Does one have to know Spanish to live in Miami? (schools, gated communities)

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by TannerMan

I strongly doubt an 8 year old hispanic american born child would not know english. If an 8 year old immigrant children learn english within months of starting school and eventually speak english more and better than spanish. Once kids start school they learn at an amazing pace, Ive personally seen kids born in South America move here when they were five and today at the age of 7 speaks more english than spanish.

That is very true. Few months is all it takes, even if Spanish is spoken at home. Home is no competition for the other kids, tv, games, malls, etc.
This is where I think parents have to insist on Spanish only at home if they want the kid to maintain his/her "bilingualism" which, BTW, I am a firm believer of multilinguism.

[Marlin331]

Thanks Tanner and Vpcats. People truly don't know what they're talking about if they think that 8 year old American-born and raised children in Miami-Dade don't speak English. What language is spoken on the playground, in the classroom, in the hallways, on the baseball field, and at the mall, even when a school is 95% "Hispanic" ? English. Being in the presence of other young people is the ultimate way to assimilate and to propel English-language acquisition.

Assimilation is so strong that I would tell a young couple to try to speak Spanish to their child at home because honestly, that is one of the only ways to make sure your child is truly bilingual. English is a given, Spanish is all-too-often forgotten, even by children whose grandparents/parents speak Spanish at home. Children not knowing English is an absolute non-issue in Miami-Dade. I would be shocked to hear that even 1% of 8 year olds who were born and raised in Miami speak little to no English.

[Miami Vice]

Some people just love to exaggerate.

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by sav858

I was thinking Miami Beach maybe around South Beach. I don't know much about Miami so I'm just kind of sticking to the popular well known areas. I just want to live in an active neighborhood where things are close by and it's not too quiet or suburban. If anyone can recommend some areas that'd be nice too. Not looking to live in the ghetto or where everyone is am immigrant.

Southbeach is a good area for non-Spanish speaking people. I live in Southbeach and don't speak Spanish at all. Though I am not latin in any sense of the word, people often mistake me for being Cuban. So, from time to time, I am greeted in Spanish until I notify them that I don't speak Spanish. I am guessing that you, appearing fully latin (by your admission), will encounter that situation more than I do.
In the end, you will be able to function fully with English only on the "Beach". In fact, it's probably the only language where one can fully function on the beach in every circumstance. Afterall, and contrary to what others might lead you to believe, it still is the United States. :-)

Although others are correct in terms of describing Miami as full of immigrants (isn't everywhere in America like this to a certain extent?), I don't perceive it to be negative or overwhelming. You will hear English spoken with accents from South America, the Carribean, France, Italy, Russia etc. That said, you won't see much diversity in culture when it comes to Asian influence. Miami's Indian, Chinese, Japanese, etc. influence is really quite limited compared to other areas in the country. This is especially true when compared to California.

[MoverandShaker2004]

If all this is true, why are there schools, not classes, that are taught in SPANISH. There is one off of 8th street and the Turnpike, and it is quite large. Maybe you guys live in the gated communities, so let me educate you by saying that I have seen the poorest of Miami's inhabitants on a daily basis for the last two years. It is true, I saw an 8-10 year old boy last week who could not speak English, as I tried to speak to him in English.

If I am exaggerating, name me one other U.S. city where English prevalence is as low as Miami-Dade's or the City of Miami. Let's see it!

[Marlin331]

How did you know that the boy hadn't just arrived in the US? Did someone tell you that he was born and raised in Miami? If not, this sounds like when people hear Spanish being spoken and jump to the conclusion that they're illegal immigrants.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by MoverandShaker2004

If all this is true, why are there schools, not classes, that are taught in SPANISH.

Even Cooper City High School has classes taught in Spanish. They even have classes taught in Spanish in Iowa. Spanish class that is.

[sav858]

There are young american-born kids in this country who do not know english. I've seen 10 years olds and even teenagers, 15 years old, all american born that barely know any english in parts of Los Angeles. Kids whose parents have been here 20+ years and no one in the family can speak english fluently. Of course this is the exception rather than the norm and I am talking about Los Angeles and not Miami since I don't live in South Florida, but I'm just saying there are kids out there like that. When you basically don't ever leave a heavily immigrant spanish speaking neighborhood it's kind of hard to learn english, especially when everyone in your school speaks it. There are people in Los Angeles that have never been to the beach, now imagine that.

[Miami Vice]

Originally Posted by sav858

There are young american-born kids in this country who do not know english. I've seen 10 years olds and even teenagers, 15 years old, all american born that barely know any english in parts of Los Angeles. Kids whose parents have been here 20+ years and no one in the family can speak english fluently. Of course this is the exception rather than the norm and I am talking about Los Angeles and not Miami since I don't live in South Florida, but I'm just saying there are kids out there like that. When you basically don't ever leave a heavily immigrant spanish speaking neighborhood it's kind of hard to learn english, especially when everyone in your school speaks it. There are people in Los Angeles that have never been to the beach, now imagine that.

Wow, I've never seen that and I work with the public. Usually when kids go to school here, they drop their spanish.

[Marlin331]

Kids who go to school learn English. In the odd cases where a child born and raised in the US doesn't know English, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the child was "home schooled" and not given exposure to other children his age..