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Christopher Columbus was Italian, not Spanish. I am not ignoring that Mexican Spanish is spoken here and true Spanish was spoken in the past but it is not "our" second language. Who decided that?
It is the Mexican version of the Spanish language and culture that is prevelant in the southwest as you said, not the "true Spaniard culture and language" because Mexicans are only half Spaniard and Native Indian. So in that vein, no Spanish is not our second language. I am well aware that true Spanish is from Europe (Spain). Your point is?
As I said, Mexican Spanish is only spoken with any frequency in a half dozen southwestern states. In the rest of the country it is not. The only reason it is spoken with frequency in the southwest is mostly due to illegal aliens from Mexico.
Christopher Columbus was Italian, not Spanish. I am not ignoring that Mexican Spanish is spoken here and true Spanish was spoken in the past but it is not "our" second language. Who decided that?
It is the Mexican version of the Spanish language and culture that is prevelant in the southwest as you said, not the "true Spaniard culture and language" because Mexicans are only half Spaniard and Native Indian. So in that vein, no Spanish is not our second language. I am well aware that true Spanish is from Europe (Spain). Your point is?
As I said, Mexican Spanish is only spoken with any frequency in a half dozen southwestern states. In the rest of the country it is not. The only reason it is spoken with frequency in the southwest is mostly due to illegal aliens from Mexico.
Cristoforo Colombo, aka Cristobal Colon, aka Christopher Colombus, was indeed born in Italy, however all his exploration was under the Spanish flag, he was not anyway the first european settleling in the USA that was Juan Ponce de Leon from Spain, another huge mistake is to divide Spanish by regions, it is all "castellano", each region uses some regional sustastantives (nouns, or names), just like it happens here in the USA, where different words may be used in the south, appalachia, west, north-east etc., in fact there are huge Spanish TV networks in the USA, Univision and Telemundo among others, that use the "standard" words that everyone understands, these networks ensure the stability and permanency of the language.....
English is a hard language to learn, its true but Spanish and English have a lot of similiarites that should make it easier for the Spanish 'immigrant' to learn then say an immigrant from the Sudan -- who somehow manage to learn English even though their native language has no similiarities at all.
Sudanese people speak English already. They were colonized by the British. They speak both languages, their native tongue and English.
Sudanese people speak English already. They were colonized by the British. They speak both languages, their native tongue and English.
I agree that immigrants should learn English.
That makes sense.....but then there are a lot of Indian immigrants where I live who all speak English. Of course, they are highly educated and India was also once colonized by the Brittish. Then there are the Koreans - another immigrant group that populates my part of town. They also have learned English.
Look, I understand that not all immigrants are going to learn English anymore then all immigrants to say France are going to be able to speak that language. I give a linguistic pass to the elderly who will most likely never learn a new language and thats OK.
I also don't care if someone speaks with an accent or with pronouncing errors. I'll I care about is that they try - that they try to assimiliate, that their desire to come to the US is not just to get some easy money but to become American citizens in every sense of the word.
Why Spanish? Again; it is not an important language outside of either Spain or Latin America.
Face it: combined; I strongly doubt that all of Spanish speaking Latin America equal the USA in economic power. Add in mostly English speaking Canada and there would be no contest.
This is what I meant with ignorant people like you: did you know that is Spanish and not English the most SPOKEN language in the western hemisphere?!!!
If it wasn't important, then HOW THE HELL IS THE MOST SPOKEN?! AND WHY IT HAD A HIGHER NUMBER OF NATIVE SPEAKERS?!!
If you live in the US, just learn both languages. Spanish is super easy!
Nobody in Europe complains about knowing three or four different languages.
Spanish is already our second language. (America is written in Spanish, many of our states and cities too, the language is widely spoken in many areas, etc)
English will always be our main language (we shouldn´t worry about that)
South Americans, Asians, and Europeans learn English as a second language in their homelands (the language of globalization)
I like the true Spanish (from Spain)...the one spoken by Spaniards.
The Mexican Spanish is too different... it´s the wrong/chopped version of the Spanish language (Orale Guey... Orale Ese (S))
Mexican Spanish is TERRIBLE!!!!!
Even if I'm Puerto Rican (PR is the capital of bad Spanish), I talk in a standard, neutral American Spanish. Very clear, very legible.
The nicest sounding American Spanish would be the one spoken in Colombia; it sounds very neutral, very legible, and very polite.
I also know some Portuguese (I'm mistaken very often with Brazilian, though. maybe is my physique, hahaha), and some Japanese.
Last edited by jay_jay26; 11-15-2009 at 08:08 PM..
This is what I meant with ignorant people like you: did you know that is Spanish and not English the most SPOKEN language in the western hemisphere?!!!
If it wasn't important, then HOW THE HELL IS THE MOST SPOKEN?! AND WHY IT HAD A HIGHER NUMBER OF NATIVE SPEAKERS?!!
If you live in the US, just learn both languages. Spanish is super easy!
Nobody in Europe complains about knowing three or four different languages.
I do not contest a spanish speakers right to speak spanish. What ever floats their boat.
However spanish is slowly but surely being forced upon non-speakers is an issue that needs to change. Immigrants made a choice to come here. Its upon them to adapt to us not the other way around.
I speak 2 languages English and Thai. By choice. A few years ago my Thai wife was taking her drivers test. By chance so was a spanish immigrant.
He was allowed to have a friend interpret for him. In other words help him on the test.
I asked if I might do the same for my wife. I was told no.....
What made it ok for the hispanic and not the asian?
We should be bi-lingual but to force spanish is against everything this nation stands for.
By the way. Most countries do not adapt to immigrants they expect the immigrant to adapt to them. That is exactly as it should be.
This is what I meant with ignorant people like you: did you know that is Spanish and not English the most SPOKEN language in the western hemisphere?!!!
If it wasn't important, then HOW THE HELL IS THE MOST SPOKEN?! AND WHY IT HAD A HIGHER NUMBER OF NATIVE SPEAKERS?!!
If you live in the US, just learn both languages. Spanish is super easy!
Nobody in Europe complains about knowing three or four different languages.
And I repeat: outside of Spain/Latin America, Spanish is not an important language.
You need to face the fact that English is the lingua franca of the world:
Aviation
Diplomacy
Science
And you call me ignorant?
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