[Talk Host]

My wife an I have the good fortune of being able to travel a lot.

We were in Sweden and Denmark recently. In addition to their native language, nearly everybody we met also spoke English and Spanish (perfectly). All of the menus were in both languages.

Over the past couple of years, we have driven through most of the western and eastern European countries. In Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Russia and Holland, everybody spoke their native language, plus many spoke English, French, Russian an others. We did a boat tour of the waterways in Vienna and our young tour guide spoke English, German, Italian Spanish and French. Most menus offered not only native language but also English

In Brazil, where Portuguese is the native language, nearly everybody also spoke English and Spanish.

In Canada, there are two languages, French and English.

Here in this county, everybody has their fur up because Spanish is becoming a second language. You know, the old, "By God were Americans and we talk American." Why are we so against the wonderful opportunity to learn a second language and have it be part of our culture. Realistically, we are never going to turn the tide, so shouldn't we flow with it?

It doesn't seem to any problem at all in most other countries.

[wmchale]

I thought you were the english major!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[swrinfla]

Jan:

Europeans have always been multilingual. Partly because the next country speaks a different language, and it would be handy to know that language.

It's as though the folks in Georgia spoke a totally different tongue than folks in Florida. Despite the fact that a whole bunch of Floridians would say, "Why can't they learn our language," a large number would say, "Best we learn how to speak Georgian, so we can get along together!"

That's the way the Europeans think.

Unfortunately, most Americans think that the rest of the world must live by OUR standards! So, we have folks at cross purposes across the board.

Bottom line: I blame our own educational system, wherein the teaching of a foreign language is almost anti-U.S!

I'll get off my soapbox, now!

SWR

[saratogaman]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

My wife an I have the good fortune of being able to travel a lot.

We were in Sweden and Denmark recently. In addition to their native language, nearly everybody we met also spoke English and Spanish (perfectly). All of the menus were in both languages.

Over the past couple of years, we have driven through most of the western and eastern European countries. In Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Russia and Holland, everybody spoke their native language, plus many spoke English, French, Russian an others. We did a boat tour of the waterways in Vienna and our young tour guide spoke English, German, Italian Spanish and French. Most menus offered not only native language but also English

In Brazil, where Portuguese is the native language, nearly everybody also spoke English and Spanish.

In Canada, there are two languages, French and English.

Here in this county, everybody has their fur up because Spanish is becoming a second language. You know, the old, "By God were Americans and we talk American." Why are we so against the wonderful opportunity to learn a second language and have it be part of our culture. Realistically, we are never going to turn the tide, so shouldn't we flow with it?

It doesn't seem to any problem at all in most other countries.

Some people have a difficult time dealing with change and pluralism. The demographics in the USA are changing -- as they continually have since the white man first took the land away from the Indians. From "Irish need not apply" to Jim Crow laws to the anti-Hispanic "English should be our official language" sentiments, sadly there will always be a vociferous bunch of folks who put down the looks/culture/language of the more recent arrivals. It's unfortunate and, in my view, pathetic. It's interesting talking to my grandchildren...they could care less about it...they are already dealing with a slew of non-white classmates who speak many languages and they enjoy learning about their cultures and languages...and learning those languages! Best of all, they all love soccer -- a true international, intercultural sport.
I'm not worried about resistance to change -- those folks who get their fur up, as you said. Sad for them to not learn and embrace variety. The anti-generation will pass and the USA melting pot will continue to make us great and even more innovative.

[gary42651]

My wife is from Russia, and she is a nurse at a local hospital, just last night as she was about to end her shift, she was rushed to the emergency room, a patient had just arrived who was dying because the batteries in her pas maker failed. The patient is from Russia and lived in the USA for over 15 years, and could not speak a word of english. This poor lady was very scared and confused, my wife was able to calm her down, and translate everything the doctor had to do to save her life. This has happen several times in the past, and is one reason why I feel its important that if you want to live in this country, you should learn basic english.

