My roommate, who was from Germany, had begun learning French at middle school. Even though we were the same age, her language ability was far superior to mine. It is clear to me the benefits of learning languages from an early age. Americans trail the rest of the world in our language ability. Most Americans can only speak English.
Foreign languages are almost a burden for some students.
They have to take two years of it in order to attend college. By teaching language from an earlier age, we can place a greater importance on language learning. By the time students graduate from high school, they will have an excellent understanding of the language. Plus, tests have proven that learning a foreign language helps improve a student's knowledge of English.