[swrinfla]

I offer an anecdote on how children learn so well.

Eons and eons ago, in college, my roommate and I lived with a French-Canadian family in Maine. Tho' Canadians by birth, they had both been brought up by Parisian-born parents, so their French was impeccable.

They had a four- or five-year-old daughter, who was picking up English in the local kindergarten, but had to speak French at home. One day, my roommate (who turned out to be a really very good linguist, becoming fluent in at least a half-dozen tongues) casually made some remark in French to the child. She immediately corrected his grammar, doing so in perfect English! He was floored, went and researched her correction and found that she was absolutely right!

SWR

[TrudyM]

I have always accepted that many people in this country only speak Spanish. My Hawaiian hubby has a very different reaction. In Hawaii many speak another language. Japanese, Chinese, tagalo, Korean, etc, allot of kids go to language school after regular school every day; it is the Hawaiian version of extended care for working parents. But all residents speak English. It is not the Spanish being added that drives him nuts, it is the Spanish being substituted. When his grandparents and great grandparents came to Hawaii they learned English. His reaction is if a person wants to live and work in this country they should be encouraged to learn the main language spoken. He also feels that doing the duel language thing like they are in California where the kids can go school totally taught in Spanish is creating a two class society that locks the Spanish speaking immigrants into a permant second class. Also the assumption that spanish is the only other language spoken is also wrong. Here in the Pacific Northwest the largest new to english speaking population is chinese. Where I grew up in northern new england it was French.
What bothers me is people sitting next to you on the bus or in line that switch to another language. It feels like you are being talked about infront of your back.

[Yoda]

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.

I pasted this from my word processor. No copyrights are involved. Do not delete.

Ok, now that I have read them all, let me be the bad guy.

You tout the multi-lingual abilities of other countries as though we are behind the times and some how inferior. You must have missed this, " everybody spoke their native language." We as a nation do speak other languages. Like Europe, we are able as our needs require. One thing that you forget is that most European countries are bordered by three or more countries who speak a different "native" language. Thus a need. Most of our states are bordered by English speaking neighbor states. Thus, less need. Remember that many of our states dwarf the size of many of Europe's countries. English is the language of business. It has been for decades and will be for a generation forward, at least. So, yes, European countries speak more languages than we. They have more need.

Why in the world would you use Canada as an example. It is well known that the French Canadians are a most language bigoted people.

There are at last count 117 languages spoken or read in the United States. Which ones would you suggest that we learn and or discriminate against?

If you were recommending to a grandchild, which language would you suggest that they study, for other than tourism that is?

I am all for learning other languages. I do ok with tourist Spanish. I like to travle S. America and the Caribbean. I am working on tourist level German.

I would not judge Americans for not knowing what they have no need to know. People are so fast to do that.

I will say this; If I were going to live in another country I would be sure to learn the language of my new home and I wouldn't think of criticizing me if I did not do so.

Just some thoughts on the subject.

Yoda

I pasted this from my word processor. No copyrights are involved. Do not delete.

[JimJoe]

Your point was what? Americans are ????
Your post pointed out that people spoke the native language and a second language in the places you visited. I have no problem with that.
But I do have a problem illegals flooding into the USA and then having progressives tell us it is our responsibility to learn a second language so they can feel welcome here.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Yoda

I pasted this from my word processor. No copyrights are involved. Do not delete.

Ok, now that I have read them all, let me be the bad guy.

You tout the multi-lingual abilities of other countries as though we are behind the times and some how inferior. You must have missed this, " everybody spoke their native language." We as a nation do speak other languages. Like Europe, we are able as our needs require. One thing that you forget is that most European countries are bordered by three or more countries who speak a different "native" language. Thus a need. Most of our states are bordered by English speaking neighbor states. Thus, less need. Remember that many of our states dwarf the size of many of Europe's countries. English is the language of business. It has been for decades and will be for a generation forward, at least. So, yes, European countries speak more languages than we. They have more need.

Why in the world would you use Canada as an example. It is well known that the French Canadians are a most language bigoted people.

There are at last count 117 languages spoken or read in the United States. Which ones would you suggest that we learn and or discriminate against?

If you were recommending to a grandchild, which language would you suggest that they study, for other than tourism that is?

