ok.
We too start a language at grade 6. It used to be just Japanese but i think they also do Frence now.
But we have the choice of dropping it in grade (or year) 9.
Are you from an English speaking country, or is English a class in which you are taught English?
We have English as a subject, but that is more about learning to spell (for the younger grades) and how to write essays and the like (for the older grades).