Easy answer for the speak English only crowd

[RB TexLa]

When they start their "they are in America they should speak English" crap, just tell them "Yo no hablo Ingles con usted."


:)

[napi21]

1. Please tell me why you have such a problem with immegrants

learning to speak English? It's next to impossible to be successful in the US unless you speak the most prevalent language. When my son acepted a job in Sicily, the first thing I told him was, you know you will have to learn Italian, don't you? BTW, he's been there 3 years now, and although he's not A1, he speaks and understands Italian quite well.

I look at the learn English requirement the same as I look at requiring all students to learn Math. It's almost impossible to survive without it.

[joemurphy]

2. Deleted

[napi21]

20. No I didn't say "they won't". I asked why having English as a

National or official language is such a problem? Since learning to speak the prominent language of the country you choose to live in is best for the immigrant, why does making it an national language have any impact at all? In other words, why do you care?

[nguoihue]

39. National languages

It cuts both way. I'm an American living in a foreign country. There are many other American ex-pats here. Many have been here 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years. Some can converse ar various levels in the national language but most have not bothered to learn more than a few phrases, if even that. I can imagine how they would bitch and complain if they had to conduct all business in the language of this country or even fill out the necessary paperwork for extending their visas.

I've seen some of them get very nasty with the locals who sometimes have trouble understanding their English.

As it is now one can see ads and storefront information presented in many languages. Most of the local people can speak at least 2 languages. Many others speak 4 or 5 languages from this region.

[One_Life_To_Give]

3. Where will we get our

Where will we get our slave cheap labor if they can speak english?

[The Deacon]

11. No

what worries the English Only crowd is the fact that we teach courses in languages other than English (I'm talking about Math, Social Studies, etc, NOT language classes) so folks don't have to wait until they are fluent in English to start their educations. As one who has taken meat-and-potatoes courses in languages other than my native tongue I can tell you it is very frustrating - you're always just on the cusp of understanding some complex concept...and its time for the next class. If you force everyone to try to function in English Only then native speakers have a HUGE advantage - in the courts, school, everywhere. (BTW - this is why you are advised to forget that you speak the language of a country if you are picked up by the cops - you will be at a disadvantage regardless of how well you speak the local language.)

[napi21]

21. You're switching from "English as a national language" to

"English Only"! As far as I can see, that is NOT the intent of this bill! I sure haven't heard anyone say English Only!!!!

[RB TexLa]

24. this post is about the "English only" crowd as the title of the original

message states.

[niyad]

36. then perhaps you should pay a bit more attention. there are such

groups, and they are, alas, rather vocal, especially here in fundieville. and if, as you state in another response, it really doesn't affect anything, so why should we care, I will turn it around and say, then why do THEY care? if it isn't important, than what the HELL are our paid legislators wasting our time and money for?

[One_Life_To_Give]

32. Disagree

I think what bothers the English Only Crowd is;

1) Belief that non-english speaking don't want to learn english. And want all the english speaking to accommodate them.

2) It pisses them off when the walk into the neighborhood they grew up in. And they cannot understand a word anyone is saying.

3) They hate to be waited on by somebody who is holding a simultaneous conversation in a foreign language they do not understand.

And probably a whole bunch more along the same lines.

Edit to add

4) While shoping in the Red Neck General Store. Speaking in a foreign tongue while going up and down the isles. Which all freepers can translate any spanish conversation to mean; While I distract the fat, ungly schmuck you sneak around behind...

[RB TexLa]

4. everyone has to pass an English comprehension test

I just don't think it is as necessary as others for people to have to speak English. Businesses are making it easier to conduct business in Spanish every day, and state, county and local governments do their part to make it easier. Knowing English and speaking it are two different things. Trust me the people pushing the "unifying" language shit do not want it stopped there, they want English as the national language, they want business conducted in English, they want it to be the only language spoken. That is the reason for the phrase I suggested.

[One_Life_To_Give]

9. But business is in English

Some retail sales have gone to spanish. ANd there is a long history of neighborhoods having buisiness that primarily cater to retail sales in other languages. But the language of buisiness and industry is english. And not just inside the US. English is a common second langauge around the globe.

[RB TexLa]

10. True, but the United States does not require business transactions be

conducted in English, YET.

[One_Life_To_Give]

14. Not required in Dollars either.

While I hear your concern. We do kids a monumental disservice if we don't make it clear. That there is no substitute for being able to Speak, Read and Write English in addition to any other language you know. Monolingualism in any other language is a path to slavery.

[LiberalEsto]

28. Just try getting your local gas station to accept Euros

Dollars only.

[RB TexLa]

35. I would have no problem selling goods or services for euros

or pesos.

[Jayhawk Lib]

7. I agree

Myself I would never hire anybody that does not speak fluent English. If I have a hard time understanding what they are saying, I do not want them around.