[BogeyBoy]

I wrote a long reply and deleted it - instead I'll just point out that the countries TH mentioned all were multilingual. I thing a big part of what gets people riled up is that we are making it very easy for people to not become multilingual.

[Talk Host]

My Grandmother and Grandfather from Czechoslovakia lived here for 40 years. Neither could speak much English when they died. But their children, my father and his six brothers and sisters, went to US school and learned English.

I think it's the same thing with the Mexican people.

[saratogaman]

Amen!

[Ohiogirl]

European countries are so much smaller, it is so much easier to travel to different countries. IMO, that is one reason why Americans don't speak another language. How many of us took French, German or Spanish in high school and how many of us have had the chance to travel to a country where French, German, or Spanish is the native language? Europeans get many more opportunities to do this.

Canadians, unless they live in one of the predominantly French speaking provinces, or maybe in Ottawa, the capital, aren't usually multilingual, at least to my knowledge. Canadians - please inform us about this and correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe the native French speaking ones are more multi-lingual than the native English speakers?

I do think Americans don't generally go out of their way to learn languages like Europeans do, but I think it's mainly because of geography. That's just my impression - I could be wrong.

[getdul981]

When my wife and I travel to a foreign country, we at least TRY to learn some of the phrases to help us get by. What gets me is all the people that come her and think we have to change to accommodate them. If they don't like it here the way we've been for centuries, then they can go back to where things are as they like them. This includes learning English. If I moved to another country, I would not expect everyone to change to English just to suit me, but I would learn the language. It would be rough, but that's just me.

[Pturner]

This reminds me of an old joke.

Q: What do you call a person who speaks three languages?
A: Trilingual

Q: What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
A: Bilingual

Q: What do you call a person who speaks one language?
A: American

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by getdul981

When my wife and I travel to a foreign country, we at least TRY to learn some of the phrases to help us get by. What gets me is all the people that come her and think we have to change to accommodate them. If they don't like it here the way we've been for centuries, then they can go back to where things are as they like them. This includes learning English. If I moved to another country, I would not expect everyone to change to English just to suit me, but I would learn the language. It would be rough, but that's just me.

Hi Getdul,
I suspect most of the people who come here, whether from Mexico, Czechoslovakia or whereever, do learn some of the phrases to help them get by.

I have read that it is much easier for children to learn foreign languages than it is for adults. That could be why, as TH suggested, first gen. adult immigrants oft-times don't learn the language well, but their children do. Just a thought.

[l2ridehd]

TH, you are so right about European countries. Everyone speaks multiple languages. However every country also has their national language. And I know of no country where I have ever head on a phone, press one for X, press two for Y. And everything in a country is printed in only their national language. I am very much in agreement that we need to be more multi lingual in this country. When I speak to college students I always tell them, learn another language or more. Learn Spanish and Mandarin and you can speak to 2/3 of the world.

I hope we become a multi lingual country. I am even OK with Spanish. But keep English as our national language and don't print everything in both. Let it happen as it has in Europe, DON'T legislate it as we are trying to do here and force it on people.

[SALYBOW]

As an ex-educator I would like to chime in here. I think that our American hubris has kept us from learning other languages and from seeing the wisdom behind doing so. I hosted young students from Brazil and Germeny who spent a schoolyear here to perfect their English.
It is believed that the window for learning a language easily is around 5 years of age. Sadly we miss that window in most cases. I would love to learn other languages.
The best way to learn a language is not how we were taught in HS. It is through emersion in the culture. On the first day of German classes my son came home singing German drinking songs. Somehow, after that, German came very easy for him. He went on to major in Germanic Studies in college. Now he is working among the Puerto Ricans in Chicage and he can also spek the PR form of spanish. Ithink if the kids hear the language spoken, they will learn it better. Sally

[wmchale]

We speak English but how many different dialets do we have and how long before each becomes a language.

You'all

you ruin my mummaj!