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French or German just aren't as important in the United States as Spanish is.
Showing that you have little knowledge, if any, of languages. German is the language of absulteness, like having to do with math and the sciences. Yes, German is used quite a bit all around the world when it comes to maths and sciences.
Spanish is NOT important, except to those who refuse to learn English and assimilate. You are wrong once again. Spanish is not an important language anywhere in the world except by those who speak it. It has no importance to any math or science information at all and never will.
Spanish is the most useful second language in this country.
Read my post above. Spanish is not a useful language for those in the science or math information world. It is only useful to those that speak it and demand that others speak it because they are too damn lazy to learn English. English is spoken and used in most global business practices around the world, not Spanish.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charolastra00
The best time to learn foreign languages are as young children, so they should absolutely learn! In my local elementary schools, half teach French and half teach Spanish. There are not enough teachers or funds to teach both, but the theory is that if they start children learning a Romance language young, they can learn other ones later on. I started learning Spanish in school when I was 12 (and then you had a choice- wait to take a foreign language until highschool or start French or Spanish) and by that time it was far too late. It's taken me 9 years to get to a level of functional Spanish usage (including several months living in Mexico and a Spanish speaking internship for 2 months!), when I'm seeing the 10 year olds at the local elementary school speaking Spanish with less hesitation than I do! I might have stronger grammar and a larger vocabulary, but they all have better accents and will probably have no problem expanding that knowledge. I only took 2 years of French so I can't be sure, but I'm seeing similar stellar results among some of the elementary schoolers.
I wish there was an excess of French, German, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic teachers. I really do. My high school wanted to start a Chinese program and simply couldn't find enough teachers as they are in such high demand. That's just as much a part of the problem in foreign language education, not just the fact that Spanish is the most useful second language in this country.
You have a point there. Maybe children SHOULD learn a second language in elementary school. However, the language should not only be Spanish to accommodate illegals who refuse to learn English.
Read my post above. Spanish is not a useful language for those in the science or math information world. It is only useful to those that speak it and demand that others speak it because they are too damn lazy to learn English. English is spoken and used in most global business practices around the world, not Spanish.
My sentiments exactly. My son is very fluent in both English and French. His best friend of 15 years is American of mexican descent. Yet my son has never had any desire to learn spanish. Thus, all of their conversations are in English. I am fluent in English and learning Urdu as my second language OF CHOICE. Having spanish crammed down my throat, and having to press 2 for English has resulted in me finding the sound of spanish ear piercingly annoying.
What is it with Americans and their refusal to change and learn? Time never stands still and things will never remain exactly as they are now (or have been). Since the late 1800s the US has been a huge melting pot - possibly the biggest in the world? I can't think of another country with so many large enclaves of many different cultures. Naturally, Spanish is a big one due to our proximity to Mexico, Central America, and island nations like Puerto Rico and Cuba. I guess you can thank Spain's invasion for the spread of the Spanish language - 600 years ago it just wasn't here.
The Southwestern states and Florida have always had a large Hispanic/Spanish influence and bilinguality is very common. Don't like it? Don't live there! Being bilingual is only a bonus - so learn it! You'll be smarter because of it.
And I'm in no way supporting the infestation of illegal immigrants, the cause of which is the pot of gold offered by the US government in the form of free handouts. Don't like seeing unemployed Mexican women with five kids living off the dole? Blame the government first and take a stand instead of whining about Spanish.
What is it with Americans and their refusal to change and learn? Time never stands still and things will never remain exactly as they are now (or have been). Since the late 1800s the US has been a huge melting pot - possibly the biggest in the world? I can't think of another country with so many large enclaves of many different cultures. Naturally, Spanish is a big one due to our proximity to Mexico, Central America, and island nations like Puerto Rico and Cuba. I guess you can thank Spain's invasion for the spread of the Spanish language - 600 years ago it just wasn't here.
The Southwestern states and Florida have always had a large Hispanic/Spanish influence and bilinguality is very common. Don't like it? Don't live there! Being bilingual is only a bonus - so learn it! You'll be smarter because of it.
And I'm in no way supporting the infestation of illegal immigrants, the cause of which is the pot of gold offered by the US government in the form of free handouts. Don't like seeing unemployed Mexican women with five kids living off the dole? Blame the government first and take a stand instead of whining about Spanish.
And; the Spanish speakers are fading away due to more and more illegal aliens (most of whom happen to be Hispanic) returning to Mexico for a multitude of reasons.
Too: aside from Spain-------------all Hispanic countries are poor and weak. Why should the dominant culture submit to the subservient one? Till Latin America grows up-----------they will remain Third World. nations.
A little info. I lived in Mexico City 20 yrs ago. 1/2 block down the street was a grade school and they would toss their school work on the ground while going home.
Picked up a couple of papers to see what they had written...guess what...they were learning to print upper and lower case letters in ENGLISH. That was 20 yrs ago in Mexico City.
All American children should learn a 2nd language or even a 3rd language.
I speak Hungarian, English, some spanish, understand some Japanese, some Korean and wish I knew a lot more...not just to speak it every day...only as a personal satisfaction of knowing such in life.
Nothing like being in the public listening to some people speak with them not knowing you understand their conversation as you are caucasian. Steve
I never said America or Canada had any official languages, i just said they were primarily english speaking countries. I also want you to clarify who the "they" are in this scenario you are describing and what they gain from destroying America.
The "they" I speak of are the wealthy elite and the one worlders whose only agenda is the eventual adoption of a one world system. We are fast becoming the United States Inc., a place where the only thing that matters are profits for big corporations. The illegals are a large part of this plan. A group with no allegiance to this country. What better way to bring down a people than to dilute the populace with people who don't care about what this country stands for. Call it "tin foil hat" stuff if you wish, but the brutal truth is these people are out there and they do control this country. Always have. And the ruling families of the world do want just one thing. Absolute power and control. Not to say they will ever attain this goal, because history always shows us that when the common man is pushed to far we always rise up against the would be conquerors of the world. But that has never stopped them from trying.
Sorry Blacknight04...as a former Canuck do believe Canada is a Dual language country...English and French due to the vast number of French in Quebec. This was adopted in the last 2-3 yrs I believe. Someone please correct me as to the yr when it changed. Steve
Read my post above. Spanish is not a useful language for those in the science or math information world. It is only useful to those that speak it and demand that others speak it because they are too damn lazy to learn English. English is spoken and used in most global business practices around the world, not Spanish.
My boyfriend works for Google and because HE was too lazy to learn Spanish, he is not able to go to the Latin American offices because they do not want to furnish a translator. Most of his Latin colleagues do speak English- but why should they in their own country? He's an engineer in one of the most successful businesses out there who is losing out on opportunities because of his lack of Spanish. Similarly, my father works for a transnational company in IT and most of his American colleagues speak either Spanish or French and get a healthy bonus solely for their foreign language acquisition.
I have many friends in Mexico City, having lived there, and while most speak English (and often French) and work for transnational companies, if businessmen come to their office in DF, it is in VERY poor form for him or her to not speak Spanish- at least for the pleasantries. The meeting might be conducted in English, but anything social is in Spanish. I've heard (but not seen) similar things from friends in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Not all businesses do business in Latin America of course, but quite a few do and it's absolutely insane to expect them to speak English. And it's a lot harder to learn a foreign language on the demands of an employer once you're an adult. Once you learn ANY foreign language as a child, it makes it so much easier to learn a 3rd or 4th as an adult. That has certainly worked for me and I am conversational in French, Portuguese, and Icelandic on top of my Spanish knowledge.
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