People need to learn how to speak English in America.

[SentinelMind]

I don't get it. Foreigners come to America, a country with no official language, get a good job and live a fulfilling life without needing to learn English. The only person being inconvenienced is the loudmouth nativist who can't handle the changing tides of culture and language in his own backyard.

If it bothers you so much to leave your house and speak to a worker who doesn't know English, then learn THEIR language. The justification that "well more than 50 percent of this country knows English" is weak and pathetic. You want the unofficial language to depend on fluctuations in culture and demographics?

Why do YOU want to impose your language on others who are doing fine by themselves?

If a company hires workers that don't speak English, shop somewhere else. If you can't order food, eat somewhere else. If you can't ask a question to a person on the street in English, ask someone else.

If it comes to a point that you YOU can't communicate to anyone in your area....WHOSE PROBLEM is THAT?

 

[Hotwire]

I don't get it. Foreigners come to America, a country with no official language, get a good job and live a fulfilling life without needing to learn English. The only person being inconvenienced is the loudmouth nativist who can't handle the changing tides of culture and language in his own backyard.

If it bothers you so much to leave your house and speak to a worker who doesn't know English, then learn THEIR language. The justification that "well more than 50 percent of this country knows English" is weak and pathetic. You want the unofficial language to depend on fluctuations in culture and demographics?

Why do YOU want to impose your language on others who are doing fine by themselves?

If a company hires workers that don't speak English, shop somewhere else. If you can't order food, eat somewhere else. If you can't ask a question to a person on the street in English, ask someone else.

If it comes to a point that you YOU can't communicate to anyone in your area....WHOSE PROBLEM is THAT?

Is it wrong to expect someone who moves to a foreign country to speak the language of that country?? I don't think so. And you're right, America does not have an official language, but everything is already in English!! The schools teach English as the primary language. When I was growing up, Spanish, French and German were electives! Now you're saying they should be required. So rather than the guests conforming to the rules of the host, the host should conform to the rules of the guest?

 

[tzarinna]

Breathe,Mal'Akai,breathe.

bear

 

[Hotwire]

Breathe,Mal'Akai,breathe.

Don't you mean...
El respiradero, Mal'Akai, respira.

 

[JLBats]

Don't you mean...
El respiradero, Mal'Akai, respira.

I suppose it's possible. teddy

 

[SentinelMind]

Is it wrong to expect someone who moves to a foreign country to speak the language of that country?? I don't think so. And you're right, America does not have an official language, but everything is already in English!! The schools teach English as the primary language. When I was growing up, Spanish, French and German were electives! Now you're saying they should be required. So rather than the guests conforming to the rules of the host, the host should conform to the rules of the guest?

If there is no official language....then....there is no official language. There either is one or isn't. If you don't like it, call your congressman. Put forward the Speak English Initiative. I'll let you work out the details.

Where I went to high school, students were required to take at least two high school credits of a foriegn language. This is well below the requirement in most other countries.

I'm not telling any school board to require anyone to speak a foriegn language. However, I'm telling you the truth about the real world, that you have no right to expect others to cater to your comforts and desires. You should learn a foriegn language if you are having trouble communicating with others in your area. That foriegn worker gets through the day pretty fine. He or she gets her paycheck every other week. Yeah, some customers might go elsewhere because they can't understand her. Obviously that didn't bother the manager. And that obviously doesn't bother enough customers to stop them from going back to the store. She's the one living the life she wants. Its you who's getting migraine. It's you who has the problem from getting from A to B. If a worker is not being deprived of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness......what moral right do you have to comply that he or she learn some language. You have no foundation for your argument.

 

[Hotwire]

If there is no official language....then....there is no official language. There either is one or isn't. If you don't like it, call your congressman. Put forward the Speak English Initiative. I'll let you work out the details.

Where I went to high school, students were required to take at least two high school credits of a foriegn language. This is well below the requirement in most other countries.

I'm not telling any school board to require anyone to speak a foriegn language. However, I'm telling you the truth about the real world, that you have no right to expect others to cater to your comforts and desires. You should learn a foriegn language if you are having trouble communicating with others in your area. That foriegn worker gets through the day pretty fine. He or she gets her paycheck every other week. Yeah, some customers might go elsewhere because they can't understand her. Obviously that didn't bother the manager. And that obviously doesn't bother enough customers to stop them from going back to the store. She's the one living the life she wants. Its you who's getting migraine. It's you who has the problem from getting from A to B. If a worker is not being deprived of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness......what moral right do you have to comply that he or she learn some language. You have no foundation for your argument.

