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I am learning Spanish because I want to help people who have trouble learning English.
My girlfriend was an ESL teacher in Malasia for two years, and she said that learning English is very, very difficult and not an overnight process. So, I don't expect our friends from the South to learn English that quickly. When I was trying to get into the peace corps after college, I was fully expecting to have to learn another language on the double (quickly), and the prospect was rather daunting.
I figure that it's worth it to learn as much as I can about the world and the people that inhabit it. When I was completing my undergraduate studies, I did not take up as many study abroad programs as I would have liked, and now that I am in graduate school and working full time, I will probably not have the option to explore the world for a long time. So in the meantime, I would like to strengthen my worldliness at home so that I can assist our newcomers.
And, being mad at them and refusing to learn their language won't make them go away. Back where I am from in NYC, there are plenty of Italians, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. who use their own language in everyday society and it works fine.
If you come to Los Angeles, you can feel like you are in a different country just by driving a few miles away. Someone once pointed out that, around here, you can spend a whole day speaking nothing but Spanish then you can turn around and spend the next day speaking nothing but Korean. Gives you lots of time to practice different languages! I think LA and NYC share that in common but most of the rest of the country doesn't.
I personally like it because it gives me a chance to learn new things too. And I feel like I'm on vacation when I drive a few miles away!
Yes, of course...English is not one of the "five" basic Romance languages, (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian for those who are unsure) and it is not categorized as such, but it is derived from the Romance languages. Modern English cannot be, by any theory of linguistic study, be categorized as a strictly Germanic language. Old English however, can be.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to exercise my Linguistic Anthropology courses. Because my degree is in Physical Anthropology, I rarely use what I learned in Linguistics.
Kele, I never said English is a purely Germanic language; I am aware of the strong influence Latin and other languages have had on modern-day English; nonetheless, English is only derived partially from Latin, which is why it is not considered a Romance language.
Kele, I never said English is a purely Germanic language; I am aware of the strong influence Latin and other languages have had on modern-day English; nonetheless, English is only derived partially from Latin, which is why it is not considered a Romance language.
I'm sick to death of dealing with employees that can't speak English when I'm trying to place an order at a fast food restaurant. Just today (One of many) I went to Baja Fresh and not one person could speak English. My order was screwed up twice in a row. I was trying to order a bean and cheese burrito with guacamole.
The first thing I got was a guacamole burrito (Yuck!). The second thing I got was a burrito with just beans. What makes matters worse is that even with my frustration there was no one there to understand my complaint, so there is nothing I could do but walk away.
I did file a complaint with the company online and I would suggest to everybody that has this problem to do the same. Anytime you can't communicate effectively with an employee of "any business" take the time to file a complaint and tell them that you will never give them your business again.
I really think Americans need to grow some balls and stand up to these companies. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and I can tell you from personal observation over the years that any time the Spanish speaking community starts getting a foot hold on a neighborhood the quality of life in that area goes down. Nice shopping centers disappear, dollar stores spring up, all the walls become filled with graffiti, check cashing marts spring up, and banks work behind bullet proof glass. This isn't just my opinion it is fact. All you have to do is look.
Well, I just started teaching myself Spanish (from a CD course) out of self preservation because more and more of the trades (lawn maintenance, construction, home improvement) are hiring workers who speak only Spanish and I want to be able to (a) make myself understood directly to the people doing the job, and (b) understand what they are saying amongst themselves.
If those guys working on my roof make a mistake and start talking in Spanish about what got screwed up and if/how they should try and fix it or just cover it up with me being none the wiser, well, I want know what's being said! Especially effective if they don't have a clue that this middle-aged white lady in an all-white neighborhood understands Spanish.
IMHO no one should be required to learn Spanish but there are more and more situations nowadays where knowing it would give us an advantage over someone who does not. Either work or just everyday living.
Maybe people should make sure their workers on their job speak ENGLISH rather than hiring a company who sends out a bunch of illegals to do the work eh? I REFUSE to give a job to ANY company who employs illegals. I had a company bid to do the foundation on my house and I gave them the contract... UNTIL, the crew showed up and they were all illegals except the foreman, who spoke both Spanish and English, and I fired them on the spot. When asked why, I said I didn't contract to pay illegals to do an American Citizens job. I also reported the company to the BBB, and INS.
I'm sick to death of dealing with employees that can't speak English when I'm trying to place an order at a fast food restaurant. Just today (One of many) I went to Baja Fresh and not one person could speak English. My order was screwed up twice in a row. I was trying to order a bean and cheese burrito with guacamole.
The first thing I got was a guacamole burrito (Yuck!). The second thing I got was a burrito with just beans. What makes matters worse is that even with my frustration there was no one there to understand my complaint, so there is nothing I could do but walk away.
I did file a complaint with the company online and I would suggest to everybody that has this problem to do the same. Anytime you can't communicate effectively with an employee of "any business" take the time to file a complaint and tell them that you will never give them your business again.
I really think Americans need to grow some balls and stand up to these companies. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and I can tell you from personal observation over the years that any time the Spanish speaking community starts getting a foot hold on a neighborhood the quality of life in that area goes down. Nice shopping centers disappear, dollar stores spring up, all the walls become filled with graffiti, check cashing marts spring up, and banks work behind bullet proof glass. This isn't just my opinion it is fact. All you have to do is look.
Your experience is one that i don't miss from southern california! You are absolutely right when you say that fast food places hire nothing but the cheapest non-skilled that they can find. In San Antonio, it is a pleasant surprise that american teenagers are doing those jobs over here. They are also working at carwashes, pizza delivery,etc. I guess that i'll enjoy it while i can. At least if you complain enough, you might get some free food out of it
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No speak English
