re: Enormous waste of time in schools

You cannot learn a language in a classroom.

You can only learn a language by living where it is spoken.

I think high school is more about exposing you to what's out there and see what sticks.

I took 4 years of PE but I'm not an athlete.

I went to a small school. Everyone took PE but we mostly just played basketball everyday.

Are you kidding? Spanish is the most useful second language in America for any potential employee in any profession. What is foreman fluent in frickin' French good for?

It's a foundation. To actually learn a language you have to immerse yourself in it. If they get the opportunity to study abroad in college, maybe they can aim for Spain and put it to use.

I know you think it's worthless but depending on their field it could prove useful. Years after I graduated from both high school and college I found myself working a lot with Brazil, so I decided to learn Portuguese. It was much easier with having Spanish under my belt already and I still use both to this day.

I took several Latin classes and they still come in handy today.

The vast majority of kids in high school learn nothing from any number of their classes. Focus on the foreign language if you want, but if actual master of the subject matter by more than half the students is the test we should just do away with high school altogether.

Ok, you have those kind of backwards.

For the beer, you want to make sure to say please and hopefully you’ll be orderering one for the señorita, as well.

Dos cervezas, por favor

But for the bathroom, one word is sufficient in most scenarios

baño

No hablo español

Helps the young mind develop to teach another language. Works different parts of the brain.

I agree immersion at a young age is the ticket.