[lastliberalintexas]

25. I really doubt anyone thinks we should encourage

immigrants to forgo learning English, though. Just that it's silly for us to be so adamant about English being the only language spoken here.

The Bubbas of our country shouldn't be afraid to learn another language, and we should be teaching it at younger ages than just starting kids in high school with foreign languages. the rest of the industrialized world is bi- and multi-lingual, it would just make sense for us to be as well. :shrug:

[AndyTiedye]

29. This is the Problem! DISENFRANCHISEMENT!

Making English the "Official" language means that they will no longer be
under any obligation to provide ballots, voter registration forms, forms
to apply for public assistance, or anything else in languages other than
English.

This would tend to disenfranchise people who do not speak English.
Most of them are Democrats, by the way.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. I tell them to move to fucking England.

But stay out of wales, because Welsh is the official language, and stay out of Scotland, because Scottish is the official language, and stay out of Ireland, because Gallic is the official language.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Wrong.

There is no 'official language' in the United Kingdom. (And it's 'Gaelic'. 'Gallic' means 'of the Gauls', or more commonly, 'French'. Which has nothing to do with Ireland.)

[Recursion]

6. 500 years vs. 150

Spanish has been spoken in California and the American Southwest for about 500 years.

English has been spoken in those places for about 150.

I'd say give English another century or so before we can say it has any staying power.

[The Deacon]

13. And

Uto-Aztecan dialects were spoken there for about 10,000 years (until we killed most of the native speakers.)

[Recursion]

16. And that's what I call staying power

I mean, not trying to be flippant about the First Nations holocaust or anything, I just mean that Spanish speakers very effectively eradicated the pre-existing languages (and often those who speak them). Spanish has embedded itself so firmly in that region that the question, from a linguist's perspective, should be "will English continue to be spoken there?" not "will Spanish continue to be spoken there?"

[Minnesota Libra]

12. What other country in the world will allow..............

....illegal aliens to crash their borders and not be arrested or imprisoned for doing it?? What other country allows illegal aliens to freely demonstrate in the streets of that country because as illegal aliens they are unhappy about being asked to abide by all the laws of that country? What other country then, after all that, puts up with illegal aliens insisting that the country they entered illegally speak the language of the illegal aliens as much or more than their own language? :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[joemurphy]

19. Immigration is problematic in lots of places. And the

English, French and German reactions to it aren't much different than ours. America isn't being "victimized" by immigration any more than a lot of other places.

And, I'm sorry, but where are the illegal aliens insisting that Americans have to learn Spanish?

[Minnesota Libra]

23. Many illegal aliens insist their language be as............

.....equally as accepted and spoken as English. Please don't tell me it doesn't happen, before moving here I lived in an area where Spanish/Mexican was as equally insisted on as English in all areas of life.

Just to set the record straight, I don't have a problem with immigration because this country was and is based on immigrants. Plus some of my ancestors were indeed immigrants so I actually welcome immigrants, they've indeed helped this country more than they've hurt it. So I don't have the least problem with immigrants as long as............

it's done legally

our common language is learned/known by all

Edited to add: BTW, when I went to another country I expect to speak that country's language regardless of how long I'm there. I don't expect them to speak English to me.

[Solon]

34. Your post makes no sense in context...

OK, a couple of things, first, not all people speaking Spanish in many areas of the country are illegal aliens. Also, depending on WHERE you are in this nation, you would EXPECT Spanish to be used nearly as often as English. Why people get upset at that I have no idea. Also, the southwest isn't exactly unusual here, if you go to Louisiana to get a driver's license there, you can ask for a French one, Spanish, or English driver's test. In Hawaii the same thing, only with Hawaiian being the language. I can go on, but you get the idea. Blaming this on illegals is just wrong, they constitute less than 10% of the working adult population, whereas Latinos overall constitute a much larger percentage of the ENTIRE population.

[Minnesota Libra]

40. The whole point is that there is nothing wrong with having an official....

...language spoken in public settings. That is not to say a second or even third language cannot or should not be accommodated. That's simply to say that English is the predominate language and should stay that way.

You're right about Latinos speaking Spanish/English but in public they realize they will be asked and expected to know English predominately.

There is simply a practical side to this as well, that most people are ignoring. When first meeting someone in public it can't always be instantly determined what language they speak. So having English as they foremost language at least gives everyone a common language with which to at least start. Then an interpreter can be called when needed.

[RB TexLa]

41. "When first meeting someone in public it can't always be instantly

determined what language they speak."

Usually if they say "hello" or "hola" gives a pretty good indication.

Why do you feel English should stay the predominate language? Spanish IS the predominate language of our hemisphere.

