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Never heard English was easy. We have many meanings for same sounding words that have different definitions, and various spellings and foreigners are the ones who found it hard along with many americans. It is a confusing language compared to others.
It would be very hard to argue that English is not difficult compared to Spanish and other Romance Languages. Inconsistent rules, buckets of exceptions, pieces derived from so many different places...
Anyone who has ever helped someone learning English has certainly found themselves in the exasperating situation of having to repeatedly say "well... it's that way... because that's just how it is."
Spanish, for example, certainly has it's exceptions and idiosyncrasies, but at least it plays by its own rules most of the time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimj
Drivers license forms in 20 languages? Sure, no problemo even though all road signs and directions are in guess what language?
Voting forms and every other city/state/federal form in every know dialect of any language ever known?
Sure, why should you have to be able to read English in a land where English is the primary language?
In many places where English is not the primary spoken language, you will find all kinds of signs, forms, menus, etc translated into English for the convenience of English speakers who don't understand the primary language spoken there.
By your own logic you would seem to be against this. Are you?
When have you ever visited another country and expected them to know YOUR language?
Unfortunately, American tourists are notorious enough for doing exactly that that they've managed to create a stereotype in many places.
Also, it is amazing how many people around the world speak at least basic English. In places where US tourism and/or business travel is common even more so, even more so still for folks in the hospitality industry.
It would be very hard to argue that English is not difficult compared to Spanish and other Romance Languages. Inconsistent rules, buckets of exceptions, pieces derived from so many different places...
Anyone who has ever helped someone learning English has certainly found themselves in the exasperating situation of having to repeatedly say "well... it's that way... because that's just how it is."
Spanish, for example, certainly has it's exceptions and idiosyncrasies, but at least it plays by its own rules most of the time.
In many places where English is not the primary spoken language, you will find all kinds of signs, forms, menus, etc translated into English for the convenience of English speakers who don't understand the primary language spoken there.
By your own logic you would seem to be against this. Are you?
I've been to both Quebec and Mexico, and certainly didn't expect the locals to cater to me. I did the best I could with their languages.
The real issue here is that these people expect english only people to learn their language. When have you ever visited another country and expected them to know YOUR language?
"These people"? Did the woman in the article say that she expected anyone to know Spanish? She was talking to her family over some pancakes.
Why is it that this woman and her family are named in this article, yet the ignorant cowardly troublemaker who called her out is left nameless? The wrong person is getting the publicity here - especially since the lady speaking Spanish says she was embarrassed.
The woman who was so bold as to insult another family enjoying their meal should stand up and take her accolades or lumps (I suspect it will be far more of the latter).
First, when I was a kid, I was told/taught that it's extremely rude for someone who knows English to speak a foreign language in the presence of someone who does not understand it. I agree with that. Oddly enough, while I lived in two areas where Hispanics were the majority, everybody but recent immigrants spoke English in general usage.
Second, I wasn't paying much attention years ago when I read America is becoming a bilingual nation. Didn't pay attention when Spanish started popping up on voter forms, etc., either. The first I ever really noticed was not long ago when posters in laundry room showed up with both English and Spanish translations- in a state that is said to have only 5.5% of the population as Hispanic.
Third, my personal beef on the topic: years ago, when my youngest was attending a public elementary school in the United States, she was ridiculed, harassed, and virtually bullied by school staff because everyday life in the school was conducted in Spanish and she only spoke English. It was SO extreme that I took her out of school and home-schooled her. And frankly, I didn't think that type of situation was right.
There is a lot of talk about embracing our new multiracial and multicultural reality but you need a common language to bind people together. Without a common language you cannot find common ground with people because there cannot be any communication...or at least it is made much more difficult. In the past we had mass immigration from people who spoke many different languages, and although they would group together and speak their own language with each other, in order for all of these communities to communicate with each other they had to learn English. Now we have mass immigration, legal and otherwise, mostly from groups of people from different countries that tend to speak the same language. These groups don't need to learn the common language of America to communicate with each other because they already share their own common language. They can even get their handouts from officials who speak their language.
This is only going to serve to create divisions with people and make it that much more difficult for people to come together and "embrace the diversity". And just how much diversity are you getting when such a large percentage of the newcomers belong to basically the same or very similar cultures? It's more of a displacement than a diversification in many areas of the country. In theory that is not the intention but sometimes you have to wonder.
I don't understand all the people insisting on the mantra "they are immigrant then they should learn the language (which she did)".
The Latina woman spoke English, she just spoke her mother tongue in private, what's the matter with all people?
Are suddenly the US a nation of eavesdroppers?
In private I can speak whatever I want, until it doesn't regard you.
I speak a foreign language when out and about all of the time, even though English is my native language. If someone does not like it, too damn bad for them, I do not care, and they should really keep out of my business as I was not talking to them.
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omg english please 