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First off, the question was "is knowing Spanish a useful skill?" and the answer is yes. It is in your personal opinion that Latinos should assimilate and learn English when they come here... but that has nothing to do with the question. Regardless of what you think, knowing Spanish will still give many opportunities.
Also, one of the great things about living in a country like the United States is living in a country where we are free enough to speak whichever language we want. I think it's so sad to see people who want to dictate everyone's life, all the way down to the language they speak and how they act. This country was based on freedom, and people like you can't get enough until the government controls every tiny aspect of our lives.
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I agree with you completely, and I wish I had learned multiple languages. Congrats on the job opportunities you have rightfully gotten access to.
Again, the topic is Spanish not other foreign languages and whether or not they would be of value to most Americans. The answer however is no.
The OP did not ask if Spanish "would be of value", he asked if it "will become essential". I don't think it will become essential, but I think it is of huge value.
The OP did not ask if Spanish "would be of value", he asked if it "will become essential". I don't think it will become essential, but I think it is of huge value.
You misunderstood my post. I was replying to someone that claimed that learning foreign languages in general is of value to Americans. My reply was this topic is only about Spanish not whether or not "other" foreign languages are of value. While learning Spanish may be of huge value to those who wish to pander it puts others who don't wish to do that and shouldn't have to just to get a job, at a disadvantage. No other foreign language speakers are catered to in their native languages past or present anywhere near as Spanish speakers are.
You misunderstood my post. I was replying to someone that claimed that learning foreign languages in general is of value to Americans. My reply was this topic is only about Spanish not whether or not "other" foreign languages are of value. While learning Spanish may be of huge value to those who wish to pander it puts others who don't wish to do that and shouldn't have to just to get a job, at a disadvantage. No other foreign language speakers are catered to in their native languages past or present anywhere near as Spanish speakers are.
That is because we live in a hemisphere dominated by spanish speaking people. Hence, the majority who come to our nation speak the same language as most in the hemisphere. Business caters to large blocks of revenue, Thank God, as that maintains jobs en masse.
Any job that has to do with dealing with the public demands one be bi-lingual in English and Spanish here in the southwest. I am sure it is true of Miami also. Another example is the construction industry which Spanish speakers have taken over (many if not most here illegally).
You don't have to tell me that employers will do anything to pander for bucks to those who are either too lazy to learn English or too stubborn to speak it even thought they know English. In the end it creates discrimination against native English speakers in their hiring practices.
It's not pandering, it's making the sale. If the sale required Yiddish, or Latin (the old common language for the educated), or Martian - it's all Show Biz now - & the thing about a service economy, is that it's all distinguishing your product/service from the next guy's. So if the next guy doesn't speak the customer's native language and you do - or have people who do - then you're likelier to make the sale. It's been Show Biz - the mentality, if not the actuality - since at least the end of WWII.
We abandoned the cities, took the saved-up capital to buy and subdivide lots in suburbs - attached garages, white-picket fences, the lot. We've allowed a lot of manufacturing to go overseas, we exalt the mass media taste, the art of the deal. It's a little late to be protesting the rules of the game, when the game is now embedded everywhere.
Tell me, When was the last time you saw a homely politician? or newscaster? or opera singer? If you have, it was likely ages ago, when talent counted for more than it apparently does now.
As for discrimination - we're supposed to be go-getters, not sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves. If a native English speaker can't read or talk or write rings around a second or third-language learner, there's something wrong there. And it's not that the new English learner is necessarily brilliant - more than likely he or she is willing to work and work and work at the language - just out of sheer necessity. And language acquisition is like a lot of things in life - past the basics, the more effort you put into it, the more return you get out of it. One of those simple truisms, but if entire families and extended families practice that kind of focused pursuit of a goal - then they can do wonders. And so could we.
Last edited by southwest88; 08-24-2014 at 08:27 PM..
Reason: add
It's not pandering, it's making the sale. If the sale required Yiddish, or Latin (the old common language for the educated), or Martian - it's all Show Biz now - & the thing about a service economy, is that it's all distinguishing your product/service from the next guy's. So if the next guy doesn't speak the customer's native language and you do - or have people who do - then you're likelier to make the sale. It's been Show Biz - the mentality, if not the actuality - since at least the end of WWII.
We abandoned the cities, took the saved-up capital to buy and subdivide lots in suburbs - attached garages, white-picket fences, the lot. We've allowed a lot of manufacturing to go overseas, we exalt the mass media taste, the art of the deal. It's a little late to be protesting the rules of the game, when the game is now embedded everywhere.
Tell me, When was the last time you saw a homely politician? or newscaster? or opera singer? If you have, it was likely ages ago, when talent counted for more than it apparently does now.
As for discrimination - we're supposed to be go-getters, not sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves. If a native English speaker can't read or talk or write rings around a second or third-language learner, there's something wrong there. And it's not that the new English learner is necessarily brilliant - more than likely he or she is willing to work and work and work at the language - just out of sheer necessity. And language acquisition is like a lot of things in life - past the basics, the more effort you put into it, the more return you get out of it. One of those simple truisms, but if entire families and extended families practice that kind of focused pursuit of a goal - then they can do wonders. And so could we.
I see, so you are also one who thinks that native English speakers should learn Spanish to pander (yes pander!) to illegal aliens and other unassimilaltiing Spanish speakers. Gotcha! No pandering to other immigrants groups though, right? Otherwise you would be suggesting that we learn a dozen other foreign languages to accommodate newcomers. The host country should assimilate to immigrants not the other way around. Gotcha! It's ok for businesses to pander to illegal aliens by discriminating against non-Spanish speaking Americans in their hiring practices just as long as they make a buck. Patriotism? Gotcha!
Probably not for all Americans. It's reasonable for Spanish to have prominence in native Spanish parts of the nation that were originally colonized by Spaniards. Primarily the Southwest.
I see, so you are also one who thinks that native English speakers should learn Spanish to pander (yes pander!) to illegal aliens and other unassimilaltiing Spanish speakers. Gotcha! No pandering to other immigrants groups though, right? Otherwise you would be suggesting that we learn a dozen other foreign languages to accommodate newcomers. The host country should assimilate to immigrants not the other way around. Gotcha! It's ok for businesses to pander to illegal aliens by discriminating against non-Spanish speaking Americans in their hiring practices just as long as they make a buck. Patriotism? Gotcha!
So when Bank of America was created so that Italian immigrants had a place to do their banking, that was also pandering? I see it as filling a void in the market.
While you're Googling the history of Bank of America, perhaps you might also want to Google Will Rodgers, who said, "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."
I see, so you are also one who thinks that native English speakers should learn Spanish to pander (yes pander!) to illegal aliens and other unassimilaltiing Spanish speakers. Gotcha! No pandering to other immigrants groups though, right? Otherwise you would be suggesting that we learn a dozen other foreign languages to accommodate newcomers. The host country should assimilate to immigrants not the other way around. Gotcha! It's ok for businesses to pander to illegal aliens by discriminating against non-Spanish speaking Americans in their hiring practices just as long as they make a buck. Patriotism? Gotcha!
Adapting policies to increase profits is neither pandering, nor discriminatory.
Now had they chosen the 25th most spoken language instead of the 2nd most, you'd have a point.
Adapting policies to increase profits is neither pandering, nor discriminatory.
Now had they chosen the 25th most spoken language instead of the 2nd most, you'd have a point.
Yes.
Incidently, the primary second language "pandered to" by my Fortune 50 company is Polish. Second is Chinese. Spanish is only third. It all depends on the market they choose to develop.
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The art of the possible
