People need to learn how to speak English in America.

[Manic]

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

Please. I have a friend who grew up in the Philippines. In elementary school, he spoke 4 languages (his regional language, Tagalog, English, and Spanish). Nowadays, he speaks one (English), understands one (his native regional language), and can barely understand another (Tagalog). People who cram several languages into their heads during school will forget most of them.

I have a Chinese friend who can barely speak Cantonese and English (as I understand it, he's equally awkward in both).

My grandmother grew up speaking English and Creole. She can only remember a couple of words in Creole because nobody in California speaks it (although I know a few naughty phrases, myself).

You can't expect a large number of people to learn more than 2 languages. It's absurd. Yes, some people can learn roughly 4 languages, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who speaks more than 3 proficiently.

That's why I said we should all learn Esperanto. None of this "learn the language of the immigrants" stuff, unless you're a linguist by profession. With Esperanto, everybody only has to know two languages: their own, and the one they can use around every other national group.

 

[Erzengel]

^
Mes amis. Bon apetite. You wanna play wit Gambit? Take a card. Miss me chere'?

Yeah Creole is kinda easy.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

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.

what "problems"is this causing? seriously I want to know.

 

[Hotwire]

^
Mes amis. Bon apetite. You wanna play wit Gambit? Take a card. Miss me chere'?

Yeah Creole is kinda easy.

Louisianna actually has two official languages, French and English. Now, I've worked a lot in Louisianna, and never had anyone speak French to me. Had a few Spanish, but no French. Hell, didn't even get Creole. And I was just in New Orleans last week.

 

[Logan Creed]

You can't expect a large number of people to learn more than 2 languages. It's absurd. Yes, some people can learn roughly 4 languages, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who speaks more than 3 proficiently.

I agree with this in general, but I know many Europeans who speak more than 4 languages, because, for them, traveling from country to country is like going from state to state in America. Pretty much most of the European languages are similar anyway.

They learn these other languages from a young age. Studies have shown it's so much easier to learn languages, and how to play musical instruments for that matter, at a younger age.

But, to ask the general American public to learn ANY other language is almost hilarious. There are too many American's who don't talk english so good.

 

[Calvin]

Please. I have a friend who grew up in the Philippines. In elementary school, he spoke 4 languages (his regional language, Tagalog, English, and Spanish). Nowadays, he speaks one (English), understands one (his native regional language), and can barely understand another (Tagalog). People who cram several languages into their heads during school will forget most of them.

I have a Chinese friend who can barely speak Cantonese and English (as I understand it, he's equally awkward in both).

My grandmother grew up speaking English and Creole. She can only remember a couple of words in Creole because nobody in California speaks it (although I know a few naughty phrases, myself).

You can't expect a large number of people to learn more than 2 languages. It's absurd. Yes, some people can learn roughly 4 languages, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who speaks more than 3 proficiently.

That's why I said we should all learn Esperanto. None of this "learn the language of the immigrants" stuff, unless you're a linguist by profession. With Esperanto, everybody only has to know two languages: their own, and the one they can use around every other national group.

That's utter crap. You pick a few isolated incidents and think it stands as a general rule? I've met numerous amounts of people who are fluent in 4 and sometimes more langauges and have been for a long time. It just seems impossible to you right now because you haven't broken the second language barrier in any real way. Once you break down the barrier of only speaking one language, it's actually quite easy piling more on if you're at least a bit dedicated and open to learning more.

Esperanto isn't a great idea because it treats language as only functional. The world's languages are saturated with cultural minutiae, each one offering something different in the ways you can think about life, philosophy, etc. It would be idiotic to ditch all that. Just quit being a lazy, s**tless, complacent ass. Or at least, quit whining about how you're so utterly oppressed by inconvenience.

I agree with this in general, but I know many Europeans who speak more than 4 languages, because, for them, traveling from country to country is like going from state to state in America. Pretty much most of the European languages are similar anyway.

They learn these other languages from a young age. Studies have shown it's so much easier to learn languages, and how to play musical instruments for that matter, at a younger age.

But, to ask the general American public to learn ANY other language is almost hilarious. There are too many American's who don't talk english so good.

That it's so hilarious is why there needs to be a change.

 

[Hotwire]

what "problems"is this causing? seriously I want to know.

Making others cater to them, when they refuse to adapt. Disrespecting the customs of the country they live in.

 

[Manic]

I agree with this in general, but I know many Europeans who speak more than 4 languages, because, for them, traveling from country to country is like going from state to state in America. Pretty much most of the European languages are similar anyway.

They learn these other languages from a young age. Studies have shown it's so much easier to learn languages, and how to play musical instruments for that matter, at a younger age.

But, to ask the general American public to learn ANY other language is almost hilarious. There are too many American's who don't talk english so good.

"speak English so well."

 

[Erzengel]

Actually no one actually talks like that. I don't think Gambit's creators ever been to the Big Easy.

 

[Calvin]

Making others cater to them, when they refuse to adapt. Disrespecting the customs of the country they live in.

Yeah, we were SO respectful of the Native Americans' customs when we came here.

 

[Logan Creed]

what "problems"is this causing? seriously I want to know.

Ha! I guess that is the question. For real, how does this hurt anyone? Even living in L.A. if I go into a gas station or restaurant, they usually know enough english to complete the transaction. If they don't, I just point at things, and everything is ok.

I think GnR said it best..."Just a little patience...yeaaaaaaah"

 

[Logan Creed]

"speak English so well."

Me fail english? That's unpossible!

