English only!

[headscratcher4]

Protesters speak out on the importance of English as our national language and other issues...

As a master-speller myself, I feel their pain.

http://community.livejournal.com/ont...39.html#cutid1

[Praktik]

Coming from a bilingual country I've always found this movement to be really strange.

Especially given where America is situated, you know, in the Americas with millions upon millions of spanish speaking citizens, how could it possibly be a bad thing to have spanish taught in schools or (gasp!) to even consider making it an official language?

[headscratcher4]

BTW: Spanish is taught in a great many (possibly most) public schools here.

[Praktik]

yes I am aware of that, and am also aware there are people that don't like that

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Praktik

Coming from a bilingual country I've always found this movement to be really strange.

You and me both, brother.

Quote:

Especially given where America is situated, you know, in the Americas with millions upon millions of spanish speaking citizens, how could it possibly be a bad thing to have spanish taught in schools or (gasp!) to even consider making it an official language?

Damfino. IMO, much of it is thinly veiled racism.

[Bluegill]

I think the first sign in the group is meant as humorous irony to poke fun at the anti-gay crowd. I like it and couldn't find any mistakes on it. Lots of those signs, though...whew...it's almost as if they were written by my co-workers...

[oldhat]

"Stundents For McCain/Palin" had me laughing.

[Pardalis]

Originally Posted by Praktik

Especially given where America is situated, you know, in the Americas with millions upon millions of spanish speaking citizens,

Et nous autres?

[geni]

Originally Posted by Praktik

Especially given where America is situated, you know, in the Americas with millions upon millions of spanish speaking citizens, how could it possibly be a bad thing to have spanish taught in schools or (gasp!) to even consider making it an official language?

Because the majority of information is currently stored in english. By encourageing spanish you increase the ability of people to live and monolingual spanish speakers. Such people will face greater barries to acessing information than english speakers.

[Praktik]

Originally Posted by Pardalis

Et nous autres?

Qui?

[Praktik]

Originally Posted by geni

Because the majority of information is currently stored in english. By encourageing spanish you increase the ability of people to live and monolingual spanish speakers. Such people will face greater barries to acessing information than english speakers.

But that's the other edge of the double-edged sword isn't it? Because by teaching more spanish to english speakers you are reducing barriers and providing for more economic opportunity in terms of the employment they can get.

[WildCat]

Originally Posted by Praktik

But that's the other edge of the double-edged sword isn't it? Because by teaching more spanish to english speakers you are reducing barriers and providing for more economic opportunity in terms of the employment they can get.

It's fine to learn Spanish as a second language (and it is by far the most common foreign language taught in schools), but it's important to be able to speak English. You have far fewer options if the only language you speak in the US is not English.

There's at least 28 languages spoken in my neighborhood, English is by far the most useful. It's the one language we all have in common.

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by WildCat

There's at least 28 languages spoken in my neighborhood, English is by far the most useful. It's the one language we all have in common.

It's a lingua franca.

[Taarkin]

Originally Posted by Mojo

It's a lingua franca.

We call it lingua freedom round these parts.

[JoeTheJuggler]

I remember many years ago hearing a call-in radio show on this issue. A real mouth-breather called in only to shout, "This is America, so speak--". And then he realized "American" isn't a language and after a brief awkward pause, he finished by saying, "English!" then promptly hung up.

[oldhat]

I love it when people invent stories about the OUTRAGE of having to "press 1 for Spanish, press 2 for English" -- except it's always, always the other way around.

[Praktik]

Originally Posted by Taarkin

We call it lingua freedom round these parts.

lolz!

winnar

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by WildCat

It's fine to learn Spanish as a second language (and it is by far the most common foreign language taught in schools), but it's important to be able to speak English. You have far fewer options if the only language you speak in the US is not English.

There's at least 28 languages spoken in my neighborhood, English is by far the most useful. It's the one language we all have in common.

My opinion is that all children in U.S. schools should be learning English, Spanish and at least one other language, simultaneously.

[parky76]

English should be the designated national language of the USA. All official business should be done in English. How else can we encourage immigrants to learn English?

If English is not important..then no one will learn it.

My ancestors spoke Russian, Yiddish, and Czech. But they learned English.

There is nothing stopping someone who speaks Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, or Creole, from learning English.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by parky76

English should be the designated national language of the USA. All official business should be done in English. How else can we encourage immigrants to learn English?

Why should we?

Quote:

My ancestors spoke Russian, Yiddish, and Czech. But they learned English.

So they didn't need "encouragement." Why does anybody else?

[Juniversal]

Originally Posted by parky76

English should be the designated national language of the USA. All official business should be done in English. How else can we encourage immigrants to learn English?

If English is not important..then no one will learn it.

My ancestors spoke Russian, Yiddish, and Czech. But they learned English.

There is nothing stopping someone who speaks Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, or Creole, from learning English.

It's easy to say "there's nothing stopping someone from learning English" and say they need to speak it if they wish to live here. When in Rome. Do as Romans do. I used to feel the same way and in part still do.

BUT I also realize how hard it can be to learn a new language. I took two years of french in high school and can barely remember more then several phrases and numbers lol. Also considering many people migrating to the U.S. are dirt poor and don't have a resource like school to learn a new language I can sympathize. Now if you believe these people should be made to take classes to obtain citizenship or offered to them for free is a different story.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by parky76

...
My ancestors spoke Russian, Yiddish, and Czech. But they learned English....

And yet, they didn't require English to have been designated the official national language in order to learn it, so you've disproved your own claim already.

[Architect]

Far be it from me to point out that many countries have more than one official language. Canada, as mentioned above, but also (say) Switzerland. Hell, even Wales. They all seem to be surviving just fine.

