English, the "National Language"

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by bily4

Americans are not dumber than the rest of the world. Supposedly English and some of the Asian languages are the most difficult languages of any to learn - and yet many in China and India speak excellent English, without any immersion programs. They just get started at a young age.

We need to have structured foreign language classes beginning in kindergarten instead of 9th grade. There are so many foreign language cable channels now, you can tune in and listen any time you want. Today it is a luxury; soon it will be a requirement for many fields. We need to get our kids with the program. English may not be the international business language of choice pretty soon.

Agree 100% -except about the last sentence. (I mean, if Chinese is so difficult, why would it become the language of choice?) But you are correct about getting kids to study languages when they are young. There's plenty of room in those litte language brain centers to hold more than English.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

If this were 1890, I'd agree with you. The British Empire laid down the foundation for the prevalence of the English language across the globe. However, it was the US' post-WWII economic dominance which solidified English as the language of international business.

The flavour of international English is tilted towards Received Pronunciation (RP) rather than American English. I hear CNN International anchors in a British (RP) influenced accent except for the rare appearance of an American. The BBC World News divides its evening news programme into two studios in the capitals of both important Anglophone countries, D.C. and London. The D.C. anchor usually speaks the RP influenced English instead of an American accent for some reason but the London anchor speaks standard (non RP) British English.

[Friendly blogger]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

You guys should take a deep breath. This country has always had influx of immigrants who speak other languages. English has always prevailed, to the point where now, it is the international language of business.

We're going to be okay. If pressing one is that big of a concern to you, I'd say you have bigger problems going on.

Remember the gospel (sorry to mention regligious scriptures but some of them are wise....) the tower of Babel? The lesson to be learned from that is that many speaking many languages can't get the job done. If each of us who speaks a different native language are going to work together to better a community, state or country then we need to "communicate ideas." Since many people from many countries come here legally and illegally....having an official national language is the way. And please don't bring up our immigrant parents. First, they were legal...we can see their names et cetera on the Ellis Island site. Second, they spoke their native language "in the house" but learned English in order to be understood outside of the home, in the workplace, in schools, hospitals and the like.
Our community has been invaded by three thousand Ecquadoreans who learned two words...."me free." And oh, they also learned "want interpreter....discrimination....interpreter."
Obama told Joe the Plumber, he was worried about the guy behind him....well I am worried about the illegal guy in front of me....at the grocery store with his WIC vouchers and welfare credit card and tons of food at the check out counter, while the Americans behind him and see the illegal invader's brood of welfare kids munching on the bags of goodies they opened along the aisles...and are in front...munching, laughing and taking their groceries out to their late model cars. They are in front of me at the hospital.. getting free care..travel vouchers to clinics.....where I have to present my health insurance card..and pay for parking...and they say...me free...want doctor...no nurse...want doctor...interpreter...me free. They are in front of me at the Pharmacy where they once again say...me free...while my husband and I 80 and 84 years old pay almost one hundred dollars per month just in co-pays....several hundred dollars for health insurance and three hundred a month for Medicare...and deductibles as well. Then I see them at the clothing super stores paying cash that they "earn" taking the landscaping, roofing jobs away from Americans who can't work under the table to support their families, pay their mortgages et cetera. These illegals need to learn English so they will understand the words....."go home" and come back the way our parents did...learn English the way our parents did....become citizens the way our parents did....that is...after entering the country legally....the way our parents did. The illegal young men laugh when we ask them if they registered for Selective Service....unlike what our parents told us....."America is a good country"...."this is the land that gave us existence.....save it for your children"....at home they said in their native language....but were proud to say it in English in the town square!
And if English is being spoken all over the world....then why is it such a big deal to require it here.....where people who speak a zillion other languages cross our borders without papers every day?

[JetJockey]

Originally Posted by Friendly blogger

Remember the gospel (sorry to mention regligious scriptures but some of them are wise....) the tower of Babel? The lesson to be learned from that is that many speaking many languages can't get the job done. If each of us who speaks a different native language are going to work together to better a community, state or country then we need to "communicate ideas." Since many people from many countries come here legally and illegally....having an official national language is the way. And please don't bring up our immigrant parents. First, they were legal...we can see their names et cetera on the Ellis Island site. Second, they spoke their native language "in the house" but learned English in order to be understood outside of the home, in the workplace, in schools, hospitals and the like.
Our community has been invaded by three thousand Ecquadoreans who learned two words...."me free." And oh, they also learned "want interpreter....discrimination....interpreter."
Obama told Joe the Plumber, he was worried about the guy behind him....well I am worried about the illegal guy in front of me....at the grocery store with his WIC vouchers and welfare credit card and tons of food at the check out counter, while the Americans behind him and see the illegal invader's brood of welfare kids munching on the bags of goodies they opened along the aisles...and are in front...munching, laughing and taking their groceries out to their late model cars. They are in front of me at the hospital.. getting free care..travel vouchers to clinics.....where I have to present my health insurance card..and pay for parking...and they say...me free...want doctor...no nurse...want doctor...interpreter...me free. They are in front of me at the Pharmacy where they once again say...me free...while my husband and I 80 and 84 years old pay almost one hundred dollars per month just in co-pays....several hundred dollars for health insurance and three hundred a month for Medicare...and deductibles as well. Then I see them at the clothing super stores paying cash that they "earn" taking the landscaping, roofing jobs away from Americans who can't work under the table to support their families, pay their mortgages et cetera. These illegals need to learn English so they will understand the words....."go home" and come back the way our parents did...learn English the way our parents did....become citizens the way our parents did....that is...after entering the country legally....the way our parents did. The illegal young men laugh when we ask them if they registered for Selective Service....unlike what our parents told us....."America is a good country"...."this is the land that gave us existence.....save it for your children"....at home they said in their native language....but were proud to say it in English in the town square!
And if English is being spoken all over the world....then why is it such a big deal to require it here.....where people who speak a zillion other languages cross our borders without papers every day?

