Do you believe english must be the primary spoken language in the USA?

[gaidensensei]

Just curious.
I'm tri-lingual and sometimes when I am talking to someone in another language, and other times I'd hear people such as my old co-workers yelling at some spanish guys, "Speak english, you're in America. (With a bitches! emphasis to it).

So I just have my curiosity piqued over the issue. Do you think immigrants and non-native americans should drop their first/other language and speak english as the dominant language so that they're vocally fluent in it?

 

[UberNeuman]

I voted yes. Simply because if I moved to any other country, then I would plan to become fluent in their language...

I wouldn't move to another country and expect them to cater to my ass....

That said, the more we all learn from different dialects, so much the better....

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Your thread title isn't quite what you described in your post. Yes, of course English should be the main language and everyone should be able to speak it. However, people should also be able to speak amongst themselves in whatever language they wish. If I were holding a conversation with someone in Spanish and some douche overhears me and then tells me "Speak english, you're in America," I'd tell them to fuck off.

 

[Jimbo]

So I just have my curiosity piqued over the issue. Do you think immigrants and non-native americans should drop their first/other language and speak english as the dominant language so that they're vocally fluent in it?

If you have been here any amount of time and are not proficient enough to be understood on a basic level, I have to assume you are lazy and/or un-intelligent.

Why wouldn't you want to be understood in the dominant language of your adopted country?

 

[gaidensensei]

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. There's a decent spread of multilinguals among us so we're kind of in the middle of la-la language land. I've noticed countless times from people giving (not to me) an "English, do you speak it?" look to someone else due to their native chatter in like say a supermarket or restaurant.

However as you know a lot of natives aren't as willing to pick up english as much as we'd hope they do. That seems to be why we have the translators, interpreters, "For Spanish, press 9" - things like this around for them to use.

 

[Cheeseplug]

I, for one, enjoy hearing lots of different languages spoken. It is interesting and in no way makes my day worse, even when I have to work with non-anglophones.

 

[UberNeuman]

Your thread title isn't quite what you described in your post. Yes, of course English should be the main language and everyone should be able to speak it. However, people should also be able to speak amongst themselves in whatever language they wish. If I were holding a conversation with someone in Spanish and some douche overhears me and then tells me "Speak english, you're in America," I'd tell them to fuck off.

:thumbsup:

 

[guyver01]

I voted yes. Simply because if I moved to any other country, then I would plan to become fluent in their language...

This.

x10000% this.

If you go to France, they won't speak english because you do... they'll expect you to speak French.

Why the USA has to cater to foreigners and make natives learn to speak THEIR language... i'll never understand.

 

[gaidensensei]

If you have been here any amount of time and are not proficient enough to be understood on a basic level, I have to assume you are lazy and/or un-intelligent.
Why wouldn't you want to be understood in the dominant language of your adopted country?

I understand what you mean, it's a no-brainer common sense thing. Regardless, look at the bigger picture.
Take a glimpse at the chinatowns, koreatowns, Little Tokyo, little india Bazaar street life, Tijuana etc for immediate examples. Although, most of these minority communities seem to be mostly isolated to CA and NY at this moment in time..

It appears to me that a big portion of these communities do not feel the need adapt to english as a necessity. A lot of these inhabitants who work and live there don't quite readily fit the mold of plain out dumb. As for lazy, can't judge them without knowing first. Not exactly sure for Tj as it's not in the US, I just threw that in there as I don't know what is the replacement city for hispanics (anyone here willing to enlighten me?).

There are lots of these little "backdoors" that are popping up within the country that seems to eliminate the necessity to be able to speak and write english. Census, Feds and so on have legal forms written in multiple languages, utilities such as gas/electricity/internet have hotlines where bilingual CSR's can speak in the caller's desired language.

At the same time, I've noticed the rising dissent from americans, even american born minorities alike, hoping that people could change their fragmented sentences and grammar for once. So honestly I'm really curious as to what exactly is going on.

 

[JEDIYoda]

The issue really is not English being the primary spoken language!

The issue IMO is that all forms state, local or government forms should only be printed in one language and that language is English!!
There should be onl,y one language for DMV tests and that is English!!

As someone who is multi-lingual that is how I feel.
When in Rome you speak Roman..lol

 

[Moonbeam]

I think we should switch to Chinese while it's an elective.

 

[gaidensensei]

When in Rome.. :awe: been awhile since I listened to The Promise too just realized.

 

[dammitgibs]

Language is culture, we will never integrate as a society if we don't all speak one language. I would be in favor of my tax dollars going to pay for ESL classes for adults that are willing to learn.

 

[Jimbo]

I think we should switch to Chinese while it's an elective.

I think all of your posts should be written in Chinese, so they would be easier to not read.

 

[Danube]

If 15 million Americans broke into Mexico and demanded to live with their own language and culture the lib metrosexuals would be carrying on like stuck pigs.

 

[Oric]

When someone was in Rome he better spoke Latin not Roman

 

[pcgeek11]

The issue really is not English being the primary spoken language!

The issue IMO is that all forms state, local or government forms should only be printed in one language and that language is English!!
There should be onl,y one language for DMV tests and that is English!!

As someone who is multi-lingual that is how I feel.
When in Rome you speak Roman..lol

This X 10000 because it cost Me Money to print all these stupid non-english forms!

 

[Moonbeam]

I think all of your posts should be written in Chinese, so they would be easier to not read.

You might be able to read but you can't think so you are safe.

 

[pcgeek11]

Language is culture, we will never integrate as a society if we don't all speak one language. I would be in favor of my tax dollars going to pay for ESL classes for adults that are willing to learn.

What is ESL?

"English ( as a ) Second Language" ?

I would not want to pay for this. They should.

 

[Throckmorton]

The issue really is not English being the primary spoken language!

The issue IMO is that all forms state, local or government forms should only be printed in one language and that language is English!!
There should be onl,y one language for DMV tests and that is English!!

As someone who is multi-lingual that is how I feel.
When in Rome you speak Roman..lol

So what about Hawaii, where Hawaiian and English are both official state languages?

 

[Patranus]

Yes , but you summation of the reason is wrong.
Its not that I don't understand other languages but many OTHER people do not speak another language well and it is very hard to get a job in the USA without speaking english.

 

[Jimbo]

So what about Hawaii, where Hawaiian and English are both official state languages?

How many native Hawaiians can't speak English?

 

[Throckmorton]

How many native Hawaiians can't speak English?

That's not the point. The point is you guys are talking about telling a state with two official languages that we can't have official documents in one of our languages.

 

[jackschmittusa]

There are native born (many generations native) people in N.C. and Louisiana that I cannot understand when they speak.

There are also people in the inner cities who make a serious effort not to learn or use the language properly i. e. "Axe dat ho why she dis me mofo.".

Perhaps we need a designation for correct American English such as with Castilian Spanish or haupt Deutsch before we discuss using the language.

 

[dawp]

If 15 million Americans broke into Mexico and demanded to live with their own language and culture the lib metrosexuals would be carrying on like stuck pigs.

spanish has been spoken in the southwest longer than the USA has been a country.