Got it!! Host conforms to guest!! I'll have to remember that if I ever visit your home. I think it would be fun watching you cater to someone who refuses to do things your way in your house.
Ad the U.S. doesn't have an official language. That is because of treaties they have signed in the 1840's with Mexico and France that we wouldn't make any one language be our official language. But seeing as how for the past 230 years, this country has spoken English, why should we as a country be forced to change it just because an immigrant doesn't want to learn English??

 

[SentinelMind]

Got it!! Host conforms to guest!! The reason the U.S. doesn't have an official language is due to treaties they have signed in the 1840's with Mexico and France that we wouldn't make any one language be our official language. But seeing as how for the past 230 years, this country has spoken English, why should we as a country be forced to change it just because an immigrant doesn't want to learn English??

I'll say it one more time.....if there is no official language....there is no official language. This is black and white. There is no gray like you pretend there to be. No one owns the language of this country.

This country speaks English simply out of geography, economics, politics, history, and circumstance. It's all fluctuations and expansion of communities and convenience. No law or moral authority mandated the official language of this country. Just like English became the unofficial language by chance, it could be the minority language due to same sequence of events. Unlikely in the near future, yeah...but possible.

If you want an official language, write the legislation. If you don't want foriegn speakers immigrating here, write the legislation. Otherwise, stop complaining.

It's you who treats the foriegn worker as 'the guest'. If that community of foriegn workers becomes entrenched in society...then they are NOW the host. They now determine what the status quo is in our country. If you need to learn Spanish to get around some area in the South, then touch luck for the English-speaker.

 

[Hotwire]

I'll say it one more time.....if there is no official language....there is no official language.

This country speaks English simply out of geography, economics, politics, history, and circumstance. It's all fluctuations and expansion of communities and convenience. No law or moral authority mandated the official language of this country. Just like English became the unofficial language by chance, it could be the minority language due to same sequence of events. Unlikely in the near future, yeah...but possible.

If you want an official language, write the legislation. Otherwise, stop complaining.

It's you who treats the foriegn worker as 'the guest'. If that community of foriegn workers becomes entrenched in society...then they are NOW the host. They now determine what the status quo is in our country. If you need to learn Spanish to get around some area in the South, then touch luck for the English-speaker.

Why is it so wrong to expect someone who moves to a new country to learn the language of the people who already live there??

 

[SentinelMind]

Why is it so wrong to expect someone who moves to a new country to learn the language of the people who already live there??

If the circumstance was that a foriegn speaker couldn't eat because they didn't learn the language of the country, then that's their problem and their own survival will dictate they learn the language of their host country. Since the 'guest' can live a comfortable life in this country without learning it, then it is your problem if you get a migraine over it. You either write legislation or you don't. I don't see what's the problem. Write the legislation if you REALLY REALLY want English to be our official language.

 

[Hotwire]

If the circumstance was that a foriegn speaker couldn't eat because they didn't learn the language of the country, then that's their problem and their own survival will dictate they learn the language of their host country. Since the 'guest' can live a comfortable life in this country without learning it, then it is your problem if you get a migraine over it. You either write legislation or you don't. I don't see what's the problem. Write the legislation if you REALLY REALLY want English to be our official language.

Well, doing some research on the subject, I've found that the state I live in, Georgia, has already made English the official language. I have to say, I admire your tolerance of those who refuse to change, even if they are causing a problem for those around them.

 

[SentinelMind]

Well, doing some research on the subject, I've found that the state I live in, Georgia, has already made English the official language. I have to say, I admire your tolerance of those who refuse to change, even if they are causing a problem for those around them.

I use to work in fastfood and got a lot of Spanish customers. The demographics of where I use to live changed very fast. I couldn't speak Spanish very well. However, the way I see it, why is it my right to impose my problem on to them? They're not complaining that everyone learn Spanish. If they found someone who couldn't speak Spanish, they found someone who did. I never got an angry customer who rolled their eyes at my incompetence like the nativists who are turned off by a foreign-speaking worker worker. That seems like free market, non-government intervention solutoin to me. They're not asking anyone to change because of them. You adapt to your surroundings. The way I see it, the only one who has to change is the one who has no power to negotiate. They can find a better way. Beggers can't be choosers.

 

[Hotwire]

delete

 

[Hotwire]

I use to work in fastfood and got a lot of Spanish customers. The demographics of where I use to live changed very fast. I couldn't speak Spanish very well. However, the way I see it, why is it my right to impose my problem on to them? They're not complaining that everyone learn Spanish. If they found someone who couldn't speak Spanish, they found someone who did. I never got an angry customer who rolled their eyes at my incompetence like the nativists who are turned off by a foreign-speaking worker worker. That seems like free market, non-government intervention solutoin to me. They're not asking anyone to change because of them. You adapt to your surroundings. The way I see it, the only one who has to change is the one who has no power to negotiate. They can find a better way. Beggers can't be choosers.

