Let's talk about how we could effectively teach
foreign/second language to children at school.
Start in before elementary school. Make it mandatory. Use it at home, in the classroom, everywhere. ??? Profit.(?)
Begin in the beginning years of Elementary, After children have learned the basics about there primary language which is usually from pre-k to 3rd grade. Starting around 4th grade sounds alot more promising since around that time they can comprehend more things. I think elementary school would be the time for them to learn the basic structure for the language, teaching them little by little.In middleschool they can begin to learn the more indepth parts in the language, such as phrases ect... By highschool they would be able to understand the language basics and can begin learning the bigger stuff like reading and all...by graduation they would be fluent ^_^
Although...of course there would be a problem in finding qualified language teachers since it seems in some areas they are hard to come by ^_^; and it would be a bit troublesome mixing that in with the other mandatory classes xD;
Children are very fast to pick up a foreign language.
Drop them in a foreign country and after two weeks they can converse with the locals.
Bring them back home and after two weeks they have forgotten it all.
Start in or before first grade.
Start a second foreign language in or around sixth grade.