[louis-t]

15. Please, I have no problem with having an official language.

As long as we don't have the language police breaking down doors and arresting people for speaking another language. My grandparents came to this country speaking very little English. They learned the language fast because they wanted to be American. They needed to fit in to survive. They also spoke French and Arabic. Nothing wrong with being multi-lingual. Please don't use the "melting pot" argument. If you enable people by making it easy for them to NOT learn English, they never will. I don't see a need to put everything in 2 languages. It is NOT anti-immigrant to think this way. Nothing wrong with people expanding their horizons and learning a new language. Isn't the time-honored depiction of the "Ugly American" where we go to another country and expect them to speak English? I HATE to sound like Limbaugh, but for only the 2nd time in 20 years, I actually agree with SOME of what he said.

[RB TexLa]

17. the post was about people who want English only spoken

and the phrase is to tell them that "I don't speak English with you" not that I don't speak it. Just engage some of these "English only" people in a conversation and you will find out quick that to "protect our culture" they don't want Spanish or anything else spoken. I have no problem telling them that that I won't speak English with them. I'd even go further and tell them that yes I and everyone else around them speaking something else are talking about them.

[louis-t]

22. Hmm, I guess I didn't get that out of the post.

I do know people that get irritated when they here others speaking a different language. Again, I would never want to see 'language police'. But if signs are all in English, classes are all in English, employers require English, then immigrants will have to learn English. Nothing wrong with that.
edit: Learning the language of your adopted country is empowering. Period.

[EFerrari]

37. It is "anti-immigrant" to think that way.

Do you believe immigrants ENJOY not being able to read signs or understand people who speak to them in English? Do you honestly believe they are "too lazy" to learn English -- we wouldn't want to "enable" that, would we.

I'd say risking your life to feed your family tends to stretch your "horizons" pretty well.

Limbaugh and you make English acquisition sound like tennis lessons, and this view shows a profound ignorance - as well as an utter lack of compassion -- for what most non English speaking immigrants have to go through to live in our fair land.

[Recursion]

18. I say follow Canada's model

Have two national languages, English and Spanish. Make all government business be done in English and Spanish. Make all people graduating from high school be able to hold a conversation in either language.

I'm against having a national language. But if we have one, since Spanish has been spoken in this continent for 5 centuries now it would make a lot more sense to have dual national languages.

[TahitiNut]

31. There are four "languages of conquerors" in the Western Hemisphere

... Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese. Making any or all the "official" language is merely an attempt to impede change (a habit of conservatives) and embed cultural preferences in a system of entitlements (another predispostion of conservatives). In a global community, it'd make more sense to make Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) or Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu) a required second language, imho, going merely by the numbers of people who speak such languages. There are twice as many people who speak Mandarin Chinese as speak English and more speak Hindustani than Spanish.

Indeed, it may soon be far more useful to speak Hindustani or Mandarin Chinese if only to speak to Customer Service or read product manuals.

[Recursion]

33. Only four?

I don't know... quite a few guys who did some really hard-core conquering spoke Nahuatl.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

38. I think that's probably excessive.

How many Americans speak English?
How many Americans speak Spanish?

How many Americans speak English as a first language?
How many Americans speak Spanish as a first language?

My impression is that in both cases the first number is very considerably higher than the second. I think that the idea of a "national language" is a weird one, but if America is going to have one I think "English only" is less odd than "English and Spanish".

Official documents, road signs etc should be in English everywhere, and in Spanish in areas where there's a sufficiently high density of Spanish speakers (and in other languages in areas whether another language is the primary one - aren't there still some small primarily German-speaking communities in America?)

I'm inclined to say that all schools should teach English, with ones with a high proportion of non English speakers should providing support in other languages; on the principle that growing up in America unable to speak English is a major handicap, and having schools teaching only in other languages will lead to ghettoisation.

I don't see that there's anything to be said for the idea of an official "national language", though - what benefit would identifying one or more languages as such provide to anyone?

[reality based]

26. We've made it for over two hundred years without an official language

even when we had substantial minorities who spoke other languages. Most foreign language speakers will learn English in time. Making culture a matter of official sanction will only bring unnecessary division and strife. A time is coming when Spanish speakers will be in a majority in several states. English speakers in those areas as a matter of self interest need to establish a precedent of linguistic tolerance. Learning a second language is a good idea, too. It opens the mind to learn that there are different ways to conceive and express ideas. Paz y libertad!

[Swamp Rat]

27. LOL!

:D E se você quiser comunicar comigo, tem que falar português! rararara! :rofl:

[genie_weenie]

30. What if the nation wanted to adopt multiple official langs?

On par with Quebec or India (which has 2 "official", 16 recognized and a zillion dialects/minor tongues)? Should the government have to have 1000 differnet langauges choices? Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish, Press 3 for Polish, Press 4 for Mandarian, Press 17 for Magyar, Press 746 for a Finno-Urgic Dialect...

What exactly is this debate about? Aren't Companies are going to be multi-lingual regardless of any law? Aren't people going to speak whatever langauge suits them?