A question about native English speakers and foreign languages

[DelphineMarineaux]

Hello!
I'm not a native English speaker so please bear with the mistakes and errors I might make.

I would like to ask native English speakers (particularly those that have only grown up speaking English) if you are proficient or fluent in any other language than English? As in, can you proficiently read, write, understand and communicate in another language aside from English? If so, may I ask where you learned whatever foreign language you know from?

I don't live in an English speaking country so I'm also curious to know how much education kids in English speaking countries get in foreign languages at school? And are the kids learning foreign languages on a high level? As in when they graduate from school, are they able to proficiently read, write, understand and communicate in a / several foreign language(s)?

Aaand a little bonus question: If you don't know any foreign languages, but had the opportunity to learn any foreign language in the world, which would you choose and why?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

A few languages here, which were decent but without regular practice have fallen away. I can read the paper, shop for groceries, but nothing with speed. French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish. A smattering of Japanese from a univ short course is in there somewhere. The teaching of them was largely excellent, private school and university. Other family weren't so lucky at local comprehensive school, being forced to learn phrases with no idea how the language worked, nothing retained. Our primary school offers a paltry attempt at French after age 7 so DD (yr1) goes to Chinese class outside school. (We are not Chinese), I'm following along for now to support. After that, Korean for me.

Spanish. I self taught then went to conversation clubs to practise speaking. I have all my computer/phone in Spanish to aid immersion and watch TV shows to keep my listening skills up. Conversation flows freely and it makes travel a lot of fun, especially in areas where English wasn't as widespread.

There was only one other English person at the conversation club. The others were Spanish learning English.

In school children do not learn very much. I assist with my kid's learning but that's because we can converse. He wouldn't speak or listen much in school. They just do written work.

My parents think learning other languages is a waste of time, because they're angry racists who turn up their nose at everything. Both of their children have become multilingual travelers, one with an EU partner and lives there now, so it's funny to wind them up. But they are indicative of a popular attitude.

Oh I totally forgot to say I did a correspondence course in Esperanto when I was about 15, as well. I can't remember it now though.

Languages really open your mind even if you forget them again quickly ;)