This is Alabama, we speak English. Se trata de Alabama, hablamos Ingl

[Eon]

only work there part time now, have another job that pays more while I'm in school.

 

[Sicron]

Here in the Netherlands on many schools you get Dutch, English, French and German in high schools (hell, they even want to bring these 4 languages to the elementary schools, instead of just Dutch and English). When taking a harder course called "Atheneum" here, you often also get Spanish. When you take the even harder course "Gymnasium" you get either Latin or Greek as well.

Seriously, it's only good for you to learn more than one language. Stop complaining.

 

[Prozac]

To be honest, they should start earlier with learning languages.

 

[Rocky]

In Australia, foreign languages are electives (i.e. you choose whether you want to study a language and which one). Only compulsory "language" learning is English, which differs substantially from out native language of "strayan"

Strayan isn't taught in schools, it is picked up through years of immersing yourself in the culture of this fair country.

 

[Z Power]

In Australia, foreign languages are electives (i.e. you choose whether you want to study a language and which one). Only compulsory "language" learning is English, which differs substantially from out native language of "strayan"

Strayan isn't taught in schools, it is picked up through years of immersing yourself in the culture of this fair country.

My friend would vouch for that. But i guess two years is still too early eh?

 

[Rocky]

I've honed my "strayan" over the course of the last 24 years. While 2 might be enough to understand a few odd phrases here and there, you friend wouldn't be able to hold a complete conversation in "strayan"

 

[DiebytheSword]

I honestly never got this complaint, in either direction. You, as an American, are barely affected by press 1 for English. You are only whining because you feel entitled. You, as an immigrant, should expect certain things to be made available in alternate languages, but you should also be looking to come to america to assimilate. If you are here for 30 years and still speak no english, you are not meeting us half way here.

There is no excuse, I come from a large immigrant family, and I'm the first one in my family to learn English as a first language. All of them have made the attempt to learn and can speak both languages with very little problem. Obviously non-latin/germanic language speakers might take longer to learn, but there will need to be a time to learn.

I also don't like the free speech argument, you are still allowed to speak what you wish in whatever language, so long as you don't slander or endanger the public health. Free speech does not, however, garauntee that Burger King list a サクサクチキンサンドイッチ for your ease, or even offer a driver's license test in spanish. Now that said, I am not against test available in spanish, so long as we try to offset costs involved with something smart like having the test on a computer so that we aren't printing a million such forms.

 

[Brosiris]

I honestly never got this complaint, in either direction. You, as an American, are barely affected by press 1 for English. You are only whining because you feel entitled. You, as an immigrant, should expect certain things to be made available in alternate languages, but you should also be looking to come to america to assimilate. If you are here for 30 years and still speak no english, you are not meeting us half way here.

There is no excuse, I come from a large immigrant family, and I'm the first one in my family to learn English as a first language. All of them have made the attempt to learn and can speak both languages with very little problem. Obviously non-latin/germanic language speakers might take longer to learn, but there will need to be a time to learn.

I also don't like the free speech argument, you are still allowed to speak what you wish in whatever language, so long as you don't slander or endanger the public health. Free speech does not, however, garauntee that Burger King list a サクサクチキンサンドイッチ for your ease, or even offer a driver's license test in spanish. Now that said, I am not against test available in spanish, so long as we try to offset costs involved with something smart like having the test on a computer so that we aren't printing a million such forms.

America was born to be the land of opportunities, it was born to be a place you could go without fear of repression and be free to believe in whatever you'd like. People immigrate here because they want to be able to live the life they want to live. American businesses, and our government, should understand this and know that with this ideal many different types of people are going to come here, many will speak different languages, and many are going to have different beliefs etc. With that said, they should offer things in different languages. When I go to McDonalds I see English only. When I go to this great Cuban Restaurant near my house everything is in Spanish, and next to it is in English. Now I know enough Spanish to get by, and I can speak it brokenly, but I read the English portion because I know English better. I know there are many people like me, or even worse off than me. If they want to come here and take a driving test, they should be able to take it in whatever language they want. You don't need to speak Spanish or any other language to drive. I went to Germany, didn't speak a lick of German, and I could get to where I needed to go just fine. Not only that but 90% of the people I met spoke English. If they hadn't and my Grandmother wasn't there to translate it would have been more of a hassle and annoying and would have ruined my vacation.

California is a prime example of all of this. Go there, and everything is in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, and multiple other languages. Why? Because California has many different cultures living together. So it only makes sense to have everything translated accordingly. This is also great for businesses. If I'm Spanish and can't speak English well at all, and I try to go to an American restaurant, we'll say Subway, where everything is in English, well you just lost me as a customer because I can't read what it says, I don't speak or read English. So from a business standpoint it makes sense.

On top of that, most European countries have classes that teach English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or all of them. Yet in America, you take 4 years of one language in high school and you don't even learn it fluently. And you call them 'meeting us half way"? If anything I think it's America and American's slacking because most people have the mentality of "If you come to this country you need to speak English". I agree with this statement; it's good to know English, but I also think American's should learn other languages.

