A discussion in Eng class lead me to this post

[snakebyte]

We were discussing communication and language barriers in the US. and I said that if you live here you should learn English. Apparently I offended everyone. The one woman in my class said that she had a child in her daycare that only spoke Spanish and it's parents were upset that the class was taught in English. And they didnt want their kid to lose it's culture be learning English. Do you think by learning to speak Eng that kid is going to lose his heritage? Does that mean at all stores and restaurants we have to teach the workers other languages so when a customer comes in that doesn't speak English we can understand them? To me that doesn't seem right. If you live in America you should have some basic English speaking skills. Just like if I moved to Spain or Italy, they shouldn't have to learn English for me to get by, I should learn their language.

 

[UKrock]

We were discussing communication and language barriers in the US. and I said that if you live here you should learn English. Apparently I offended everyone. The one woman in my class said that she had a child in her daycare that only spoke Spanish and it's parents were upset that the class was taught in English. And they didnt want their kid to lose it's culture be learning English. Do you think by learning to speak Eng that kid is going to lose his heritage? Does that mean at all stores and restaurants we have to teach the workers other languages so when a customer comes in that doesn't speak English we can understand them? To me that doesn't seem right. If you live in America you should have some basic English speaking skills. Just like if I moved to Spain or Italy, they shouldn't have to learn English for me to get by, I should learn their language.

ask them if they would teach your children in english if you went to spain (or anywhere else). PC can go too far

 

[snakebyte]

Damn I figured more people would respond.

 

[Missingmeds]

I think that they should learn English, after all I did. English is about one of the hardest languages to learn.

I think learning to speak the language of the country that you live in is not going to result in losing your culture. What results in the loss of culture is the failure of the adults in the family failing to pass it on to the children.

There was a very good movie made in Aussieland some time back about ballroom dancing that showed the very thing that you are talking about.

 

[rcfstl]

The difference in some immigrants now then the ones a century ago is that they dont want to assimilate. They have strong cultural ties to thier homeland or ethnic group. I dont see anything wrong with it but if you dont understand English you are seriously hampered in the United States. But hell the Oldest City in the US is what St Augustine Florida and it was not founded by English speakers. The united states is not a Melting Pot it is a salad with pockets of ethnicity everywhere. St Louis is full of Bosnians and Mexicans who have not assimilated into the American culture and they have some damn good restaurants

 

[Valia]

The one woman in my class said that she had a child in her daycare that only spoke Spanish and it's parents were upset that the class was taught in English. And they didnt want their kid to lose it's culture be learning English. Do you think by learning to speak Eng that kid is going to lose his heritage?

no it won't but anyay few people think this way

Does that mean at all stores and restaurants we have to teach the workers other languages so when a customer comes in that doesn't speak English we can understand them? To me that doesn't seem right.

well not have too but what about its time for people in US to learn more language ...and nothing wrong with people that work in places like this know some basic of other language i think its importen ...

If you live in America you should have some basic English speaking skills. Just like if I moved to Spain or Italy, they shouldn't have to learn English for me to get by, I should learn their language.

yes i agree with u should know some basic even if not more ...but trust me i have see most from US how they are when they go in other countries they think everyone should learn English and they not try a lot there ...

 

[Cathleen]

I agree English should be our national language. It would be nice if everyone was multilingual but the need to communicate in the language of your country is paramount. A local community has tried immersion curriculums in French and Spanish, they start in the elementary grades and continue through high school. It has shown some interesting results.

On a different note all together. What I find interesting, actually almost ashamed, is that other countries learn English as a second language. I understand we are the super-power of the world and the richest monetarily, which might lend itself to US citizens traveling abroad but I somehow feel lazy about only knowing one language. I know enough French to maybe get by and have some basic latin roots but there is no way I could travel to other countries without having language troubles, yet there are so many other countries accomodating us. I find that not only wonderful for us, but also somewhat lacking personally.

 

[SonOfAGhost]

Here in Canada we have a real problem with government funded 'multiculturalism'. More and more people are identifying themselves as hyphenated Canadians rather than Canadians who happen to have some pride in where there ancestors came from. It's got to the point that some 2nd generation kids are growing up not thinking of themselves as even hyphenated Canadians but as part of the country their parents are from but they've never themselves been to. The irony is that it's the groups that DON'T receive goverment funding that have the strongest cultural communites even though they're the ones that think of themselves as Canadians first.

