Anonymous wrote:Out of the millions that did 5 years of HS language - what percent are actually fluent?

Probably almost none. High schools are horrible at teaching foreign languages. 4-5 hours a week in a non-immersion, classroom-only environment isn't going to do a lot to build fluency. You really need tons of conversation practice with a native speaker (not a fellow student) and no option to resort to English.

Anonymous wrote:Out of the millions that did 5 years of HS language - what percent are actually fluent?

Probably almost none. High schools are horrible at teaching foreign languages. 4-5 hours a week in a non-immersion, classroom-only environment isn't going to do a lot to build fluency. You really need tons of conversation practice with a native speaker (not a fellow student) and no option to resort to English.

Out of the millions that did 5 years of HS language - what percent are actually fluent?

My DS took Latin, only for 4 years in HS, and earned the full IB diploma.

A friend’s kid switched and was able to do a very small group tutoring stint with a HS langauge teacher one summer to catch up the extra year and test into the next level of language. (So not a formal FCPS course but also much smaller ratio) high stakes though.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah my kid's IB school does a crap job explaining this and it almost screwed us up with DC1.
You need 5 years of the SAME language - not just 5 years of language. So if you switch languages after 8th you'll need to figure out how to do a make-up in the summer (not ideal).

THANK YOU for replying. Switching is exactly what mine wanted to do. That’s disappointing too given some of the languages are only 4 years in HS - no 5th year HS option or ability to take in MS (even if walk over to HS). Know the requirements are IB and not FCPS but another reason to move to AP school. Ugh but thanks again. Very much appreciate.

Yeah my kid's IB school does a crap job explaining this and it almost screwed us up with DC1.
You need 5 years of the SAME language - not just 5 years of language. So if you switch languages after 8th you'll need to figure out how to do a make-up in the summer (not ideal).

Admittedly being lazy and posting here v looking up or writing school but hoping is easy answer that someone here already knows- to get full IB diploma, know students need to start foreign language in 8th grade. My question- if start 1 language in 8th, can a student change language once in HS or is the requirement that must have multiple years of SAME labguage? Or can they still get full IB diploma so long as have ANY language- so could take couple years of 1 and couple years of other language just as long as start in 8th grade? Thanks,