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View Poll Results: Do you expect English to always be the primary language in the US?
Yes, English will always be the primary language in the US 92 93.88%
No, English will be replaced by another primary language 6 6.12%
Voters: 98. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 12-07-2016, 07:29 AM
 
Location: Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA
8,000 posts, read 7,354,956 times
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Esperanto will become the primary language of the U.S. before Spanish will.
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Old 12-07-2016, 07:42 AM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,283,321 times
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Question of the day?

Primary being different than "official"?

At my age, I'm not going to learn another language...I won't even try, I'll just have to "make do".

If it became the official language then I'd imagine that language would have to be taught in all schools...so for kids, it would be a cinch. For society in general, it'd probably take 50 years or so to be inculcated.

As in most societies you congregate with those like you so as English became less spoken those communities would shrink over time but would probably exist for a very long time, especially since English would still be the predominant language in many other countries.
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Old 12-07-2016, 07:49 AM
 
Location: Crook County, Hellinois
5,820 posts, read 3,849,372 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostnip View Post
Rich old white guys are the dominant group in US society so I assume even if Spanish became a primary language of day-to-day life, English would remain the language of business and government for quite some time.
This sounds like Russia from Peter I all the way until Nicholas II. (Perhaps the reversal of it, actually.) Peter I introduced European culture into Russia, French culture in particular. It caught on extensively among the nobility, with a hint of it trickling down to bourgeoisie and none to peasants. As a result, a dual-language paradigm emerged. Upper classes and the government elite spoke primarily in French, which emerged as a lingua franca amongst themselves. While lower classes continued to speak in Russian, the country's official and day-to-day language. (Upper classes spoke in Russian when giving orders to servants, although the latter were expected to have a basic understanding of French.)

Last edited by MillennialUrbanist; 12-07-2016 at 07:58 AM..
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Old 12-07-2016, 07:53 AM
 
16,715 posts, read 19,355,889 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by education explorer View Post
Take it in stride is one possibility. Any more thoughts?

EdX
Another silly poll. It will never happen. Yawn.
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Old 12-07-2016, 09:07 AM
 
7,473 posts, read 3,999,209 times
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Originally Posted by education explorer View Post
Take it in stride is one possibility. Any more thoughts?

EdX

Continue to speak English only. I have a learning disability when it comes to learning a new language.
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Old 12-07-2016, 09:13 AM
 
Location: Tampa Bay`·.¸¸ ><((((º>.·´¯`·><((((º>
4,696 posts, read 7,874,748 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hindsight2020 View Post
this is some level 35 trolling. Congrats.
__________________
My mod posts will always be in red.
The Rules • Infractions & Deletions • Who's the moderator? • FAQ • What is a "Personal Attack" • What is "Trolling" • Guidelines for copyrighted material.
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Old 12-07-2016, 09:58 AM
eok
 
6,684 posts, read 4,232,392 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust View Post
I already speak Spanish, so I'd be fine. My poor hubby would stress out though.
Which syllables would he stress out?
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Old 12-07-2016, 10:07 AM
eok
 
6,684 posts, read 4,232,392 times
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I get the impression Spanish is actually easier to learn than English, and has some advantages over English. The main advantages English has are Shakespeare, Kipling, etc. If they hadn't written in English, Spanish would be just as good, or better. More phonetic, easier to understand in noise because the sounds are less subtle, etc. Being more phonetic is a huge advantage, not just for learning the language, but for learning, period. Kids could get a head start in school by having their native language, the language of the school, be phonetic. But I vote for English, because I'm an English bigot, in spite of all its disadvantages.
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Old 12-07-2016, 11:01 AM
 
Location: Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA
8,000 posts, read 7,354,956 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eok View Post
But I vote for English, because I'm an English bigot, in spite of all its disadvantages.
The world must also be made up of "English bigots", because that's the language of international business. And that's one HUGE advantage.
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Old 12-07-2016, 11:12 AM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,878 posts, read 74,938,731 times
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If you're going to explore education, start with learning how to word a poll.
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