[Madalch]

Originally Posted by Architect

Far be it from me to point out that many countries have more than one official language. Canada, as mentioned above, but also (say) Switzerland. Hell, even Wales. They all seem to be surviving just fine.

I notice you didn't mention Belgium.

[parky76]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

And yet, they didn't require English to have been designated the official national language in order to learn it, so you've disproved your own claim already.

yeah? so? what of it???

[WildCat]

Originally Posted by Madalch

I notice you didn't mention Belgium.

Or Afghanistan.

[Architect]

I didn't mention lots of countries. Do you have a point, caller?

[Eyeron]

If we should be forced to learn Spanish they should be forced to learn English. It's only fair.

[Brainster]

Many of those photos don't look like they belong to the teabag crowd to me; rather they look like intentional gags and stuff from years ago. The first one is clearly intended as a gag; note that the woman decrying the homo's devil machine is holding a rainbow flag. And the "Get a brain, morans" guy has been around the internet for years.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Brainster

Many of those photos don't look like they belong to the teabag crowd to me; rather they look like intentional gags and stuff from years ago. The first one is clearly intended as a gag; note that the woman decrying the homo's devil machine is holding a rainbow flag. And the "Get a brain, morans" guy has been around the internet for years.

Hence the sub-title at the top of the page:

Quote:

A collection of true patriots'/tea baggers/birthers/health care town hallers' signs. Mix of new and classics.

[Hokulele]

Hawai'i has two official languages, as per the state constitution. Neither of them is Spanish. Not all states require the same set of alternative languages.

Why shouldn't this be determined at the state level rather than at the federal level?

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

Hawai'i has two official languages, as per the state constitution. Neither of them is Spanish. Not all states require the same set of alternative languages.

Why shouldn't this be determined at the state level rather than at the federal level?

And raise a nation of linguists? Cunning!

[Hokulele]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

And raise a nation of linguists? Cunning!

You have been poised over the keyboard for hours just waiting to use that line, haven't you.

[leftysergeant]

It is largely a national identity issue. But Spanish-speaking people did not invade the USA. We invaded Spanish-speaking countries.

Does a single national language neccessarily promote national unity and identity?

Switzerland has three more-or-less official languages and does quite nicely on that account.

Bosnians, Montenegrans, Croats and Serbs all speak a single language. How's that working out?

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

You have been poised over the keyboard for hours just waiting to use that line, haven't you.

Yes. Thank you Ma'am.

[CynicalSkeptic]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

Why shouldn't this be determined at the state level rather than at the federal level?

Commerce clause, duh.

[tyr_13]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

Hawai'i has two official languages, as per the state constitution. Neither of them is Spanish. Not all states require the same set of alternative languages.

Why shouldn't this be determined at the state level rather than at the federal level?

Agreed. I took French in high school because Quabec-ka are ******** and I wanted to know what they were saying about me.

I took Japanese in college because, well, it was offered.

Many other countries have it easy. What second language do you teach? English of course. Lucky people learning this very confusing language because it's the language of business and diplomacy since the end of WWII.

[Hokulele]

Originally Posted by CynicalSkeptic

Commerce clause, duh.

Hm, that same clause also implies that a single language requirement could be seen as discriminatory. I will have to ponder this for a while.

[MikeSun5]

Originally Posted by parky76

English should be the designated national language of the USA.

I disagree. America should not have a designated language. Everyone on this planet knows we speak English predominantly, what's the point in making it official? To quell the xenophobia?

I live in South Florida. There are many many places (and businesses) down here where you'll only hear Spanish. I can immediately think of 4 or 5 restaurants and 2 auto shops that are solamente Espanol. There are taxi companies that only speak Creole, and old people who only speak Yiddish. There's a Persian dude who owns a store by my house who I swear only knows like 10 English words. Why aren't these people and companies out of business? They couldn't possibly operate in America without English, could they?

Of course they can. Because this is America. People don't use their native tongues out of laziness, they do it out of convenience. I lived for years in Germany, and if I meet a German, I'll converse with them in German. Same goes when I meet someone who speaks Spanish. Personally, yo quiero la diversidad. Had it not been for the huge Spanish-speaking population down here, I would have never learned the language. If English was our designated language, there would have been no need. Why bother?

This is where the tables turn... why can't Americans learn other languages? What exactly is wrong with us?

Quote:

All official business should be done in English.

Even when it's done in Chinatown between two Chinese dudes.

Quote:

How else can we encourage immigrants to learn English?

We don't need to. Off the top of my head, Mexico, Holland, Germany (and I'm sure a ton of other countries) have programs in place making English mandatory in schools. Being fluent in English is an extremely sought after skill.

Why is this not the case in America - the friggin melting pot of the world? America celebrates a ridiculous amount of diversity. The fact that foreign languages aren't mandatory to learn in US schools is simply unbelieveable. I don't have kids, but if I did, they'd damn sure know how to speak at least 3 languages.

Quote:

If English is not important..then no one will learn it.

English will never be unimportant. Besides, there are some Americans who haven't learned it yet.

Originally Posted by Prometheus

My opinion is that all children in U.S. schools should be learning English, Spanish and at least one other language, simultaneously.

I second, third, and fourth this.

[Praktik]

The thing you don't hear that often in MSM accounts of the issue is the national interest at stake in learning other languages.

Learning spanish is important so that people understand the culture of Latin America better and and can interface with it effectively which is beneficial to trade relations, provides a source of candidates for diplomatic service, dealing with organized crime and in intelligence matters.

Part of the reason America has been so ham-fisted dealing with terrorism is that the CIA has a paucity of Arab language speakers. Giraldi lays out here the CIA's shallow penetration and understand of Middle East cultures.

Perhaps the fact there's such a noticeable short-sighted "english only" movement is symptomatic of a larger problem wherein not enough Americans are interested in learning other languages and studying other cultures.