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Edited on Thu May-13-04 01:28 AM by oblivious
I've not been here long, but I've noticed very few, if any, postings by people who speak English as a second or foreign language.
I found this surprising, since it is a forum for Democrats, and wonder if they may feel intimidated by the rather high standard of language and discourse here (no I'm not joking). I know if this forum were in French, my second language, I'd be very hesitant to join in. I deal with Chinese ESL speakers every day, and I know none of them would feel comfortable contributing here, simply because of the language concern.
I noticed, for example, a couple of days ago, someone asked if there were any Iraqis visiting, and if they could comment on something. There was no response. I think this is quite unfortunate and I wonder if there is anything you could do to make it easier for ESL speakers to join in.
A separate forum perhaps? I think it would add a whole new dimension to DU, and if successful, would give you the opportunity to reach a huge number of prospective voters/campaign workers.
This is really none of my business since I am not American, but DU is really a wonderful place to visit, and I would like to see more foreigners and new Americans visiting DU so they can see what real Americans are like. I'm sure that foreigners would leave DU with a much more positive impression of America and Americans than when they came.
I think for America's sake, you need to reach out.
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