scotland/EU/US/Aus/NZ/Rest of world study a second core language and what it is? I think Welsh is probably a core subject in Wales?
Just idle curiosity!

Yes, Spanish from Reception

My children's school (in England) have them do Spanish from age 7. My daughter did two terms then Covid hit, but during lockdown she really ran with it, practising every day (using Duolingo). She hasn't had a lesson this year (but had time off poorly and waiting for a Covid test). I'm hoping my son, who had his first lesson yesterday, runs with it as well as I never did Spanish at school so can't practise with them (yes j could learn too - I'm mid way through a qualification at work - I'll start after that!)
I do think that they should invest properly in languages.

My son wants to sign up to Duolingo in Norwegian (because of the north pole / lights) Japanese (coz of Pokémon) Spanish (coz of school) and French (he picked that first when his sister got an account for Spanish). I speak a bit in two foreign languages - German to A grade GCSE and Thai to conversational fluency because I lived and worked there for a while. He has Polish family on his dads side and fully bilingual cousins. He has no interest in learning German, Thai, or Polish.

Our English school teaches French in Primary.
Our British school, in a foreign country, taught Arabic from reception (language of the country), and added in French at Y3.

DS1 is learning French at primary, the school have a French teacher to cover the class teachers PPA time.
He used to do Spanish at nursery.

Yes, I envy the Eastern Europeans as they often tend to have their native language, Russian, possibly a neighbouring country's language and excellent English!!

Yeah, 25-year-old Hungarians just LOVE chewing the fat in Russian. Tickles their grandmothers pink!

To answer your question, all 3 of mine did/do French in primary (here in London), but never seem(ed) to progress beyond the basic greetings and primary colours stage. They tend to learn more when we go to France in the summer. They're definitely more keen to speak French in France and love everything to do with France/French Culture. We're very much a family of Francophiles (I was so disappointed to learn I have no French DNA or ancestors).
DH and I speak (ok) French as second languages but we don't teach the kids French (my grammar is garbage. I speak better than I write and my spoken French can be a bit dodgy).

English is taught at primary school in the Netherlands.

Secondary schools mostly add french and german, even if it's just a year or two. Some mix it up with a possibility for spanish or russian I've heard from colleagues.

The higher level students have an option to learn latin and/or greek.

English and German are used by many of us occasionally in day-to-day life. Germany is very close by (never further than a two hour drive from the mainland) so easy to go to for shopping, tourism et cetera and English is spoken by most foreigners here and many need to speak some level of English for their jobs. Some need German for their jobs but since most young and middle aged germans speak English quite well just English might do.

I don't think we would do as well economically if we didn't speak foreign languages as much as we do.

Basic French from year 3 too. I think only once a week. I’m glad about it as DD seems to love it and hopefully will instil a love of languages for secondary.

Due to moving schools a few tes, DD1 has been taught Greek, Spanish, German and French at Primary (over 3 schools, now in Yr5). She does Duolingo Spanish at home for fun.
DD2 has just started French. She did the odd bit of German previously.
Currently school also uses Makaton a lot, and I've noticed they know more than they realise (but not as the ones who've been there since Reception, where a large part of the teaching was)

My sons primary school do Spanish from year 3.

I chose Spanish as my language option for
GCSE, I'll have to brush up on it before my son goes into year 3. He started reception this year so still got 3 years before he starts Spanish.

Not as part of the curriculum in my sons' primary school, but they did have private Spanish lessons for a while.

DCs start learning French from y3.

Had to pick DS2 up partway through one of his first lessons last week due to tummy ache, and brought his sheet home. He was astonished that I knew the numbers. I did A-level French then French, German and Spanish as exteas on the university programme alongside my degree. Some as minor subjects and some for fun.

A foreign language is compulsory in English primary schools from Year 3 (age 7). In practice though, many primaries don't have an actual MFL teacher, so rely on the normal class teacher teaching a bit of whatever language they learnt at school! So the MFL teaching in primary schools is very variable in quality and quantity (and in any case isn't necessarily in the same language the kids will do at secondary). The result of that is that everyone has to start from scratch when they go to secondary school anyway.

I'm a secondary school MFL teacher turned peripatetic primary school MFL teacher. Schools get me in to teach French or Spanish while their class teachers have their PPA time.

Both of mine learn french in yr 3. The eldest now studies french in yr 8 at secondary. Out junior school also offers Spanish and french as extra curricular clubs too!

In England here my DD does spanish started in yr 1 (so from age 5/6) but not very much does one lesson a week, for 1 term of every school yr. Shes now yr6 and cant say anything 😂.
My DP is Hungarian he started school just as the berlin wall fell, so didnt have to learn russian (his parents both fluent though). He did English from age 7 (the age he started school) 4 hours a week then French as well from age 12. Having worked in Italy for a bit he also speaks Italian now. One of his sisters actually attended a bilingual school there and had half her lesson taught in English. They dont have to learn English though and many choose German. I find when I travel over there although many speak English alot dont but do speak German fluently.

DS did French from KS2 but before that right from reception and year 1 they learned very basic things like hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc in a range of languages as part of learning about different countries.

I’m another in Wales (not Welsh myself), so lessons are taught in Welsh. I’m trying to learn Welsh, but not got very far yet! I can just about do basics of ‘The breakfast/lunch is ready’ and ‘How are you’, whereas he’s storming ahead and often when playing, his toys say things in Welsh as well as English. Otherwise we do a bit of basic French outside of school, but not in school and next year I’ll hopefully find him a little French class outside school.

Can I ask - those of you whose dc have MFL lessons in school, is it with a qualified MFL teacher?

A tiny bit of French vocabulary, but not taught by anyone qualified.

Yep, in Germany children learn English in primary school. Ours did French because we are on the French border, although I think it's changing to English as of next year.

To be honest I don't think the French they learned in primary school was of much use. DS1 never seemed to retain much of it and they just seemed to go over the weather words for 4 years He is continuing French in secondary school, as well as English (obviously he can already speak English anyway!)

I don't know whether there is such a thing as a qualified MFL teacher in primary level in Germany. But the French teachers DS had were native speakers and qualified primary school teachers.

My 4 went to Gaidhlig school in Scotland, taught all in Scottish Gaelic from nursery and English reading/writing introduced in P3 (y2). They're all completely fluent in Gaelic as well as having good results in English and French (started in secondary) as well.

Means that they can talk to each other without us knowing what they're saying too which is still funny. I recognise the swear words though! All 3 now left school but still use it with friends out of school,

MFL in primary schools is often woefully inadequate as they can rarely afford to get specialists in so it tends to be taught by the class teacher and the standards are hugely variable. I have been in primary classrooms where the French teaching is just awful. Same with music lessons- one of my teacher friends is unable to clap in time or sing in tune but she still has to teach music to her year 3s. 🙄

I’m amazed at how much Spanish my primary aged children know! And sign language too.