I am all for learning other languages. I do ok with tourist Spanish. I like to travle S. America and the Caribbean. I am working on tourist level German.

I would not judge Americans for not knowing what they have no need to know. People are so fast to do that.

I will say this; If I were going to live in another country I would be sure to learn the language of my new home and I wouldn't think of criticizing me if I did not do so.

Just some thoughts on the subject.

Yoda

I pasted this from my word processor. No copyrights are involved. Do not delete.

Why do you think this would be deleted. I started the conversation and asked for opinions. I'm not going to edit out the ones that disagree with me and actually, I resent the implication that I might.

JLK

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

Why do you think this would be deleted. I started the conversation and asked for opinions. I'm not going to edit out the ones that disagree with me and actually, I resent the implication that I might.

JLK

I had something deleted in the past because it was Cut and paste. Just wanted to be sure

[RichieLion]

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.

OK; you make a point with the speaking of more than one language and I don't think most Americans would have much of a problem with that.

But in these other countries that you have traveled to do they print all government forms in multiple languages?

Do the telephone operators give you instructions in multiple languages?

They may include English in many venues, but you know, as well as I, that English is the de-facto language of business in the world.

[getdul981]

Originally Posted by RichieLion

Do the telephone operators give you instructions in multiple languages?

And when you have a choice, is your native language not "Press 1 for English" instead of "Press 1 for Spanish"

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by RichieLion

OK; you make a point with the speaking of more than one language and I don't think most Americans would have much of a problem with that.

But in these other countries that you have traveled to do they print all government forms in multiple languages?

Do the telephone operators give you instructions in multiple languages?

They may include English in many venues, but you know, as well as I, that English is the de-facto language of business in the world.

I suppose that when enterprises program their phones so that you press a number to hear instructions in different languages, they consider it a good business practice. Do you feel that the government should forbid private enterprises from doing this?

[superuke]

When you have two languages as in Canada, as a manufacturer you are required to print all labels, brochures, advertising, instructions in both languages. So simply put, you order you pay. The costs are not absorbed by some magic formula, they are passed on to the consumer. So add a few points to the price.

The americian formula is "keep the costs down" a great formula and framework for enjoying the lowest prices. That is why us Canadians like shopping " guess where" in the USA. I really like lower prices!

In Quebec all people speak French, about 70% of the Quebec speak English and understand English. I have worked all parts of Quebec and have not had problems comunicating in English. Sometimes I have had to get help in the transulation.

The rest of Canada; New Brunswick is mostly a two language province.
Ottawa region: about 50% of the population speak two languages.

Pockets of the rest of Canada: Several languages are common, however in these cases, the majority speak English.

[JUREK]

Originally Posted by JimJoe

Your point was what? Americans are ????
Your post pointed out that people spoke the native language and a second language in the places you visited. I have no problem with that.
But I do have a problem illegals flooding into the USA and then having progressives tell us it is our responsibility to learn a second language so they can feel welcome here.

You said it all.

[k2at]

I do not think anyone in this country would object to people coming here and speaking their native language UNTIL THEY HAVE HAD TIME TO BECOME ASSIMILATED AND HAVE LEARNED ENGLISH. The problem is that they are coming here and refuse to learn our language. If this is the case, we ought to turn them around and send them back to their native country as they don't wish to become part of our dynamic.

[TrudyM]

Originally Posted by k2at

I do not think anyone in this country would object to people coming here and speaking their native language UNTIL THEY HAVE HAD TIME TO BECOME ASSIMILATED AND HAVE LEARNED ENGLISH. The problem is that they are coming here and refuse to learn our language. If this is the case, we ought to turn them around and send them back to their native country as they don't wish to become part of our dynamic.

IMHO I think not encouraging those coming here (legally I hope) to learn english is doing them a disservice. It locks them into second class status. I remember the mother of one of my sons classmates saying when we lived in California,"Oh the kids need spanish not french, I mean they need to be able to talk to the maids and yardmen."
My husbands reaction is you don't hear press 3 for Japanese. 20% of my town is now Chinese mostly emigrants over the last 10 years and they are all learning english, there are organized english classes at a local church.

[Talk Host]

After thinking about it more. I agree with most of everything that everybody said.

[k2at]

Talk Host, u shud be a politician.