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Our official language is legalese. Requires a law degree to understand the laws that lawyerly legislators pile on our shoulders.
Reading and comprehension in 'english language' isn't very effective when it comes to legal statements, taxes or rules for wild animal relocation.
You have a point, but I was talking about the inability of my fellow citizens to write in their own language for common, everyday use. People who grew up in a country with a public school system and more books than they could read in a lifetime, yet who slap apostrophes into plurals or don't know the difference between second-grade words like "advice"and "advise", "lose"and "loose" or "they're/their/there". People who march in front of cameras with signs that proclaim the opposing political party to be "morans" .
It's appalling, and it's shameful. And don't tell me ALL these people have some kind of learning disability. That's not the problem. The problem is that they don't READ.
It's appalling, and it's shameful. And don't tell me ALL these people have some kind of learning disability. That's not the problem. The problem is that they don't READ.
Well, Mr. tRump has repeated stated, "I love the poorly-educated".
Without those folks, his following would be greatly diminished, so I suppose that they do serve some purpose.
If I'm not mistaken there was a hullabaloo when Irish and Italian Catholics moved to the area and <gasp> changed it! The accents! The religion! Why don't the Italians speak fluent English? Ask the old Protestant families in North Jersey - I'm sure they have some stories.
If you're worried about the language - don't worry, the kids grow up speaking perfect English so you'll be able to understand them when they curse you out for being a crotchety person.
Oh and since this is NJ gotta include the Jews and East Asians along with the Hispanics and South Asians! The diversity! The horror!
It's appalling, and it's shameful. And don't tell me ALL these people have some kind of learning disability. That's not the problem. The problem is that they don't READ.
That's one possibility. But have you considered the possibility that they're just dumb?
Mightyqueen beat me to it--as she often does.
Over the years, I have observed that the folks who are most critical of the English language ability of the foreign-born are almost always native-born Americans who are--at best--only semi-literate in their own native English language.
In fact, that phenomenon is on display in some of the posts in this thread!
It is funny how some people want the United States to be basically "English only" yet in Europe people are ok with speaking more than one language. If you go to France as an American and if you try to speak in French they might speak back in English.
It is not just whites that get discriminated against. In Yolanda Prieto's book, "The Cubans of Union City" she mentions how Cubans look down on other Latinos and how Cubans even have divisions amongst themselves (old Cubans vs. new Cubans). I remember growing up in Perth Amboy how Dominicans would make fun of Puerto Ricans and how Puerto Ricans would make fun of Mexicans. So if you are white don't take it too personal if Hispanics make fun of you, we Hispanics are constantly making fun of ourselves too.
But back to Union City, as the Irish and Italians were leaving Cubans came in and resurrected Bergenline Avenue. I like the good job they have done and I like walking down on Bergenline Avenue. Now other Hispanics have joined in like the Colombians, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Argentines, Uruguayans, Peruvians, and others have opened up their businesses. I like how Union City feels like a vibrant and Northeast urban version of Miami. Union City is living proof how immigrants can change a community for the better. Despite Union City being one of the poorest communities in the United States, it is hard to see vacant buildings with boarded up windows, the main streets are filled with businesses, and the crime rate is not nearly as bad as other poor areas.
It is funny how some people want the United States to be basically "English only" yet in Europe people are ok with speaking more than one language. If you go to France as an American and if you try to speak in French they might speak back in English.
In my experience, most educated people in Europe are--at a minimum--bi-lingual, and it is not unusual to encounter people who can give a good account of themselves in three languages or more. I found the French to be less...eager...to converse in English than folks in Italy, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries, but as you stated, Europeans tend to be able to converse well in more languages than just their own native tongue.
I had a funny experience many years ago on The Palatino, the fast night train from Paris to Rome.
In the morning, when the porter came to our compartment to inquire whether we wanted a beverage, I replied, Si, senor! Due café au lait, per favore.
As soon as the porter left, my friend became convulsed with laughter, and when I asked him what he had found so humorous, he pointed out to me that I had mixed French, Spanish, and Italian in my two brief sentences. He was correct, of course, but when we did indeed receive exactly what I had ordered, I pointed out to my friend that the porter--in typical European fashion--had clearly understood what I had said, even though I had mixed three languages together.
In my experience, most educated people in Europe are--at a minimum--bi-lingual, and it is not unusual to encounter people who can give a good account of themselves in three languages or more. I found the French to be less...eager...to converse in English than folks in Italy, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries, but as you stated, Europeans tend to be able to converse well in more languages than just their own native tongue.
I had a funny experience many years ago on The Palatino, the fast night train from Paris to Rome.
In the morning, when the porter came to our compartment to inquire whether we wanted a beverage, I replied, Si, senor! Due café au lait, per favore.
As soon as the porter left, my friend became convulsed with laughter, and when I asked him what he had found so humorous, he pointed out to me that I had mixed French, Spanish, and Italian in my two brief sentences. He was correct, of course, but when we did indeed receive exactly what I had ordered, I pointed out to my friend that the porter--in typical European fashion--had clearly understood what I had said, even though I had mixed three languages together.
English is the de facto world language..In centuries past it was French. In the US, most of Canada and Australia you can drive for days and still be in an English speaking area. There is no need for most people to be bilingual. IN Europe a days drive goes through areas that speak 4 or 5 languages.
Europeans are multilingual because they are in close proximity to areas that speak those languages and they have need to use them, can watch TV and listen to radio easily in other languages. Here in the US even if you know another language how often does one NEED another language. Even a country like Spain has multiple language... what we call Spanish is really Castillian,the language from around Madrid. There are many in Spain whose native language is Catalan for example( Catalan is the native language of Barcelona but most people speak Spanish(Castillian) as well)
I know an American lady who married a guy from Denmark.. She had a hard time learning Danish, everyone spoke to her in English, they wanted to practice. She didnt learn Danish until she had children and they learned to speak as native speakers of both.
Not being bilingual in the US is not necessarily a xenophobic, nativist attitude... its just not needed in day to day life. If you dont use a language you loose it... how many Americans took years of Spanish or French in High school and can not speak it years later. But it does come back if you need it
Before I am accused of being a "speak 'Merican" type.... I am fully fluent in both written and spoken Spanish and I can get by in Portuguese.
I agree educated people SHOULD know another language. And in reality many Americans have some basic knowledge of Spanish... Mexico and Cuba are right next door and Puerto Rico's in America; and as I wrote previously the most common foreign language in HS is Spanish
Last edited by jwolfer; 04-13-2016 at 01:38 PM..
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