 

[Hotwire]

That's utter crap. You pick a few isolated incidents and think it stands as a general rule? I've met numerous amounts of people who are fluent in 4 and sometimes more langauges and have been for a long time. It just seems impossible to you right now because you haven't broken the second language barrier in any real way. Once you break down the barrier of only speaking one language, it's actually quite easy piling more on if you're at least a bit dedicated and open to learning more.

Esperanto isn't a great idea because it treats language as only functional. The world's languages are saturated with cultural minutiae, each one offering something different in the ways you can think about life, philosophy, etc. It would be idiotic to ditch all that. Just quit being a lazy, s**tless, complacent ass. Or at least, quit whining about how you're so utterly oppressed by inconvenience.


That it's so hilarious is why there needs to be a change.

Again you made my point for me!! I underlined it for you. This is my point for people moving to this country and refusing to learn English!

 

[Hotwire]

Yeah, we were SO respectful of the Native Americans' customs when we came here.

You realize you're just as hard-headed as me?? You refuse to see any other point of view on this issue.

 

[Manic]

Just quit being a lazy, s**tless, complacent ass. Or at least, quit whining about how you're so utterly oppressed by inconvenience.

When did I say I was being oppressed or inconvenienced? If I wanted to talk about being oppressed, I'd talk about my boss promoting the lazy white boy I trained at work before me. All I've said is that learning multiple languages is hard. That's why Esperanto was made an international language, in the first place. It treats language as functional because it wasn't made for cultural interaction. If I wanted cultural interaction, I'd be learning Spanish or Japanese (oh wait! I am). Most of the complaints presented in this thread have been about how language barriers prevent people of different backgrounds from functioning together in society. If I'm doing business with someone who speaks another language, I'm going to want to get down to business. That's what Esperanto's for. It's for communicating.

And I don't appreciate you resorting to name-calling. Is that what this debate has devolved into? You calling me a "lazy, s**tless, complacent ass" when I say that learning multiple languages is hard?

Unwind, man. Step back, take a deep breath, and try not to talk smack about people you don't know. This is a debate, not cable news.

 

[Calvin]

Again you made my point for me!! I underlined it for you. This is my point for people moving to this country and refusing to learn English!

Like someone else pointed out already, they're moving from an area that had third-rate education at best, struggling to earn enough to feed their family. What's your big excuse, other than being all high and mighty?

You realize you're just as hard-headed as me?? You refuse to see any other point of view on this issue.

But the difference is that you're wrong.

 

[Manic]

What's your big excuse, other than being all high and mighty?

People in glass houses, ect.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Making others cater to them, when they refuse to adapt. Disrespecting the customs of the country they live in.

none of the things you mentioned are problems.
they seem to be your interpretation of their intent.


but yeah, again, the "problems"you mentioned, which are those?

 

[Corinthian™]

Making others cater to them, when they refuse to adapt. Disrespecting the customs of the country they live in.

uhmm, they can adapt by finding other people who speak their language.

But seriously, stop moaning. People who speak spanish like myself tend to shrug it off when we can't find someone to speak to. I don't have that problem since I can talk proficiently in both spanish and english and I like to communicate in both.

But anyways, learning english is a *****. It is by far the language I hate the most because it doesn't make sense and it's utterly stupid. Especially the "american" english. Spanish(and portuguse and italian) is really easy to learn because it uses basic logic of sounds. No, we don't have one letter making two sounds, yes, it is idiotic.

Romanized languages FTW

 

[Logan Creed]

uhmm, they can adapt by finding other people who speak their language.

But seriously, stop moaning. People who speak spanish like myself tend to shrug it off when we can't find someone to speak to. I don't have that problem since I can talk proficiently in both spanish and english and I like to communicate in both.

But anyways, learning english is a *****. It is by far the language I hate the most because it doesn't make sense and it's utterly stupid. Especially the "american" english. Spanish(and portuguse and italian) is really easy to learn because it uses basic logic of sounds. No, we don't have one letter making two sounds, yes, it is idiotic.

Romanized languages FTW

Seriously, I've heard so many people tellk me english is the most difficult language to learn, because it's just SO VERY different, and all the weird rules.

This was from a Japanese guy, and you have to be a damn artist to write Japanese characters.

but it all boils down to, your language is easy, because you've been learning it since you were_insert age here_.

 

[Corinthian™]

Seriously, I've heard so many people tellk me english is the most difficult language to learn, because it's just SO VERY different, and all the weird rules.

This was from a Japanese guy, and you have to be a damn artist to write Japanese characters.

but it all boils down to, your language is easy, because you've been learning it since you were_insert age here_.

would you belive me that Japanese is easier to learn than English just because it has some logic on what they say? English is complicated... I mean, pronounciation is stupid. In spanish "a" is "ah"(short a) and it never changes. "Ba" is always "ba" in japanese. So is "Tsu", "Ka" "go" and many others... english is just silly...

 

[Logan Creed]

would you belive me that Japanese is easier to learn than English just because it has some logic on what they say? English is complicated... I mean, pronounciation is stupid. In spanish "a" is "ah"(short a) and it never changes. "Ba" is always "ba" in japanese. So is "Tsu", "Ka" "go" and many others... english is just silly...

I'm all about learning new languages and cultures, but I'm slow. I totally believe you, but I'd love to see/hear evidence.

edit:I realize that's incredibly difficult to produce on the internet, but, hey...

however you look at it...English rules are the most ridiculous.

 

[TEDDY]

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

Tu Madre!

 

[Logan Creed]

Tu Madre!

You're silly.

I don't know the spanish way to say that.

 

[Manic]

Estas loco? Eres loco? Wait... do I use the "ser" or "estar" for "to be"?