English is not my native language, but my elementary school taught French since 1st grade and English since 6th. I immigrated to the US at age 12, and now speak

English is not my native language, but my elementary school taught French since 1st grade and English since 6th. I immigrated to the US at age 12, and now speak both English and my native language fluently without an accent -- as do my friends with a similar background as mine (the ones that immigrated before 13). I think it helps for kids to be exposed to many different languages early on. For example, I never learned to speak French fluently, but because I have some background in a latin-based language, I found it easier to learn Spanish. It's much easier to relate existing words in your vocabulary with new foreign words, than it is to memorize them outright. For example, it's probably easier to learn Russian if you speak Czech already (and to speak it with less of an accent) than it is to learn Korean if you're a Spanish speaker.