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Old 10-04-2016, 10:07 PM
 
9,254 posts, read 3,559,042 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by long isle View Post
They make me warm and fuzzy inside. Just the right amount of European blood in the actors.
long isle for the win.
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Old 10-05-2016, 08:43 AM
 
5,480 posts, read 7,063,400 times
Reputation: 9588
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClarkStreetKid View Post
I hate having to pick either English or Spanish at the ATM.
Sometimes I do it in Chinese at City Bank
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Old 10-05-2016, 03:16 PM
 
1,084 posts, read 1,492,073 times
Reputation: 773
Im offended its not in Arabic.
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Old 10-06-2016, 04:47 AM
 
Location: Nesconset, NY
2,202 posts, read 4,311,146 times
Reputation: 2159
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cold Beverages View Post
...If you've ever traveled overseas, it's probably the only language, other than the local language, that you can speak and expect to be understood in some manner....
A common language binds us together as a society and enables us to accomplish more.
In most of the countries I've traveled, the "local" language tends to be more than one language.

Canada = English & Quebecois
UK = English, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Cornish
Luxembourg = French, German, Luxembourgish
Switzerland = French, German, Romansh, Italian

...you get the point.
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Old 10-06-2016, 11:26 PM
 
11,445 posts, read 10,415,302 times
Reputation: 6278
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cold Beverages View Post
They don't make me mad, they make me sad. English is the de facto standard language of business not only in this country, but throughout the world. If you've ever traveled overseas, it's probably the only language, other than the local language, that you can speak and expect to be understood in some manner.

It reminds me of my grandmother, whose English was very poor and who could not communicate effectively, even with her own grandchildren, watch most TV, or interact outside the home, limiting her worldly interactions to a select few people in her community.

A common language binds us together as a society and enables us to accomplish more.
I find that most immigrants in New York actually do speak at least some English
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Old 10-07-2016, 01:22 PM
 
Location: Huntington
1,214 posts, read 3,633,737 times
Reputation: 873
Quote:
Originally Posted by AfriqueNY View Post
I can speak and understand Spanish soooooooo I don't see the problemo.... Lol. Are we back to the "English only" thing again. ? Geeees. Americans really want to dumb down huh?
If I moved to France I would take it upon myself to learn to speak and understand French. I wouldn't expect the people of France to learn my language to make it easier for me. That's ridiculous. Instead I would make the effort to learn French.

If I moved to Greece I would take it upon myself to learn to speak and understand Greek. Again, I wouldn't expect the people of Greece to learn my language to make it easier for me. Instead I would make the effort to learn Greek.

Moving to a foreign country where the language is different from anyone's native language requires study, time and effort to learn the language of the country - not expecting the people of that country to learn someone else's language. That's the epitome of chutzpah.

It's not about Americans dumbing down, as you put it, and having to learn someone else's native language. It's about Spanish speaking people making the effort to learn the language of the country to where they've moved; in this case, English. If you can't understand that, well, looks like you're the one who's dumbed down.

Congratulations on being able to speak and understand Espanol - you're all set to move to a Spanish speaking country, to enjoy those boring Spanish Target commercials (ay carumba!), and best of all you can press numero dos and hear all the Espanol you want on automated customer service tapes! Wow! What an enriched life you lead!
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Old 10-07-2016, 01:33 PM
 
1,143 posts, read 1,528,354 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l1995 View Post
I find that most immigrants in New York actually do speak at least some English
I agree.
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Old 10-07-2016, 02:27 PM
 
Location: New Mexico
4,792 posts, read 2,779,279 times
Reputation: 4915
Default It's all Greek to me?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreaII View Post
...

Moving to a foreign country where the language is different from anyone's native language requires study, time and effort to learn the language of the country - not expecting the people of that country to learn someone else's language. That's the epitome of chutzpah.

It's not about Americans dumbing down, as you put it, and having to learn someone else's native language. It's about Spanish speaking people making the effort to learn the language of the country to where they've moved; in this case, English. If you can't understand that, well, looks like you're the one who's dumbed down.

...

So - does this mean that the Spanish & French & Dutch & English-speaking peoples who came to the New World learned the native languages? I recall that the French did well @ learning the languages/cultures, the Spanish tended to take young Native People & teach them Spanish language/customs. I don't remember anything specific about the Dutch in this regard. The English-speakers - seemed quite rejectionist about the Native Peoples' languages & cultures. Which is strange, because there must have been more Native Peoples than those of European descent in what is now the US up until the 1800s or so?


What's now the US wasn't as densely populated with Native People as the Valley of Mexico or the Maya complexes, but still, there must have been a good-sized population.
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Old 10-07-2016, 03:45 PM
 
11,590 posts, read 12,614,416 times
Reputation: 15713
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88 View Post
So - does this mean that the Spanish & French & Dutch & English-speaking peoples who came to the New World learned the native languages? I recall that the French did well @ learning the languages/cultures, the Spanish tended to take young Native People & teach them Spanish language/customs. I don't remember anything specific about the Dutch in this regard. The English-speakers - seemed quite rejectionist about the Native Peoples' languages & cultures. Which is strange, because there must have been more Native Peoples than those of European descent in what is now the US up until the 1800s or so?


What's now the US wasn't as densely populated with Native People as the Valley of Mexico or the Maya complexes, but still, there must have been a good-sized population.
This is not a good analogy because the Europeans viewed themselves as conquerors. They annexed the land for their home country. New York City was once called New Amsterdam.

The Native population was considerably decimated in the east by the time the original 13 colonies became the United States of America. After the Civil war, westward expansion happened very quickly, especially with the building of the transcontinental railroad. The population in the west by any type of people was relatively small. By 1880, Native Americans had pretty much lost the war and their children were being sent to boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their language.

A better example would be the Cherokees, many of whom voluntarily became very Anglo, intermarrying and attending American Colleges. Many managed to become very American middle-class, some rejecting Cherokee culture, others managing to hang on to some of it and blending the two cultures together. Imagine their shock of betrayal, when these people, who tried so hard to adopt their Conqueror's culture and language, many of whom who had a great deal of European blood through intermarriage, were thrown out of the US by Andrew Jackson and forced to move to a territory in the west (Arkansas).
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Old 10-07-2016, 03:48 PM
 
Location: SF Bay & Diamond Head
1,776 posts, read 1,863,835 times
Reputation: 1981
Si
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