Sensei. You want statistics on class sizes look on the web and stop wasting my time. The bigger picture is reality and you know it.
The web site is www.aare.edu.au.
Individual. Your in a class of your own, but i do understand.

EVO

This long running language theme is wearing thin. First of all when someone writes an article about a subject and tries to use some stats and then admits that they don't know what they mean, well. It problem goes to the heart of the matter. However I lead into it be saying this, there is a blinding obvious reason why no English speaking countries are spending more on language education. Care to think about it for a reason, perhaps it could be because they are trying to do two things One teach their kids their own language and English. Of all these articles that have appeared on OLO few have made any real points about why we should learn a non-English language.
The reality is English speakers only need to learn another language so that they can translate something back into English. English is a wonderful flexible language and the sooner everyone in the world can speack it the better. Language is often the first brick in the wall. I work with people from all over the world the one thing we have in common is we all speak English, whether it Aussie,India or west Indian we all speak it we can all understand each other.

multiculturalism. In layman terns, LOTE is the best of the best! To go where all others fear to go, you are doing it!

Big tick from EVOLUTION.

All the best.

EVO

Just a few follow up comments/questions for Kenny:

1) I'm not sure what your comment about someone quoting statistics they don't understand refers to...happy to elucidate if I can?

2) Are you a monolingual English speaker?

3) Most of the world is at least bilingual...(anglophone) monolingualism while it may feel right and normal to you is actually the minority case. In fact, more people speak English as a second language than first language...this means that soon English monolinguals will be in the interesting position of losing control of their only language

M

I am not sure if it is appropriate for the author to compare the progress (what one can do with the target language) in his daughter's study in French and Chinese.
Given his daughter is an English background speaker, learning French is millions times easier than learning Chinese.
I don't get surprised to hear what she said to her father (with some exaggeration).

soon English monolinguals will be in the interesting position of losing control of their only language.
matjabsa,
I think it's already happened. However, wouldn't it be nice if all other good aspects were as readily & quickly adapted. Sadly though, I think that that'll be a much more drawn-out affair.