Speaking English in America?

[dukedogsmom]

I would like to know opinions on this. I'm not trying to single any one specific group out here. However, I've noticed a large amount of people that speak Spanish here in Florida. I realise that we have many different nationalities here and I greatly applaud those that make attempts to speak English. However, there are those that want we English speaking people to cater to them, or that's my view on it. At work, some people get downright rude when they find out that we don't have anyone that speaks Spanish. And, we can only transfer to the language line if it's an emergency. And, if I moved to another country(would love it to be Italy) I certainly wouldn't expect the majority to speak English just because I had moved there. What really gripes me is when the parents get their English speaking children to call in for them. I would love to learn Spanish as it would come in handy. Maybe someone can give me a different view on this?

[Tonya]

My spanish is horrible. It is so bad that I generally tell a person that I don't speak or understand Spanish. It saves me the headache of getting myself in to deep.

Well, last year, I went to a house to fix their phone jacks. They were Spanish speaking. I told the guy that I didn't speak Spanish and went on to fix the jacks. He said to his friend while smiling to my face (in Spanish) "They send this stupid white b!t@h to fix my phone that can't even speak Spanish." They carried on saying all kinds of degrading things about me in Spanish. I was fuming so bad. I so wanted to tell him that he needs to learn better English; I don't need to learn better Spanish. I kept my mouth shut, but boy was it hard!

I think that it should be a requirement to know our language before you come here. I have met plenty of people that wanted to come to the US so bad, so they studied the American language and culture. That is how it should be. You should want to know about the place you are coming to. I understand that there are special circumstances that make that impossible, but I think for the most part, everyone is capable of learning English.

[tatsxxx11]

My mother and father emmigrated to the U.S. from Norway and Sweden, respectively. My husband moved with his family here from Japan when he was 6 years old. My parents immersed themselves in the culture and language and without any formal instruction, manged to obtain jobs and succeed and later raise a family and maintain both their cultural heritage and their language while at the same time, learn what it meant to be an American, including learning the language. My husband spent Saturday mornings being tutored for 2 hrs. in Japanese and 2 hrs. in English. He was put straight into 1st grade in the public school system two months after coming to the U.S. I understand how difficult it must be to come to a foreign country and not know the language. But I firmly believe that anyone who wishes to reap the rewards of living in a country such as this, should make every attempt to learn the language. It's simply impractical, if not impossbile, for the beauracracy to meet the needs of so many different cultural groups. And unfortunately, I have traveled with Americans to foregin countries who DO expect them to understand English and make no attempt at all to converse in that country's language. Just as bad!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

There are lots of people in Southern CA who are spanish speaking. My grandma came down here from Quebec, where she learned to speak English. Her first language is French. My mom can speak *some* French, and I'm learning.

I think if you're living here, you should learn how to speak English. Of course they could still speak their native language, but they should learn English as well. IMO

[2kitties]

When I visited France my French was so horrible most of the French people tried to speak english with me. But, if we weren't in a hurry, I sometimes asked them to please speak French with me so I could improve. Many times, it turned into interesting and educational conversations for me. And even after only a week, my french was greatly improved.

Too bad I haven't used it in years and now it's worse than ever.

[Kfamr]

I agree. If they chose to come to a English speaking country, they should learn to speak it.

[2kitties]

The thing is, English is not the official language of the United States. We don't have one.

[Kfamr]

But that's what the majority of America speaks. If it wasn't, you wouldn't need English 1,2,3, & 4 to graduate in most highschools.

[2kitties]

but the point is, if it isn't legally the "official national language," then constitutionally, they can't require it and public schools have to provide ESL or alternative educaiton.

[G.P.girl]

i don't thionk it's right for any forieger to expect thier host country to speak thier language when they are visiting or living in a country . when i lived in hungary i didn't expect the hungarians to learn english and i didn't try to talk to them in english, i learned hungarian. bu ti think americans do that the most, where they don't even try to learn the language and jsut expect everybody else to accomedate (sp?) to them and learn thier language. in my experience anyways.

