[psouth]

Originally Posted by lolitazz

I think Portuguese is a waste of time if you already speak Spanish, since both languages are very similar, unless you plan to travel to Brazil often. All you have to do is learn a few words and speak Spanish with a Brazilian accent, and I guarantee you, you will be understood much more. They won't get insulted, they will be glad they can understand you. When you have to communicate, you will do anything, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Been there, done that.

I would try a different language like German, Chinese or Arabic

All the people I know that are from S. America cannot speak or understand Portugese at all. It is totally different.

[Doctor Octagon]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

English is our language and if you want to live in America you need to learn our language. Not us learn yours or theirs.

Teach them to speak and learn English. If they want to communicate with me in any way I want it done in English.

If you speak to be in anything else I wont listen. Plain and simple.

Now I can see posters coming at me about what I said, you know what I don't give a rats butt, English is our language and that final.

I walked into a gas station in south Florida and could not find a single person to speak English in the entire place. Ridiculous! Learn our language or go home. Its not my job to learn someone elses.

Go to China, do you think they are learning english to benefit us? No. Do you see Spanish signs or English signs in China? No.

I totally agree. But if you are moving to FL, you may become very frustrated with this issue.

[Doctor Octagon]

Originally Posted by OrlandoRE_Miracle

People should learn English when they move here but the reality on the ground is they often don't. Florida is changing and people who move here from other parts of the US need to go with the flow here, or risk being miserable. Avoiding people who speak little or no English will be very hard in some parts of this state.

EXACTLY! This is what I was letting Sunny Days 90 know about FL.

[TANaples]

Immokalee has a large number of migrant farm workers who do not speak English. If you work in the school district in that area, even some in Naples proper, many positions state you must either speak Spanish or Creole.

[mango23]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

It is nice to have the knowledge or them to add to your base but I will never stop believing that English is our language and they need to learn English if they are going to live here.

Nice she knows 5 languages, give her credit for that but I still would like to see nothing but English spoken and read in the US.

English is our language, who said it wasn't. I am amazed at how fast they learn English even after being here for very short times. If you go to areas of Miami you will hear Spanish but most younger people can speak fine English. That language thing in South Florida is becoming almost a sad cliché many haters don't want to let go of as a talking point. Most love speaking English and can't wait to show it off. Sadly I can't speak any Spanish or I would love to speak it with them.
I can't get past you saying "I still would like to see nothing but English spoken and read in the US".
My wife and I used to travel in Europe quite a bit and when ever they knew you were an American they switched to English.
If you go to Luxembourg and are in a store, you will see a cashier carrying on conversations in half a dozen languages at the same time with different people. Americans seem to be the only non bilingual country in the world. It is as if they are too dumb to learn another language.
It has nothing to do with an official language, English is our Language and people learn it when they come here allmost universally. It may be with an accent but it will be English. Of course that is not good enough for some, they have to now attack the accent. Hate does not go away easily, people cling to it.

[Lilybeans]

Originally Posted by mango23

If you go to Luxembourg and are in a store, you will see a cashier carrying on conversations in half a dozen languages at the same time with different people. Americans seem to be the only non bilingual country in the world.

That's because the countries in Europe are small and you can get across them in less than a day. To compare it to the US, you would have to assume each state had a different language. If that was the case, knowledge of multiple languages would be required.

[mango23]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

That's because the countries in Europe are small and you can get across them in less than a day. To compare it to the US, you would have to assume each state had a different language. If that was the case, knowledge of multiple languages would be required.

My point was languages are not very hard to learn. Most who come here to live "Do" learn English, surprisingly fast. If two spanish speaking people want to talk to each other in their language what business it that of someone else.
The poster I responded to actually commented they don't think anyone should in the US speak any language but English. The "If they want to be in this country they should learn the language", is one of the favorite speaking points the bigots have. People can speak any language they want. It is in their own best interest to learn English and most all do. Like I said, then the haters make fun of their accents. Their new favorite comments is to call anyone who is from somewhere "illegals". They just have such a hard time containing their personal hatreds they can't even be rational.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by mango23

That language thing in South Florida is becoming almost a sad cliché many haters don't want to let go of as a talking point.

This isn't ALWAYS the case, but I tend to agree with this statement.

[mango23]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

This isn't ALWAYS the case, but I tend to agree with this statement.

Many of the families have been here for a generation now. Many are naturalized Americans or American because they were born here.

[bdpop]

I don't have a problem with people speaking a foreign language, such as Spanish. It is when I have to speak that foreign language (usually Spanish), in order to get a job in my own country, that I have a problem. I should not have to learn a foreign language just to get a job.