Very nicely written I've been turned down for 3 jobs because I wasn't 'bi-lingual'. I can speak French, English, German and some Russian, but I'm not considered bi-lingual because I don't speak Spanish. I've been given dirty looks, had hand thrown up in frustration and been told I'm 'stupid' by spanish speaking persons because I couldn't understand them (I worked in a hardware store at the time). My grandparents came over here from Germany and learned English BEFORE they came over. They assimilated but still hold pride in their country, I was born in Germany but moved over to the US not long after I was born, and hold dual citizenship. I have pride in both my countries but I LIVE HERE, so I speak English. When I go to Germany, guess what? I speak German (even though many people over there speak English, unless they start I assume they don't) I don't demand english over there, why are they demanding spanish over here?

[CamaroGuy]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

Very nicely written I've been turned down for 3 jobs because I wasn't 'bi-lingual'. I can speak French, English, German and some Russian, but I'm not considered bi-lingual because I don't speak Spanish. I've been given dirty looks, had hand thrown up in frustration and been told I'm 'stupid' by spanish speaking persons because I couldn't understand them (I worked in a hardware store at the time). My grandparents came over here from Germany and learned English BEFORE they came over. They assimilated but still hold pride in their country, I was born in Germany but moved over to the US not long after I was born, and hold dual citizenship. I have pride in both my countries but I LIVE HERE, so I speak English. When I go to Germany, guess what? I speak German (even though many people over there speak English, unless they start I assume they don't) I don't demand english over there, why are they demanding spanish over here?

Bravo JetJockey!

[SandraMoore66]

Originally Posted by thelesleyshow

I was listening to John and Ken in the morning on AM radio and they were saying that in the future English will no longer be our national language because the mexicans are breeding at a faster rate than all other nationalities combined.

My daughter goes to public school and I was asked last year if I wanted her in an "all english" class....I couldn't believe my ears!

Very sad. Here in Houston there was controversy over a public school that is soley Hispanic speaking! An mother was turned down for the school because even though she had a Hispanic last name, her children did not speak Spanish.

[SandraMoore66]

For those of you who don't think illegal immigration is a problem...let me tell you about some of the changes happening here in Houston, TX:

1) Almost half our billboards are now either in ALL Spanish or combination English/Spanish.
2) Many job openings that are posted require you to be Bilingual.
3) I walked into a Payless the other day and the entire store is in Spanish. No English signs at all.
4) I was in Target a month ago and other the loud speaker the entire message was in Spanish, nothing followed up in English.
5) Our local Pizza Hut, no one can speak English not even the manager!
6) Heaven help you if you have an emergency...it can take anywhere from 5 hours to a day to get treatment.
6) Parking signs are in Spanish
7) Some of our public schools are "Spanish speaking only" schools.

[StarVoter]

Originally Posted by thelesleyshow

I was listening to John and Ken in the morning on AM radio and they were saying that in the future English will no longer be our national language because the mexicans are breeding at a faster rate than all other nationalities combined.

My daughter goes to public school and I was asked last year if I wanted her in an "all english" class....I couldn't believe my ears!

Ok..I have a solution. Lets stop arguing in these threads and start BREEDING more. If we breed more than mexicans, we will be OK.

[11thHour]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

Very nicely written I've been turned down for 3 jobs because I wasn't 'bi-lingual'. I can speak French, English, German and some Russian, but I'm not considered bi-lingual because I don't speak Spanish. I've been given dirty looks, had hand thrown up in frustration and been told I'm 'stupid' by spanish speaking persons because I couldn't understand them (I worked in a hardware store at the time). My grandparents came over here from Germany and learned English BEFORE they came over. They assimilated but still hold pride in their country, I was born in Germany but moved over to the US not long after I was born, and hold dual citizenship. I have pride in both my countries but I LIVE HERE, so I speak English. When I go to Germany, guess what? I speak German (even though many people over there speak English, unless they start I assume they don't) I don't demand english over there, why are they demanding spanish over here?

I haven't been turned down by jobs for this (English is the required language for my occupation), but my wife has run into problems with jobs for not knowing Spanish - especially when we lived in Houston. We are both bilingual English/French. 9 times out of 10 the jobs specified 'bilingual', then she'd interview and they'd balk at her being bilingual, but not knowing Spanish.

I'm tired of it - they (Spanish speakers against making English official) want special treatment and it must end. Having separate languages spoken is divisive. There needs to be an official language - it just makes sense. Speak whatever you want - but I honestly think that as a citizen of this country you MUST know conversational English at a minimum.

[Friendly blogger]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

Very nicely written I've been turned down for 3 jobs because I wasn't 'bi-lingual'. I can speak French, English, German and some Russian, but I'm not considered bi-lingual because I don't speak Spanish. I've been given dirty looks, had hand thrown up in frustration and been told I'm 'stupid' by spanish speaking persons because I couldn't understand them (I worked in a hardware store at the time). My grandparents came over here from Germany and learned English BEFORE they came over. They assimilated but still hold pride in their country, I was born in Germany but moved over to the US not long after I was born, and hold dual citizenship. I have pride in both my countries but I LIVE HERE, so I speak English. When I go to Germany, guess what? I speak German (even though many people over there speak English, unless they start I assume they don't) I don't demand english over there, why are they demanding spanish over here?

Exactly. Speaking English will unite all of us.