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You ARE free to speak whatever language you want and I have no problem with that. Maybe it is just common courtesy to speak the language of the country you live in.
Let me try to clearer.
What I DO have problem with, when doing business in the public, a clerk say, should NOT be required to speak any language other than English.
If they CANNOT speak English they should NOT be here. Ligament visitors excepted.
In order to become a citizen or get green card one of the requirements is to "be a able speak and understand English"
If a customer speaks to him/her in Spanish it is NOT the clerks responsibility to understand them and should NOT be punished for it.
I DON'T think our government should be sending OUR TAX DOLLARS nor NOR commercial endeavors printing thing is English AND Spanish.
Again the law states, ""be a able speak and understand English"
1. I agree with this
2. I think most can at a very basic level many don't feel they can adequately express themselves in English or adequately understand when complex information is being conveyed they often fall back on Spanish etc.
3. Clerks definitely not but it's much more imperative to have effective communication in places like hospitals, and doctors offices where a person's life is at stake. I think though that some of the responsibility should be on the person seeking services for instance bring a translator with you for doctor's appointments etc.
4. Well I actually agree rarely do people speaking languages other than Spanish get that accommodation.
Only a handful of federal laws mandate the use of languages other than English:
"multilingual government."
Due process: court interpreters must be provided in federal civil and criminal trials that involve parties or witnesses who are not proficient in English – 28 U.S.C. 1827.
Migrant health care: bilingual personnel must be provided in federally funded migrant health centers and alcohol abuse programs that serve a significant non-English-speaking population – 42 U.S.C. 254b(f)(3)(J), 245c, 4577b.
Voting rights: bilingual ballots and voter information must be provided in jurisdictions where speakers of Spanish, Native American, and Asian American languages exceed 5 percent of the population or number more than 10,000 and have below average rates of voter turnout and English proficiency – 42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a.
When federal agencies choose to serve the public in languages other than English, it is almost always to promote more efficient operations, such as:
to inform members of the public of their rights and responsibilities,;
to enforce various federal laws;
to safeguard the public health and safety;
to gather information – e.g., in the decennial census;
to support educational programs, including programs that teach English; and
to provide access to government and the political process.
English Only advocates ignore the fact that the Internal Revenue Service publishes provides certain forms, informational materials, and oral assistance in Spanish for a simple reason: cost-effectiveness. The amount of taxes collected as a result far exceeds the expenditure.
In sum, the accommodations now available to minority language speakers in the United States – minimal when compared to those offered by many other countries – hardly amount to "multilingual government."
" hardly amount to "multilingual government."
STRONGLY disagree. When EVERY thing printed and EVERY voice mail system for the public HAS to be 2 languages, interpreters HAVE to be provided, etc., I say that IS a ""multilingual government.".
P.S. I worked for Uncle Sam and when we solicited contracts for voice mail system it WAS REQUIRED it be able to handle at LEAST 5 languages. In 1 office we had 15 DIFFERENT interpreters available when NOT ONE of the people applying for benefits should be getting 1 thin dime of OUR tax dollars.
We could cut our spending 25% IF we stopped the waste, fraud and abuse in our gov't.
I ask of each of your example is, WHY? Especially with, "In order to become a citizen or get green card one of the requirements is to "be a able speak and understand English"
That was not the case here. The clerk was castigating the customer for speaking Spanish and was punished for offering poor customer service. OTOH, it makes good business sense for organizations to have staff with expanded linguistic capabilities because it facilitates serving more of the public.
I've mentioned the reasoning for governments to offer services and notices in different languages in an earlier post. Commercial organizations are free to engage in whatever language policies to serve their customers as they see fit.
"That was not the case here."
NEVER said it was. I was responding to the discussion.
2. I think most can at a very basic level many don't feel they can adequately express themselves in English or adequately understand when complex information is being conveyed they often fall back on Spanish etc.
3. Clerks definitely not but it's much more imperative to have effective communication in places like hospitals, and doctors offices where a person's life is at stake. I think though that some of the responsibility should be on the person seeking services for instance bring a translator with you for doctor's appointments etc.
4. Well I actually agree rarely do people speaking languages other than Spanish get that accommodation.
"I think though that some of the responsibility should be on the person seeking services for instance bring a translator with you for doctor's appointments etc."
IF they LIVE here why SHOULDN'T they be REQUIRED to speak OUT language?
"I think though that some of the responsibility should be on the person seeking services for instance bring a translator with you for doctor's appointments etc."
IF they LIVE here why SHOULDN'T they be REQUIRED to speak OUT language?
A lawful visitor excepted.
Not only that but that customer was born here and knew how to speak English so why would she start a conversation with a clerk in Spanish in front of another clerk that only spoke English? Just because she can? This happens in the work place all the time here in the southwest and it's rude to the other employees who don't know Spanish.
STRONGLY disagree. When EVERY thing printed and EVERY voice mail system for the public HAS to be 2 languages, interpreters HAVE to be provided, etc., I say that IS a ""multilingual government.".
P.S. I worked for Uncle Sam and when we solicited contracts for voice mail system it WAS REQUIRED it be able to handle at LEAST 5 languages. In 1 office we had 15 DIFFERENT interpreters available when NOT ONE of the people applying for benefits should be getting 1 thin dime of OUR tax dollars.
We could cut our spending 25% IF we stopped the waste, fraud and abuse in our gov't.
I ask of each of your example is, WHY? Especially with, "In order to become a citizen or get green card one of the requirements is to "be a able speak and understand English"
Uh, wrong. The reason why the Feds provide for this is because it is cost-effective in serving the public. As is the case for many state and local governments.
None of your ethnocentrism and stubborn monolingualist sentiment is going to change that.
Last edited by silverkris; 04-18-2019 at 12:08 PM..
"I think though that some of the responsibility should be on the person seeking services for instance bring a translator with you for doctor's appointments etc."
IF they LIVE here why SHOULDN'T they be REQUIRED to speak OUT language?
A lawful visitor excepted.
Effective communication must be met to ensure adequate and appropriate medical treatment is provided even though most recent immigrants are capable of understanding and speaking English at a basic level they lack the fluency to absorb complex medical information in English.
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This happens in the work place all the time here in the southwest and it's rude to the other employees who don't know Spanish.
