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Why is it terrible to learn to learn something new that you will PROBABLY use in your lifetime?
All we hear from the liberals is how inadequate the American educational system is, how we are falling disastrously behind competing nations in math and the sciences. We keep hearing that our children do not know how to find Bosnia on a map or that they do not know who the prime minister of this or that country is. We hear how European children are leaps and bounds ahead in knowing about the goings on in the world around them.
Then when the opportunity arises to make changes to the status quo what do these idiots get behind?
All we hear from the liberals is how inadequate the American educational system is, how we are falling disastrously behind competing nations in math and the sciences. We keep hearing that our children do not know how to find Bosnia on a map or that they do not know who the prime minister of this or that country is. We hear how European children are leaps and bounds ahead in knowing about the goings on in the world around them.
Then when the opportunity arises to make changes to the status quo what do these idiots get behind?
Spanish immersion!
It's not just liberals, but that is getting off topic. Spanish is just a first step toward a remedy to those ills you listed above. Math, Science, ACTUAL SOCIAL STUDIES, FACTUAL government, FACTUAL history. Hell, most people can't find their own neighborhood on a map, much less their own country or state.
If someone wants to learn a new languge LET THEM CHOOSE. You can offer spanish in school, just like german, italian, latin. etc. I think that would be a choose which one. As far as being better in school because of different languages we have people who cant understand ONE so I think that is just the typical mulitcutural re-education program of liberal idealogy. Schools should focus on a few things.
math, science, english, music, arts, HISTORY (question is who is writing the books)
A FOREIGN LANGUAGE!!! WHICH IS WHAT WE ALWAYS CALLED IT IN THE 70's and 80's will always be a OPTION. We have people in this country who cant even read english. I'm not saying you need to dumb down anything but before we get all excitied to force children to speak spanish they need english FIRST to function and to get a JOB in the real world someday. The united states is not the united nations we wont be speaking 10 languages and going to starbucks because you want to impress others with your ethnic awareness and your language skills.
What about Canada? Yes, I know all about Quebec. Do non-Quebecois also learn French?
I'm really curious.
About 9% of all English-speaking Canadians can speak French. This includes the 600,000 or 700,000 English-speaking Canadians who live in Quebec. (There are probably 20 million or more English-speaking Canadians living outside Quebec.)
As for those English-speaking Canadians who live in Quebec, they make up just under 10% of Quebec's population, are are much much more bilingual than English Canadians in the rest of the country: between 65 and 70% of English speakers in Quebec can speak French.
If you take out those in Quebec, the % of English Canadians (those in the other 9 provinces) who can speak French drops to around 7%.
About 9% of all English-speaking Canadians can speak French. This includes the 600,000 or 700,000 English-speaking Canadians who live in Quebec. (There are probably 20 million or more English-speaking Canadians living outside Quebec.)
As for those English-speaking Canadians who live in Quebec, they make up just under 10% of Quebec's population, are are much much more bilingual than English Canadians in the rest of the country: between 65 and 70% of English speakers in Quebec can speak French.
If you take out those in Quebec, the % of English Canadians (those in the other 9 provinces) who can speak French drops to around 7%.
I'm in ultra conservative Maricopa County, AZ (home of the notorious Sheriff Joe) and my local 99% white kids public elementary school teaches in Spanish half the day.
Highest rated school in the state and I'm all for it.
It those kids ever move to CA where a whole lot of jobs want you to speak Spanish they'll be a step ahead of everybody. I was taught Spanish myself for an hour every day in a nice, white school in a nice, white county. Wish I knew more.
If someone wants to learn a new languge LET THEM CHOOSE. You can offer spanish in school, just like german, italian, latin. etc. I think that would be a choose which one. As far as being better in school because of different languages we have people who cant understand ONE so I think that is just the typical mulitcutural re-education program of liberal idealogy. Schools should focus on a few things.
math, science, english, music, arts, HISTORY (question is who is writing the books)
A FOREIGN LANGUAGE!!! WHICH IS WHAT WE ALWAYS CALLED IT IN THE 70's and 80's will always be a OPTION. We have people in this country who cant even read english. I'm not saying you need to dumb down anything but before we get all excitied to force children to speak spanish they need english FIRST to function and to get a JOB in the real world someday. The united states is not the united nations we wont be speaking 10 languages and going to starbucks because you want to impress others with your ethnic awareness and your language skills.
Really? The UNITED STATES literally IS the United Nations.
We will be speaking 100's of languages, and going everywhere and speaking all kinds of different languages simply to impress others, but doing more so that we and our children can GET A JOB....IN THE REAL WORLD, not only now...but in the future.
I'm in ultra conservative Maricopa County, AZ (home of the notorious Sheriff Joe) and my local 99% white kids public elementary school teaches in Spanish half the day.
Highest rated school in the state and I'm all for it.
It those kids ever move to CA where a whole lot of jobs want you to speak Spanish they'll be a step ahead of everybody. I was taught Spanish myself for an hour every day in a nice, white school in a nice, white county. Wish I knew more.
I agree with your post.
The thing that most posters here don't know or won't admit is that at the young age when children pick up language like a sponge, their developing minds are not able to understand logic-intensive, abstract subjects like math or physics, etc. A five year old is NOT going to learn calculus, but a five year old (and younger) absorbs language like a sponge. So it's not the case that because Johnny is learning Spanish, he's not learning calculus. That's not even possible at that age. It's more like, because Johnny is learning Spanish, he's not able to play with the Lego blocks as much in class. Is that really such a bad trade off? Language should be started in preschool when the child's mind is optimal for language acquisition. Try teaching trigonometry to your preschooler.
I'm in ultra conservative Maricopa County, AZ (home of the notorious Sheriff Joe) and my local 99% white kids public elementary school teaches in Spanish half the day.
Highest rated school in the state and I'm all for it.
It those kids ever move to CA where a whole lot of jobs want you to speak Spanish they'll be a step ahead of everybody. I was taught Spanish myself for an hour every day in a nice, white school in a nice, white county. Wish I knew more.
Well if nothing else it will help them communicate with the migrant farm workers, the housekeepers, and the landscapers.
You may use it but not in business in a global situation. English is the standard language.
Umm. Not true. I use my Spanish as a standard part of my business in a global situation and it has advanced my career.
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