<p>Apparently you and some others who are eager to go on the attack skipped over the part where I said this:" I could see taking Spanish if you can speak it to some degree but didn't know how to read and write it well..." Evidently that would describe you, so it makes perfect sense for you to take Spanish. </p>
<p>There's no need to start throwing insults around. You chose to describe yourself as a "native speaker," which implies fluency to me. No one can tell from that statement where you were born or what languages you have been schooled in. I think that you should consider yourself lucky to have been in a position to absorb three languages in the home. Most people don't have that opportunity.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, lots of kids complete the first year of a language in 8th grade and do AP in their senior year. Since we happen to strongly value the study of foreign languages, we arranged for our kid to have some instruction in French in elementary school. He finished French 2 in eighth grade, and AP French in his junior year. He started Spanish in 9th grade, but skipped Spanish 1 and went directly to Spanish 2, having done a little studying over the summer. He's now in AP Spanish. He's also taking AP French Lit as an independent study. I'm not sure whether schools would consider this 9 or 11 years of foreign language, but obviously it's enough.</p>
<p>So yeah, Armando, I'm just one of those Americans who doesn't give a crap about languages and has no idea that they aren't genetically acquired.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I suggest that you take people's advice and call the schools you are interested in, or--if you are really interested in pursuing Spanish at a higher level, or Portugese--look into local college offerings or independent study.</p>
<p>Hey Armando I know exactly what you're talking about:</p>
<p>
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I could already read and write decently, but nowhere near to the level of English. I've been educated all my life in English, but never in Spanish or my other native language, Portuguese.
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</p>
<p>My girlfriend is a US born Hispanic and even though she speaks Spanish at home she has taken Spanish all throughout school for the very same reasons you've pointed out.</p>
<p>I've taken Spanish middle school thru high school and I'm pretty fluent considering I'm not Hispanic. My problem is I just can't shake the American accent...:D</p>
<p>Bilingual, trilingual -- the more the better. Buena suerte!</p>
<p>Consolation, nobody attacked you, so there really is no need to be defensive. :)</p>
<p>I called myself a native speaker because I am one. I was taught the language at birth, just as you were taught English at birth. That would make you a native speaker, but does that mean you could speak, read, and write English then as well as you can today? Nope. Native and educated unfortunately are not equivalent. </p>
<p>I didn't say you don't care about foreign languages - and it's great that you do. But high school foreign language classes are severely lacking, and I have no interest at all in French, so I don't think I would be picking up a whole lot, especially when there's much to be learned in my own languages.</p>
<p>And the thing is, I did write and read decently. But not at the level of my English, with which I have a problem. :)</p>
<p>Sure, I'm lucky in the language department. But that comes with a background of poverty with recently immigrated parents and a lifetime of discrimination based on race, my family, etc. You win some and you lose some. We all have our advantages and disadvantages, and we use them accordingly. </p>
<p>And while it may sound a little blind to many of you, I prefer to act on my own desires for now and then see how colleges look at me when it comes to that time. If they dislike me because I don't have 4 years of language, then I consider it their loss. :)</p>
<p>Y muchas gracias JustLookin. Tu novia tiene mucha suerte y espero que aprendas mas espanol!</p>