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More employers, and many of their English-speaking workers, are showing an interest in learning Spanish customized to specific jobs, to help them communicate with Hispanic customers, suppliers or assistants.
The trend isn't without controversy, as English-only proponents say it slows the assimilation of immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere. But others say teaching at least rudimentary workplace-Spanish skills is a necessity in some industries and reflects the reality that many immigrants, including some of those here legally, don't have a good grasp of English.
Many jobs anymore (especially clerical/customer service) either require or highly desire their employees to be bilingual. And those who are, will get a higher rate of pay.
I agree! Their excuse is that they need to cater to the non-english speaking customers....BS! Learn English if you want to live here!!!
Bilingual people are better at problem solving because they engage more of their brain from an early age. There was a Dartmouth study about this: Vox of Dartmouth - El Cerebro Bilingue/The Bilingual Brain - 10/23/06. If you are bilingual or a polyglot, you have a much higher earning potential than a person who only speaks one language regardless of your field. Even if a company has no need for you to actually speak another language, speaking multiple languages makes you a more likely hire than a similarly qualified person. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't take advantage of high school and college language courses to not speak at least one extra language and it's easy enough to pick up a 3rd or 4th.
People are doing themselves and their children a disservice by refusing to learn Spanish on principle. Children of immigrants are going to run monolingual children over as most of the so called "anchor babies" from Mexico at my high school and other high school students I have worked with since have graduated speaking at least 3 languages fluently (English, Spanish, and French or occasionally German).
Bilingual Spanish or Chinese is going to be a major asset in the mid-21st century workforce.
We plan to send our child to a spanish-language immersion school which typically produces fluidly-bilingual kids by about the 4th grade. My ten-year old niece who has taken the program is already completely conversational in Spanish.
I am at least 3rd and my wife is 2nd generation American. We accept that the world changes, and the workplace changes, and do what we can to capitalize on that. Telling people to "learn English or go home" is the sign of a person who cannot adapt with the changing world around them. Some people will never accept the opportunities to succeed, they will use them as an excuse for failure.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
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All Americans should be fluent in at least 2 languages. I am not but I am old. My kids are. 3 of them had Espanol and my little girl is in her 4th year of French. Americans need to quit being lazy and demand that the world learn English.
It always amazes me how Americans expect everyone else to speak their language and understand their culture. It's a shame more people don't travel more and get a better understanding of the world. Some of the comments on this thread are shocking.
Yes, people, we live in a multi-cultural world. Speaking another language is important. It is not only important on the job, but it helps to open your minds a little bit too.
I live in Southern California, and it's very helpful to know some Spanish here. I'm in contact with Hispanic people every day. I love the culture, love the people, and I think it's one of the things I'm really going to miss when I leave. Most people in Los Angeles can speak and understand some Spanish.
See a lot of Americans will have the thing like "Why should we have to learn THEIR language", but think again America is home of the immigrants and we DID STEAL THIS AND PROCLAIM land that is really not ours. My thing is hell, just learn the Spanish and move on that way you don't think when somebody speaks spanish they are talking about you, because I am not.
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