Florida, California and other southern countries have a lot of Hispanic people living there, so it should make sense that schools teach Spanish, as well as English. That way if you meet someone who doesn't speak English, you can speak Spanish to them and there won't be a language boundary. If you live in California and there is an abundance of Chinese people living there, it would make sense that schools teach both Chinese and English.

I for one love languages and love learning them and how they work and everything. I don't have the time to learn right now but if I could I would. All I'm saying is, I think people who come here for a second chance at life have it much more difficult because they are forced to live in a culture that is foreign to them and forced to change their language when that is the exact opposite of what America was founded on. Now there are exceptions, Miami and California are perfect examples, but there are always exceptions to everything.

 

[DiebytheSword]

Brosiris, what country do you hail from, and what is your cultural background? You know you just argued with a Hispanic from an immigrant family about assimilation and learning the language, right?

You should note that I didn't say mandatory second languages in school are bad. I said if you live in the united states FOR MANY DECADES and don't bother to learn any english you are being lazy and a problem. Many Chinese and Koreans cringe at americans trying to speak their languages, I've seen this multiple times, they may not appreciate multiculturalism as you do. You speak against me saying that we should learn other languages and have them learn english, and then say that we should learn other languages and have them learn english . . . was there a point to being PC there? Or where you just demanding language justice? Spare me. I don't need a lecture, I don't see why this problem is approached from both ends, not just the end that wants a fractured, PC america that is not well assimilated.

Coincidentally, if there was a drive for multiple language products, they would appear in that product. In fact, there is, and it does happen, as we do now currently press 1 for english, marke dos por espanol. I'm also pretty sure every product I open has secondary languages further in the instruction booklet.

Finally an issue with your opening,

America was born to be the land of opportunities, it was born to be a place you could go without fear of repression and be free to believe in whatever you'd like. People immigrate here because they want to be able to live the life they want to live. American businesses, and our government, should understand this and know that with this ideal many different types of people are going to come here, many will speak different languages, and many are going to have different beliefs etc.

America was and is indeed the land of opportunity, why should an opportunity to learn a language be taken from them, because learning more languages is good right? That obviousness aside, American Business owners have a right to live as they wish to live, regardless of whether or not it robs them of multicultural money. When your right infringes on another's right, that right is forfeit. They are free to speak whatever language they like, and by that I meant both parties. No one should be forced to communicate in a way they don't want to, and if it costs them business or lunch, so be it. This is also the land of personal responsibility, and you make America what it is for you. Government on the otherhand, must work equally with all law abiding citizens and legal aliens, here I agree. However, that is not cause to make sure we have Driver's license tests in Farsi for Kansas DMVs. Do what you can, reasonably, when you can.

 

[Almighty_Gir]

i have no problem with people coming to england not knowing english.
i have no problem with people being in england, and not speaking much english.
i have a problem with people who come to england, refuse to learn english, and expect other people to learn their language instead.

the viewpoint of "this is x country, you speak our language or gtfo" is okay to a point. i certainly understand the viewpoint. i learned dutch when i moved to holland. i guess my biggest problem is with people who just don't even make the attempt. isn't the whole point of naturalisation that you become fully integrated into your new country?

 

[DiebytheSword]

i have no problem with people coming to england not knowing english.
i have no problem with people being in england, and not speaking much english.
i have a problem with people who come to england, refuse to learn english, and expect other people to learn their language instead.

the viewpoint of "this is x country, you speak our language or gtfo" is okay to a point. i certainly understand the viewpoint. i learned dutch when i moved to holland. i guess my biggest problem is with people who just don't even make the attempt. isn't the whole point of naturalisation that you become fully integrated into your new country?

That's pretty much my point, as long as an attempt is being made to learn the native language, you can speak how you damn well please.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

I don't care what language anyone speaks that isn't born here. But if they ask me a question in a language I don't understand, that's their loss. I speak Dutch, French, German and English (and learning Swedish (and Finnish soon)), so they have quite a bit of choice to communicate with me.

However, I don't expect any country to enforce specific laws where a shop has to communicate in every possible language that are spoken amongst the local communities. If that was the case, people over here would be required to learn Dutch, French, German, English, Polish, Swedish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Turkish, Maroccan, all sorts of different native African languages and Hebrew.

 

[sub]

Oh god, you just reminded me of the time when a ton of people had their names changed to historical figures.

 

[Synth]

It took historical figures spamming to get our civil rights.

I had a dream.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

Funny enough, I am from that time when a ton of people had their names changed to historical figures.

 

[sub]

Yeah I know. I'm trying to remember who you originally were

 

[hleV]

Some Shoe salesmen tried selling boots or something.

I see what you did there.

 

[Zeonix]

Was it Bolteh?

 

[Damaera]

yes, it was sbolt

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

It is.