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I guess that happens automatically when people notice you are not a native speaker. Same thing here. As soon as people notice I am not a native Portuguese speaker, they switch to English. I literally have to ask them to keep speaking Portuguese. I guess they a) want to make my life easier and b) show off and prove they speak other languages, too.
That is so funny and true. One of the times I went to Germany, I was sitting there at the Gasthaus and was ordering my meal in German. The waiter said, "It's okay, I speak English." My response was, "That bad huh?"
That is so funny and true. One of the times I went to Germany, I was sitting there at the Gasthaus and was ordering my meal in German. The waiter said, "It's okay, I speak English." My response was, "That bad huh?"
Unless you have lived in Germany and spoken German for 20+ years, probably any German can tell you are not German after a second. One false vowel or one hollow r and you're done The human ear and mind are incredibly sensitive when it comes to the mother tongue. I can spot German tourists in the middle of Portuguese or Spanish crowds just by hearing certain sounds.
Why not Swahili or Georgian? I have nothing against learning any language, but tell me which second language is more useful in the US right now?
Not to mention that the Germans don't even want to speak their language any more; they speak English better than we do. The same applied to the Nordic languages. I've learned Norwegian (at least to an elementary level) and I have a hell of a time finding even a Norwegian that is willing to speak Norwegian. However, I have a chance to practice my Spanish skills any time I want. That makes a BIG difference when learning a language. You have to use it... and you won't get much of a chance to use Japanese, German, Swahili... or sadly, Norwegian, in the US. You can use Spanish practically any time you want.
Unless you have lived in Germany and spoken German for 20+ years, probably any German can tell you are not German after a second. One false vowel or one hollow r and you're done The human ear and mind are incredibly sensitive when it comes to the mother tongue. I can spot German tourists in the middle of Portuguese or Spanish crowds just by hearing certain sounds.
No doubt. Plus, of course, I was taught formal German in school. So there I am in Bavaria. Dialects are a killer!
Where's the outrage? There might be some outrage if not for the fact that this concept has been around forever. Here in Massachusetts we have a large Brazilian population. In our schools their children are taught in Portuguese. I think this program is terrible for the taxpayers as well as the students. Maybe if we have a large influx of immigrants from another country we will then be forced to accomodate them as well at our expense. Immigrants need to adapt to life in the USA rather than continually expecting and demanding that the USA adapt to them.
It is almost humorous to think about how immigrants adapted to our society, especially learning our language, for nearly 200 years and then the illegals started moving in refusing to adapt at all. I think that what has happened is the progressives have started getting their way.
Speaking of the diversity of our population, I was in Boston with another soldier and we happened into the Greek section of town. Russ said "They think there are a lot of Greeks in Greece, they need to come to Boston." This kid was from the Bronx and knew a bit about diversity. This was in 1955. Is Boston more diverse now?
Why is it terrible to learn to learn something new that you will PROBABLY use in your lifetime?
If it is not so terrible for us why don't those who come here from somewhere else do as you suggest? I think it has a lot to do with progressives wanting to impose PC on us but not them.
Teaching your children alternative languages, helps them in school later. I've seen studies that show that students who are bilingual or more, score 50% or higher on tests later in their educational life.
I see nothing wrong with this. I've taught my son Spanish, and I'm trying to learn German now myself.
Remember, English is the hardest language in the world to speak, the other ones should be easy.
Since English is so tough, I wonder why those people don't go somewhere else to find their better lives. Could it be that we have something else they want even more than our language?
the Independent School District's first dual-language immersion program. Half of their instruction will be in English and half in Spanish, regardless of which subject they're studying or language they speak at home.
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Where's the outrage from the conservatives? After all, isnt Texas YOURS?
I think this is BS. Teach them English. How are you supposed to integrate when you do not speak the language? Exactly.
And let's face it, "bilingual" almost always means Spanish. This is not what bilingual means. Sure, offer some foreign language classes, but those need to be electives and not taught in every single class regardless of the subject.
Disclaimer: I am a passionate liberal, but I was not born here and I think that American liberals don't realize what this is doing to the population. A bunch of people who can not communicate in the native language. That means low paying jobs etc.
I think this is BS. Teach them English. How are you supposed to integrate when you do not speak the language? Exactly.
And let's face it, "bilingual" almost always means Spanish. This is not what bilingual means. Sure, offer some foreign language classes, but those need to be electives and not taught in every single class regardless of the subject.
Disclaimer: I am a passionate liberal, but I was not born here and I think that American liberals don't realize what this is doing to the population. A bunch of people who can not communicate in the native language. That means low paying jobs etc.
How does this equate to children not being able to communicate in the "native" language?
And just for grins...THERE IS NO "NATIVE" LANGUAGE in the United States of America.
How does this equate to children not being able to communicate in the "native" language?
And just for grins...THERE IS NO "NATIVE" LANGUAGE in the United States of America.
Duh. That's pretty clear.
I live in Texas. Do you know how many children do not speak English at all? Of course, they don't speak English at home either. The school is often the only place. And now you wanna ********** up ( Geez, can't even say the word "Screw") and speak Spanish? Umm, I don't think so.
And yes, there IS a native language. Watch the words.
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I am a passionate liberal, but I was not born here and I think that American liberals don't realize what this is doing to the population. A bunch of people who can not communicate in the native language. That means low paying jobs etc.
