ukelaine

I think it can depend in which part of America you are living. Living near a mexican/USA border can give you a different outlook on the situation and like you say when so many things are in Spanish, there is no need to speak any other language. I've lived here 20 years and seen the changes just in my area. A lady up the road from me has lived here the same amount of time, she's younger than me and in all that time she still knows hardly any English, she doesn't have to.

The local Elementary school has maybe 10-20 white children, 10-20 black kids and handful of other races and the rest Hispanic. Due to so many not speaking English and/or cannot read or write english, we have very few english only classes. All extra programs were cut to be able to spend more money on teaching the children english, so, the rest of the kids who do speak English lost their programs.

Even parents living in Mexico who bring their children over to our school, USED to park away from the school and walk their kids, as you are suppose to be a resident to go to our school, now, they don't even bother hiding the fact and drive in and drop their children off, there's even a mini bus that drops off about 10-15 kids.

Jobs for english only speaking people are fewer and fewer, you have to know both languages. Even poll Workers get paid more money.

If instead of coming to America I had gone to any other Country where a different language is spoken I would not have it this easy and I wouldn't expect it, even Mexico doesn't do it

The first thing I would do when I got of the boat, so to speak, is to learn the prominent language of that Country, it wouldn't be because I would feel forced to do so, but, so I can survive and communicate.

There are even a lot of Hispanic people who don't like it, they themselves have seen the change and don't agree with it. One lady totally took me by surprise and rants and raves about illegals and the language issue, she is Hispanic and so is all her family, she said she spent hours teaching her family English and immigrated legally and is mad as heck as to how it is here now.

I don't know how many of you live in a mainly hispanic area, but, it may change your views on some things and I mean an area of at least 75% or more Hispanic.

Elaine

snowbunny

I don't think there's anything wrong with paying more or requiring one's staff to speak some Spanish. I have to know many computer languages to "speak" to my computers; arguing that they should know English would be a lost cause.

I grew up in an area where the school population WAS 70% Hispanic and is even more so now. I now live in an area where I've watched Hispanics grow from about 15% of the population to 40% of the population.

As to teaching classes to non-English speakers: if the children start at age 5, they pick it up quickly and it's not a problem. It is typically new immigrants and NOT kids that have been going to American schools since kindergarten that are being taught in Spanish. These older children and teens will take far longer to learn English. The question becomes whether to offer them classes in subjects other than language in the mean time. They may be perfectly capable of learning maths and science and history -- in Spanish. Should they be denied that opportunity until they become fluent enough to attend an English-only classroom? If that were the case, drop-out rates would really rise.

tamms_1965

Because of the many different languages in China (and India), most people in the larger cities of these countries can speak at least a little English. So really, English speakers would never need to conform.

cindyabs

Something I have seen several times, is a handful of Hispanic folks (usually men and usually Mexican) use a younger boy as their spokesperson/translator.

tamms_1965

Just like in the Chinese restaurants.

cindyabs

yup, the younger generation (presumably attending school) is the bridge.

MsElui

i never thought spanish sounded 'gutteral and harsh'. enrique inglesias sends shivers down my spine when i listen to him (especially whan he sings in spanish) even though i think he looks a bit dumb.

German is the gutteral sound mangling language to me - yet thats the one i can speak and actually quite like too!

anotherlimey

I get that all the time down here; if I talk to someone in English, and they don't understand they'll call their child over to translate. Only the very young kids will only speak Spanish, and that's because they haven't yet gone to school.

Sally Redux

Yes I agree, I speak German too.

ukelaine

Despite the child's knowledge of English, here, all tests are taken in English and then due to that fact the school's funding was cut (No kid left Behind) as the test scores dropped so badly.
The school is an Elementary so all subjects are taught in the clasroom, there are not seperate classes for different subjects.

Elaine

snowbunny

You sure about that?

Texas does not count Spanish-only speakers scores in TAKS though I do believe there is a Spanish-language test to test for basics like reading in Spanish. I'd have to look up the details, but there's no point in forcing a non-English speaker to sit an English-only test and worse, to average those scores into the aggregate.

It is true that the school has to stay up on How To Beat The Tests.

meauxna

That was my job when we lived in Spain! My parents just put us in school and we went bilingual quickly. I was quite the little haggler in the market (oxtail anyone?!)
I was a tomboy, does that count?

Redlippie

Spanish guttural? I never.

anabella

That's because you haven't heard a proper Castilian talk

Sally Redux

I agree that it isn't.