Mandatory English classes in non-English-speaking countries do more harm than good to native language development. I grew up in Vietnam with English as a core subject from grade three, and I watched classmates struggle to write proper Vietnamese essays after years of grammar drills. Proponents argue that early exposure builds fluency, but the scarcity of real conversational practice means most students forget everything after graduation anyway. Should we instead focus on vocational language training for those who actually need it, leaving the rest to preserve their linguistic heritage?