Can I tell you about Italian’s relationship with English?
Well…In Italy we start study English at scuola elementare, from 6 years old. Someone starts before.
At scuola elementare we don’t study grammar (well, just the verb “to be”), but we learn some easy words, like the name of colours, or the parts of the body, things just like these.
Then, at scuola media (from 11 to 14 years old) we start learn grammar…
In the two first years of scuola superiore we study grammar, again; then, in the three last years we study English literature.
I’m in the second year of grammar-study at scuola superiore: so, I might know almost all of the English grammar. In fact, I can understand nearly everything (with dictionary’s help, of course), but for me it’s still difficult to make a complete speech, both writing and speaking.
I hope you’ll forgive me for my mistakes