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Where do you stand in reguards to:

superimposedhope

Somewhat Unstable
Ok, so some people want a "hot topic"

Here it is.

I am NOT anti-Hispanic.

I don't think anybody would disagree with the fact that speaking more than one language is more intelligent. However I speak, read and write (a little) German. I can comunicate in German roughly. If Latin was readily taught I would learn it. I do not like being pushed to learn Spanish or my daughter either. For Christs-sake I can only understand half of my daughters cartoons anymore. Learning a second language is a good thing but it should be a choice. Unfortunately this Spanish push has come from businesse catering to immigrants and by doing this they open up there business to a wider group of people. On the other hand, it makes it too easy for non-English speaking Americans to not learn English which I think is a load of B.S. I know many other countries force English learning as well as native tongue but I do not understand or support that either. Conversely I would not travel to Mexico because quite frankly I can't say anything except numbers up to 10. While I'm sure they speak English at resorts this is non-sense too. If you move to another country...........learn the language. I do think that Americans outta learn a native language as well before moving even if English is accepted there.

Joe
 
Hmmm... well, I think it's cool to learn a foreign language, but I don't think students should be forced to learn a foreign language just to get into college. I mean, there's no reason somebody shouldn't be able to get into college just because they can't speak a foreign language. I think the school board should offer a course in foreign languages, and students can take the course if they want, but I don't think they should HAVE to.
 
I'd rather learn Russian. Way easier to learn and funner to speak
biggrin.gif
 
I don't know about elsewhere but In OPS (Omaha Public Schools) they are taught Spanish without parents being asked. This sounds kinda knit-picky but I should have a say in what my daughter learns to speak. If they offered a list of languages to learn maybe I would or wouldn't go with Spanish, but I deffinately look at it differently because she is taught that it is a second language. Nobody should have to speak a foreign language in there own country no matter what country you live in.

Joe
 
My 6th grade daughter is in her 3rd year of Spanish.  This is the grade when the school district offers French as an alternative and maybe 1/4 switch to French.  I never learned another language but, with the hearing and speech problems I had as a kid, learning English was enough of a challenge.

I've decided to teach myself Slovak because we've recently discovered some non-English speaking relatives over there.  I hope to be able to read and write it and, if I can later learn to speak it, I'll be happy.  I've previously failed in attempts at French, German, and Spanish, but this time will focus on the written language, which I hope will be easier.

I think an ability to understand another language is a great thing, whatever the language.  It's much more economical for school systems to teach one or two languages.  Spanish certainly seems an obvious choice and I guess French makes sense too.
 
The problem is that if Walmart didn't have half its signs in Spanish there would be no need for it. What I'm shooting for is that if people would learn to read, write and understand English when they get here then there would be no need to press kids to learn this unofficial language. As stated befor alot of blame lays with companies who market Spanish here which makes it easy to just not learn it. If everything remained in English then they would have an incentive to learn it.

Joe
 
I agree that if you're going to move somewhere, you should learn the language... but who's forcing anyone to learn spanish?
and I don't think that if you're just going on vacations somewhere you should learn the language. If they want you to go, they should treat you well :p
edit:
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I don't know about elsewhere but In OPS (Omaha Public Schools) they are taught Spanish without parents being asked.
so they don't get to choose what language they want? oh... well that IS messed up...
 
Do you live in the country? I have to skim through Spanish to read darn near anything anymore. I get really irritated because I cannot stand it when I read or hear something directed at me but I am incapable of understanding it, but I'm fully capable of the language of the country. It's not a melting pot thing, its a too easy to not do it thing. Our ancestors who moved here likely adjusted to the language and customs when they got here, speaking their native language only in their homes and among themselves because its rude and used to be unacceptable.

Joe
 
No they don't, not until like 7th or 8th grade but by that time she outta be near fluent. It will make her smarter but just as smart as German or French or Latin whatever. Its the lack of choice and foutright force that I dislike.

Joe
 
  • #11
Tien, je parle le francais. Je veux a apprendre le francais, parce il est offert a ma lycee. Je suis heureux que je apprende il. Peut-etre il serai utile dan la futur!