We have 2 official languages here, and French immersion is quite common in my province of Ontario. Sure the kids learn to speak both languages well but for the most part they can't read or write in either one anywhere near as well as kids who learned everything in their native tounge and then took regular classes to learn the other.

As for Cathleen's 2nd paragraph, English being so common a 2nd language has very little to do with the US economy, that's a relatively recent phenomenon. The British Empire at one time covered most of the world. Due to Britain's naval power a dispropotionate amount of international commerce outside the Empire was also conducted and transported by the British. Between being the driving force of sea-borne trade and the Empire, English soon became THE language for anyone in the world to know if they wanted to move beyond their own nation's (and it's own colonies) borders. Upon reaching the point, many years ago now, that more than 1/2 the world's population spoke at least some English it became unstoppable. Not only do people learn English to speak to those of use who speak it natively, but odds are that 2 people that speak different languages, if they both know a 2nd, they'll probably end up talking in English. It's in the interests of the human race that we all speak the same language. For ease of learning, perhaps English wouldn't be the best choice, but when more than 1/2 already know it, it would be foolhardy to try to switch to a different one now.

 

[snakebyte]

I like that we are having an open discussion I posted this in a "regular board" and was called an arrogant American. This site gets cooler every time

 

[bertrande]

I see this as being very simple - maybe too simple for most to agree with.

If you are going to adopt a country as your own, then you should learn to communicate in the language of the country. That doesn't mean that you should lose your heritage, but if you want to remain immersed in your original culture and language - don't adopt a new one.

 

[snakebyte]

Ty bertrande, It's good to get another countries point of view. Of course I'm just am Arrogant American (as I've been called that on other boards) but I do appreciate your comments.

 

[Cathleen]

Here in Canada we have a real problem with government funded 'multiculturalism'. More and more people are identifying themselves as hyphenated Canadians rather than Canadians who happen to have some pride in where there ancestors came from. It's got to the point that some 2nd generation kids are growing up not thinking of themselves as even hyphenated Canadians but as part of the country their parents are from but they've never themselves been to. The irony is that it's the groups that DON'T receive goverment funding that have the strongest cultural communites even though they're the ones that think of themselves as Canadians first.

We have 2 official languages here, and French immersion is quite common in my province of Ontario. Sure the kids learn to speak both languages well but for the most part they can't read or write in either one anywhere near as well as kids who learned everything in their native tounge and then took regular classes to learn the other.

As for Cathleen's 2nd paragraph, English being so common a 2nd language has very little to do with the US economy, that's a relatively recent phenomenon. The British Empire at one time covered most of the world. Due to Britain's naval power a dispropotionate amount of international commerce outside the Empire was also conducted and transported by the British. Between being the driving force of sea-borne trade and the Empire, English soon became THE language for anyone in the world to know if they wanted to move beyond their own nation's (and it's own colonies) borders. Upon reaching the point, many years ago now, that more than 1/2 the world's population spoke at least some English it became unstoppable. Not only do people learn English to speak to those of use who speak it natively, but odds are that 2 people that speak different languages, if they both know a 2nd, they'll probably end up talking in English. It's in the interests of the human race that we all speak the same language. For ease of learning, perhaps English wouldn't be the best choice, but when more than 1/2 already know it, it would be foolhardy to try to switch to a different one now.

Nice post, Ghost, thanks for making better sense then me. I hadn't thought too deeply and the time of my post had nothing to do with my lack of thought.

I agree about the hyphenated culture. I was thinking about the same thing this morning. I don't mean to belittle any one or culture but if someone was to ask me my nationality I would say American. I am of Irish descent but I'm American.

 

[Cathleen]

I like that we are having an open discussion I posted this in a "regular board" and was called an arrogant American. This site gets cooler every time

It is a cool site, glad you're enjoying it. There are lots of good things here, poke around all over. Welcome.

I like discussions a lot too, thanks for bringing the issue here.

 

[sxylilslut]

I don't understand that state of mind, I mean if you are going to live in a country that is not your own, learn the language it will in no way make you lose your heritage and maybe you'll even broaden your horizons.

 

[sinnamongyrl]

I think that if they are attening school in America,,,then they should learn to speak English.I dont think that you will lose your culture just because you learn another language,I spent a summer in France and I had taken French for 3 years before i went.My husband learned German when he was in the military.If I were to travel somewhere where i did not speak the language,,,i would want to learn, at LEAST a bit of it before.i went.

 

[snakebyte]

Ty everyone who responded. I look forward to reading more responses.