There it is!! You said exactly what I have been trying to get across to you! The people I'm talking about do not adapt to their surroundings and you excuse them!

 

[Spider-Bite]

Perfect then, this is a perfect opportunity for self-improvement.

And so can you. Instead of complaining, put yourself in a better situation. Learn another language and you'll be better off than before, while some of the people you're complaining about will be at a loss. Don't think of it as an inconvenience, think of it as an opportunity.

so you wont criticize them, but you will criticize me?

 

[Darthphere]

Don't you mean...
El respiradero, Mal'Akai, respira.

So your plan is to butcher spanish as well as your english. Thats not even close.

 

[SentinelMind]

There it is!! You said exactly what I have been trying to get across to you! The people I'm talking about do not adapt to their surroundings and you excuse them!

You're not getting my point. The only ones who have to adapt are the ones who have NO OTHER choice. Everyone in this country should live by the philosophy, that if something ain't illegal, you are free to do what brings you liberty and happiness. That worker does what she needs to do to get by. The worker is getting paid and lives happy. You think you're better than that worker and that you should subject that worker to your demands and wishes. You feel superior and entitled to demand others moving into the area to do things the way you want them to them, despite them not breaking any laws. You're the one witht the problem, but instead of solving your own problem, you want to transfer it to someone else. I think that is hypocritical and arrogant.

 

[Hotwire]

so you wont criticize them, but you will criticize me?

Don't you get it?? According to Calvin, we are supposed to adapt to them, not the other way around. Since we have lived here all our lives and have spoken English all our lives, when someone moves here from another country, they are not even remotely obligated to learn English, but we are required to learn whatever they speak.
Me personaly, I'm for the new guy adapting to they way things are, not the other way around. You want to live in ANY country, SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE!!!

 

[tzarinna]

Circles,I'm getting dizzy.

Teddy

 

[Darthphere]

Don't you get it?? According to Calvin, we are supposed to adapt to them, not the other way around. Since we have lived here all our lives and have spoken Native American all our lives, when someone moves here from another country, they are not even remotely obligated to learn Native American, but we are required to learn whatever they speak.
Me personaly, I'm for the new guy adapting to they way things are, not the other way around. You want to live in ANY country, SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE!!!

I adapted your post to show a new POV, one that may show history is doomed to repeat itself, or karma is a *****. TEDDY!

 

[Calvin]

No, I'm not making anything up. It's the truth. And I am curious, if you're going to live in France, why are you going to bother to learn French?? Aren't they supposed to learn English for you?? You are the immigrant, right?? So according to the logic, the French should take the opportunity given to them, by you, to learn English.

Again, you weren't paying attention. It's not about who needs to adapt to whom, it's about a personal opportunity to learn another language. If I ever did move to France, I could get by without learning french because pretty much everyone there does speak english. But it's not about one side or the other bridging the gap of convenience, it's about the personal chance to broaden horizons with extra incentive, especially for someone living in the american blanket of spreading anti-intellectualism (which is so blatantly on display here in this thread).

 

[Manic]

I think asking Americans to learn the languages of immigrants is an unreasonable demand. I already know a little Spanish, and about as much Japanese as your average American anime fan can learn from watching subtitled anime. I don't have any issues trying to learn one or two languages.

But what if we suddenly get a significant influx of Portugese-speaking immigrants? Now I'm expected to learn a 4th language? There's a significant number of Indian immigrants in my home town. Am I also expected to learn Punjabi and Hindi? Will you not be satisfied until everyone is a polyglot?

You know what we need to do? We need to all learn how to speak Esperanto.

 

[Danalys]

I adapted your post to show a new POV, one that may show history is doomed to repeat itself, or karma is a *****. TEDDY!

i can get behind that i want you all to learn a native american language. i'll try welsh. they were both used in the war as code surprisingly enough.

 

[Calvin]

If europeans and asians can manage to learn 4 or so languages by the time they leave high school, so can we.

 

[Hotwire]

Again, you weren't paying attention. It's not about who needs to adapt to whom, it's about a personal opportunity to learn another language. If I ever did move to France, I could get by without learning french because pretty much everyone there does speak english. But it's not about one side or the other bridging the gap of convenience, it's about the personal chance to broaden horizons with extra incentive, especially for someone living in the american blanket of spreading anti-intellectualism (which is so blatantly on display here in this thread).

I'll tell you what, you learn all the languages for everyone you meet, since you feel it's expected of you. And I will continue to expect someone who has moved to my country, where we speak English, to speak English.