Just because I am so close to the Canadian border we were bascially "forced to learn it". I am French and German background mostly so it kinda came naturally. My grandmother is more German than I am and all I can say so far is Ich grebe der hund das wasser! I would LOVE to learn German, then I'd know both of historical ethic languages.
 
  • #12
I remember a restaurant in the very French city of Fort Kent, Maine where the waitress would say bon jour good morning and continue in whichever language the customer replied in.  I thought it was cool and superimposedhope would want to slap her.

My town schools teach Spanish, English, Math. Science, and many other classes without asking for the parents' permission.  Sex and dissection are the only ones parents can opt their kids out of.  Now that I've written the last sentence, I'm thinking society has problems.
 
  • #13
I speak Spanish, it is very helpful with my job (at least around here, right Joe).  But I am somewhat vocal about the language subject.

I find it very frustrating that our country's leaders will not choose a language for our own.  Most every other country has a language, one that must be partially learned prior to people obtaining citizenship or work permits.

This might sound bigoted, but it is not.  Let me explain.  I constantly have to deal with foreign speaking violators that make the excuse of "I could understand".  For some of them it is true.  It would be very helpful to those who do not speak or read English to be taught the basics of it before arriving here.  They would know some of the main Laws.  We have a complete mish-mosh, even here in the Mid-West.  People here speak Vietnamese, Lau, Spanish (5 dialects), Sudanese and others.  We can not make signs for all of them.  There should be one main language.  The congress votes on this important issue quite often and each time it is shot down.  This time by Southeastern states in which the senators worried they would lose the vote of the Hispanic Speakers if they voted in favor of English being our country's main language.

It does not mean that people can not use different langauges, just that there would be a basic understanding of English between all of them.  We could understand each other.
 
  • #15
No I wouldn't want to slap her. She speaks English you said and basically is asking you which you are comfortable with. That is perfect. If you are speaking to me or anyone for that matter here say Hola/Hello, I will then reply Hello and you continue on in English.

Joe
 
  • #16
NepG,
Der Besserwisser! V*g*ln die Schl*mpe. In case of any real Germans, I have no dialect to follow so excuse my poor German. BTW The last statement is not directed, I just shot a phrase off my head.

Anyway, Copper hit it on the head.

Joe
 
  • #17
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]It's not a melting pot thing, its a too easy to not do it thing
easy? I wouldn't say that... especially if you're old.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]My brother in law knows of a mexican who has lived here 19 years who can't speak English. It's evident he doesn't want to.
now THAT is what annoys me. sure, I was 11 but I pretty much knew enough english after one year to do pretty much anything (if not I could just ask)
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Do you live in the country?
who me? not really. I wouldn't say it's the city... but it's definately not the country.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Tien, je parle le francais. Je veux a apprendre le francais, parce il est offert a ma lycee. Je suis heureux que je apprende il. Peut-etre il serai utile dan la futur!
et je suis tres heureux parce que je te comprende! maybe i'm not doomed yet :p
 
  • #18
There is one main language. Everything is printed in English, and business is conducted that way. I really don't see that we're all that inconvenienced by bilingual signs. We need to realize we have enourmously long borders with Spanish, and some French speakers. The areas near there are going to have more native Spanish speakers, and there's nothing wrong with reasonably accomodating that.

However, I have no problem with an English requirement for citizenship, though. It makes sense. And it is weird to mandate taking Spanish. They ought to have a choice, though if they only have the facility to teach one, Spanish is a good choice.

I wish I took Spanish instead of French in high school. It woudl come in handy way more often. That was one of the dumbest decisions I made, not because there's anything wrong with French, but I run into about 100 times more Spanish speakers than French.

Capslock
 
  • #19
Accomodate them? Why? Do other countries accomodate people with little lingual and cultural knowledge? Not usually. Just allowing them to move here for (usually) a better life outta be enough of an incentive to learn. Everything is printed in English but Spanish as well, I don't want to flip through the Spanish. I am not in the wrong for only knowing English in America.

Joe
 
  • #20
I think copper hit it on the head multiple times. I agree somethings are made to "easy" almost everything that is sold here in southern california is in spanish. I have a friends whos own mother can't speak english yet shes lived her for over 10 years. I mean she can say a few greetings and stuff but she can't read it. thats not fair to her or "us"
 
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