If I moved to France, id plan to change my language. I wouldn't expect the people that live there to change for me KWIM?
This post really had no purpose, just a thought. LOL.
Thanks for reading.
:D
EDIT**
THANK YOU to everyone that replied!!! It was fun talking to you all and getting different perspectives.
You are all wonderful people. And if you speak different languages, that is awesome. :)
Have a wonderful day!!!!
Ehh, I don't know about that. The majority of the situations where I'm seeing a business use another language besides English, this is a private business. That is not going to stop.
It only makes good business sense to communicate in more than one language.
Quoting Kmary:I respectfully disagree that declaring a national language wouldn't change anything. If there were one, then all the signage in other languages, pressing 1 for English, having translators at hospitals and government offices etc. may become more scarce or disappear altogether. Hence, probably more hold-outs would put more effort into learning English because they'd need to more for basic survival. In addition, without an official language we simply don't have a leg to stand on declaring that people here should speak English and not something else.
Quoting celestegood:I don't believe that declaring an official language would change a thing.
But, I really do agree with the fact that most immigrants do try to at least learn some of the language.
Quoting Kmary:
Convince the government to declare an official national language and then you can argue this. Until then, people can speak whatever the hell they want.
Also, it is a stereotype that immigrants refuse to learn English, but is hardly based in truth. Just because their English isn't great, is accented or you hear them use their native tongue around others does not in any way mean they aren't working their asses off to learn English, which is one of the hardest languages to learn.
Maybe I didn't explain myself enough.
I don't think that would happen. I can visit france tomorrow, and I guarantee that I can find at least one person in every place I frequent that speaks english. And they have an official language.
It wouldn't change a thing. Only the fact that Americans who speak english can legitimately complain about the illegals who refuse to speak the language. (not my viewpoint, but you get it)
Quoting Kmary:
I respectfully disagree that declaring a national language wouldn't change anything. If there were one, then all the signage in other languages, pressing 1 for English, having translators at hospitals and government offices etc. may become more scarce or disappear altogether. Hence, probably more hold-outs would put more effort into learning English because they'd need to more for basic survival. In addition, without an official language we simply don't have a leg to stand on declaring that people here should speak English and not something else.
Quoting celestegood:
I don't believe that declaring an official language would change a thing.
But, I really do agree with the fact that most immigrants do try to at least learn some of the language.
Quoting Kmary:
Convince the government to declare an official national language and then you can argue this. Until then, people can speak whatever the hell they want.
Also, it is a stereotype that immigrants refuse to learn English, but is hardly based in truth. Just because their English isn't great, is accented or you hear them use their native tongue around others does not in any way mean they aren't working their asses off to learn English, which is one of the hardest languages to learn.
Quoting amber710:90% of our signs are in English, our public schools teach in English, our leaders' primary language is English, regular television and radio here are aired in English, our product labels are all printed in English.
So, it is common sense that before moving here you should learn some English. It may not be official...but it is our primary language.
The only difference is in France their official language is French but in this country their is no official language so English is not the official language
Quoting amber710:
I absolutely LOVE this post. I rant to my husband about this all the time. That is actually the exact example I always use...If I were moving to France I would learn basic French, not expect all the French people to cater to my ignorance.
And sure you CAN speak whatever language you want. But to expect people to understand you and change all their signs for you is silly.
So you hear, see, encounter one here or there. So what?? You act like its going to somehow ruin your life or that omg.... It's just sooooo annoying.
Stop worrying about what others should/ need to do to make your life easier or so that you wont be annoyed anymore...and focus on what YOU can do.
I try my best to help someone IF they're asking for help in some way...even if it's in a different language. But that's just me. I think a lot of people nowadays are just plain insensitive and think the world revolves around them.
Any excuse. Well, perhaps when someone on the street, office or at the grocery store asks me a question in English, I'll answer them in Italian from now on. I have the right to expect everyone to understand Italian even if they do not share my ethnicity. In fact I;m going to begin demanding that all public offices cater to me because I want it that way.
Quoting Kmary:
Eh those things are circumstantial. The items you mentioned are in English because British ex-pats happened to create them, not because we have an official language, which is an important distinction. Also, there is no testing of English ability on the citizenship exam. One should have a working, proficient knowledge of it, but by no means need to be fluent and the amount of exceptions to that are staggering. There are exceptions for young people, disabled people, senior citizens, and people who have simply resided here a long time. Not exactly a hard and fast rule.
Quoting MeAndTommyLee:
We speak English. You know and I know it. From our Constitution and the Bill of Rights to our road signage and the language that is spoken in our schools to educate American children. Not to mention that in order to become a citizen of this country -- yeah, America, you have to be able to read and speak English.
well seeing as the US has no official language that is a stupid argument....
Do you speak Italian? That's fun. English is my native language, but I'm also fluent in Spanish and am somewhat proficient in French.
Of course knowing English and refusing to speak it (like in your example below) is entirely different from not having learned it yet, or being in the process of knowing it and not being that comfortable with it yet, so yeah... comparing apples and oranges here.
Quoting MeAndTommyLee:Any excuse. Well, perhaps when someone on the street, office or at the grocery store asks me a question in English, I'll answer them in Italian from now on. I have the right to expect everyone to understand Italian even if they do not share my ethnicity. In fact I;m going to begin demanding that all public offices cater to me because I want it that way.
Quoting Kmary:
Eh those things are circumstantial. The items you mentioned are in English because British ex-pats happened to create them, not because we have an official language, which is an important distinction. Also, there is no testing of English ability on the citizenship exam. One should have a working, proficient knowledge of it, but by no means need to be fluent and the amount of exceptions to that are staggering. There are exceptions for young people, disabled people, senior citizens, and people who have simply resided here a long time. Not exactly a hard and fast rule.
Quoting MeAndTommyLee:
We speak English. You know and I know it. From our Constitution and the Bill of Rights to our road signage and the language that is spoken in our schools to educate American children. Not to mention that in order to become a citizen of this country -- yeah, America, you have to be able to read and speak English.
well seeing as the US has no official language that is a stupid argument....
Oh I get what you're saying now. Yes agreed.
Quoting celestegood:Maybe I didn't explain myself enough.
I don't think that would happen. I can visit france tomorrow, and I guarantee that I can find at least one person in every place I frequent that speaks english. And they have an official language.
It wouldn't change a thing. Only the fact that Americans who speak english can legitimately complain about the illegals who refuse to speak the language. (not my viewpoint, but you get it)
Quoting Kmary:
I respectfully disagree that declaring a national language wouldn't change anything. If there were one, then all the signage in other languages, pressing 1 for English, having translators at hospitals and government offices etc. may become more scarce or disappear altogether. Hence, probably more hold-outs would put more effort into learning English because they'd need to more for basic survival. In addition, without an official language we simply don't have a leg to stand on declaring that people here should speak English and not something else.
Quoting celestegood:
I don't believe that declaring an official language would change a thing.
But, I really do agree with the fact that most immigrants do try to at least learn some of the language.
Quoting Kmary:
Convince the government to declare an official national language and then you can argue this. Until then, people can speak whatever the hell they want.
Also, it is a stereotype that immigrants refuse to learn English, but is hardly based in truth. Just because their English isn't great, is accented or you hear them use their native tongue around others does not in any way mean they aren't working their asses off to learn English, which is one of the hardest languages to learn.
However they should try to learn it for themselves so they can communicate and be able to purchase or inquire about things they need for example communicate with their doctor but mandatory no i dont think they should
If you had to go 90 days without
- Jenny_Penny89
on Jun. 1, 2012 at 1:32 PM