If you studied a language for years and still can't speak or understand anything, the problem might not be the education system

I'm seeing so many posts and comments about how people (usually native English speakers) don't speak languages even though they studied at school for X years. These posts and comments usually conclude that it's because the education system is bad, and point at Europeans, who speak English (TL) and often other languages so well.

In my opinion, this is just trying to blame society instead of taking responsibility for your own results. Yes, having a good teacher helps, but I think you are way overestimating how good European language classes are in the average school.

I'm from Hungary, and started studying English when I was 7. From age 10, I was going to one of the best schools in the country, where we actually had to write a test to be admitted, and it was generally considered to be in the top 10 schools in the country.

Yet, I was 16 by the time I passed my B2 certificate. That's 9 years of taking classes. Then I got to C levels after I already graduated high school, simply because of the sheer amount of good content available. I wanted to find information about my hobbies and interests that I couldn't find in Hungarian, so I just stuck with it until it really clicked.

We also had German in the last 4 years. I personally took it very seriously because I wanted to work in Germany. I signed up for the more intensive German class, had a native tutor, and watched movies all the time. I graduated with a decent level (which I forgot very soon after because I realized that I'm more interested in non-European cultures and languages).

But most kids in my class didn't take it that seriously, even those who signed up for the more intensive classes. They simply showed up for the classes, did homework, and then ignored the language.

These kids didn't learn anything.

And this is the story with almost every European I know: they speak languages because they took classes for like 10-15 years, and then they were forced to use it. Almost everyone whose English is good did more than just show up at class.

English speakers are rarely forced to use the languages they studied for X years. They have to go out of their way to get any input or output outside of the class.

I don't know what public schools are like in the US, UK, or Australia, but I'm quite certain that if you took language classes for several years, 3-5 times a week, you have the basics down, and all you have to do is actually start interacting with the language. Stop blaming others, and start taking responsibility for your own progress. Anybody who ever succeeded in languages did it this way, regardless of where they grew up.