[tatsxxx11]

As it's not the "offical" language, then why would we be compelled to provide ESL programs to school age emmigrants? Apparently our speaking English in the public school system is arbitrary? Official or not, there is a legal precept called "past practice." It carries great weight in ajudicating such cases. I would be interested to learn what other countries have on the "books," their native tongues as the "offical" language?? Correct me if I'm wrong Canadian PT'ers, but in Montreal, it has been madated that all shop signs be written in French, or at least, with French being the first and most prominent lettering in efforts to preserve their cultural heritage. Hopefully the efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to make English the "official" language of the U.S. will succeed. I detest the idea of ammending the constitution further, but if that be the argument, so be it. Regardless, whether ESL is taught in schools or not, it does not solve the problem of adults, parents of those children, residing in this country who are illiterate in English and choose not to make any effort to learn the language that the vast majority of it's citizens speak. It is a practical impossibility to accomodate the dozens if not hundreds of languages represented by the many immigrant groups that reside in the U.S. re: the banking system, shcool system, govt. offices, etc. My parents did it, my husband and his family did it without any governmentally subsidized program. I am all for some sort of transisitional accomodation to assist children entering the school system. But after speaking with academician friends and teachers who have been frustrated by the present system, I convinced that as it's exists, the ESL program only serves to enable those attempting to assimilate into a linguistacly homogenous society.

[babolaypo65]

I guess my experience is a little different. New Mexico is a bilingual state. It's in our constitution. And, in my opinion, it makes our state richer.

And yes, the other posters are correct the U.S. has no official language.

When I get frustrated that someone doesn't speak English in the U.S. I remember my own relatives arriving at Ellis Island, and wonder how long it took them to learn English, while working all day, raising a family, and trying to survive. Living within communities they could afford, which were often inhabited by others who knew only their language. It's a wonder they ever learned English. Especially considering they could neither read nor write. Second languages are hard to learn, as evidenced by the fact that many of us don't have one.

[Cincy'sMom]

I think that if you are living in a country that the majority of people do not speak your language, it is you that shoud attempt to learn the language, not have expect others to cater to you.

A woman I work with is married to a man from Chili. She is a blond hair, blue-eyed, farm girl who grew up in Ohio, went to Chili as a missionary, where they met, and they have lived in Ohio for 4 years now. They speak Spanish in their home, and their son, who is now 3, speaks primarily Spanish. I think it is great that they have taught their child spanish, however, he is living in Ohio and an American...he should also speak English!! recently, her son ate a few TUMS and her husband called, wanting her to call the doc and make sure he wouldbe okay. I asked why he didn't just call himself,a nd she said "cause he wouldn't understand what they said" I'm sorry, her husband has been here 4 years now, he should have at least a basic understanding of the language by now...JMO.

[KYS]

Copying Sandra's words, My grandparents and same with my husbands grandparents
also came to this country and immersed themselves in the culture and language, manged to obtain jobs and succeed and later raise a family and maintain both their cultural heritage and their language while at the same time, learn what it meant to be an American, including learning the language.

If I was to go live in a non-english speaking country
I would learn or try to learn the language.
I also think it's a shame it is not
manditory for our children not to learn
spanish as a secondary language starting in grammer school.
JMHO


As for the children.
My sister is a bilingual teacher for the public
Unified school system for grammer school.
Kids at that age are like sponges and learn very fast.
She does not support the bilingual program!
(when she was in college she was very pro, but
once she started teaching, she saw that
it kept the spanish speaking students behind.
As a bilingual teacher, with the permission
from their parents, she teaches the non-
english speaking children in English
with some spanish.
By the time they are out of her
class, they understand and can do the work
in English. Other bilingual teachers, only
teach their kids in Spanish with very little or no english.
These children go through semester, through
semester having trouble with English, and
remain behind, the other English speaking
students. Who is this program hurting?
THe children.
My sister has never come across a parent that
did not want their child not to learn in English.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by KYS

I also think it's a shame it is not
manditory for our children not to learn
spanish as a secondary language in grammer school.
JMHO

At my highschool it is manditory to have a year of a foreign language to graduate. It's either a year or two years, and alot of the kids go for taking Spanish, or even 2 different languages.