Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
#91
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Originally Posted by Franklin
Where I live some sales associates in the local shops have difficulty with understanding English, but I think it would be a good idea if my Spanish was at least as good as their broken English. I think sometimes we are a bit arrogant thinking "they" should speak our language, imho, we should be conversant in both languages especially as Spanish might well overtake English as the dominant language in the USA.
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#92
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I'm suprised nobody's mentioned the delicious irony in the thread title here....
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#93
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The least a person can do is learn basic English if they are moving to the USA or any other country where English is the home language and vice versa with an English speaking settler. When in Rome?
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue? Soaking up the culture of a new country is a beautiful learning experience, but to ignore the culture and all its pleasures appears to be nothing more than waste of time and energy.
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue? Soaking up the culture of a new country is a beautiful learning experience, but to ignore the culture and all its pleasures appears to be nothing more than waste of time and energy.
Last edited by begonia77; Mar 30th 2005 at 1:56 am.
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#94
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Originally Posted by begonia77
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue? Soaking up the culture of a new country is a beautiful learning experience, but to ignore the culture and all its pleasures appears to be nothing more than waste of time and energy.
Remember what happened back home after 1066?
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#95
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Originally Posted by begonia77
The least a person can do is learn basic English if they are moving to the USA or any other country where English is the home language and vice versa with an English speaking settler. When in Rome?
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue? Soaking up the culture of a new country is a beautiful learning experience, but to ignore the culture and all its pleasures appears to be nothing more than waste of time and energy.
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue? Soaking up the culture of a new country is a beautiful learning experience, but to ignore the culture and all its pleasures appears to be nothing more than waste of time and energy.
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#96
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Originally Posted by Manc
The UK has 3 official languages.
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Originally Posted by Neathborn
I agree. I'm married to a Mexican American (sadly he doesn't speak Spanish because when he was growing up, his parents were told to speak to him in English). However, my two children will be going to school where they teach Spanish at kindergarten level. I lived in Texas for 11 years and increasingly there were jobs that required someone who was bilingual English-Spanish.
One of the first things I taught my eldest was how to roll her 'r's because that's one of the harder sounds to learn when you're older, and essential in having a decent accent. There's plenty of telly in spanish, including footie matches which I prefer to watch in spanish cos of the enthusiasm of the presenters. Many movies are overdubbed in spanish as well.
Texas has been embroiled in the "English-only" movement for years. While I agree that immigrants *should* learn the language of the country they are moving to, I don't think a free country can *force* them.
Bueno suerte,
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#98
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Ban all people who can't spell foreigners, bloody forgeiners
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#99
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Originally Posted by NC Penguin
I see a joke about Newcastle folk coming up...
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Originally Posted by Tone
Ban all people who can't spell foreigners, bloody forgeiners
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#101
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Originally Posted by begonia77
Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.
Since when has it become the responsibility of an entire country along with its people to adapt to a forgein visitor's language requirements...
as opposed to the visitor adapting to the very surroundings by which they have moved, through no choice other than their own, all over the fact that they simply cannot be bothered to learn the native tongue?.
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#102
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Originally Posted by tony_2003
Another ignorent statment. Many people have very different circumstances, often coming to the U.S. to escape persecution, maybe they should make time to grab a phrasebook while running for their lives?
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#103
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Originally Posted by begonia77
The least a person can do is learn basic English if they are moving to the USA or any other country where English is the home language and vice versa with an English speaking settler. When in Rome?
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.<<snip>>
When I move to Spain then I'll learn to speak Spanish with pleasure, but to anticipate that the USA is going to be a spanish speaking nation is ignorant in itself. Shy away from the border and you'll not see a spanish speaking person for miles.<<snip>>
The Spanish speaking population (both legal and illegal) has seen an incredible increase in the last 8-10 years.
See-
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...-spanish_x.htm
I live in North Carolina, hardly close to the USA/Mexico border and there are Spanish speakers living and working here from all over South and Central America.
For example at the DMV office near me (I live in Durham, NC) where you go for driving licenses and the like, signs are in Spanish too and the Drivers Handbook is available in Spanish (as well as 2 other non-English languages).
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#104
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Originally Posted by NC Penguin
For example at the DMV office near me (I live in Durham, NC) where you go for driving licenses and the like, signs are in Spanish too and the Drivers Handbook is available in Spanish (as well as 2 other non-English languages).
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#105
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Originally Posted by Ash UK/US
The other night at work I had a customer who had a problem with a return (exchange) she could not speak a word of english and was using her 6 maybe 7 year old grand daughter to interpret for her...
*snip*
If someone is going to live in the US for that long don't ya think they should have to learn at least some basic English?
*snip*
If someone is going to live in the US for that long don't ya think they should have to learn at least some basic English?
Originally Posted by fatbrit
I see you're using the military method for language learning: don't think, do! You should try Berlitz for any new languages you wish to learn -- this is their method.
And let me tell you, as native speakers we really do take things for granted. I never realized how complex English grammar and structure is. Why do we get "in a car" but "on a bus"? I don't know, we just do. Hmm...
As for the original question, personally I think that it is most beneficial if an immigrant learns at least the basics of the dominant language of their adopted country. However, this is not always feasible, and having been in that situation myself I suppose I am a bit more sympathic than others who have always lived in an environment where their native language is spoken.
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