Ontopic Longer Coke ad to air tonight during the Olympics. Lets discuss language...

helenabear said:
Just curious where you come up with this... I guess I've known far too many people not born in the US who actually do make an effort to learn English. My dad's first language wasn't English but he learned just fine. I'm pretty sure Luis' wasn't English either and same with his parents - they all learned. Same with quite a few friends who are Filipino. I could go on and on....

Yes you have some uneducated people not learning, but all people I know who have moved here have made an effort. Even my son's classmate's grandmother did her best to learn English and she only lives here maybe a few months out of the year before she heads back to her home country.

Having an official language isn't a bad idea. However if people think having an official language will help force the issue, I think that is short sighted. People will learn if they want to - not because it's "mandated"

I do think that when you live somewhere you should attempt to learn the language. I've only had one friend move countries like that (non-military that is) and she took the time to learn. She also taught her daughter to speak both English and native language.

Yeah yeah wall of text, suck it!
Click to expand...

People tend to think that others are not making an effort without realizing that learning a second language as an adult is incredibly difficult for the vast majority of the population. Even learning a language as a teenager is significantly more difficult than learning it as a child. An adult without dynamic immersion classes will be struggling through the vocabulary and horrifying syntax of one of the most convoluted languages ever devised. English is a complete mess as a language and not very efficient, it's not surprise that people have a hard time. A 40 year old that's been here for ten years and is still struggling to speak english is also likely to be unintelligible due to his accent, something very difficult to lose.

Basically the argument only ever comes from people who have never spent a significant amount of time in another country and tried to learn a language as an adult. I've been trying to learn pashto since I got here and it's not easy despite communicating with afghans every single day. It would be a very long time before I would feel comfortable living here without a community of people that also spoke english.
 
Certain languages are hard to learn for people who speak a certain language first.

Chinese is hard for English speakers, but not as hard for some Europeans, because they talk with the throat and not the tip of the tongue like we do in English.

I don't care about people speaking a different language. If people want to live in Australia or the US and never talk English, then cool. Though as someone who lived in a country without knowing how to speak the language, it's not easy living, you're gonna have a bad time.
 
123 said:
Certain languages are hard to learn for people who speak a certain language first.

Chinese is hard for English speakers, but not as hard for some Europeans, because they talk with the throat and not the tip of the tongue like we do in English.

I don't care about people speaking a different language. If people want to live in Australia or the US and never talk English, then cool. Though as someone who lived in a country without knowing how to speak the language, it's not easy living, you're gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...

Well said sir.
 
123 said:
Certain languages are hard to learn for people who speak a certain language first.

Chinese is hard for English speakers, but not as hard for some Europeans, because they talk with the throat and not the tip of the tongue like we do in English.

I don't care about people speaking a different language. If people want to live in Australia or the US and never talk English, then cool. Though as someone who lived in a country without knowing how to speak the language, it's not easy living, you're gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...

I only care when their lack of wanting to learn the language affects me like schools having to slow down curriculums or it affecting my ability to do business or purchase something.
 
How often does either one actually happen and is it because the cashier doesn't want to learn or is still in the process of learning?

We do not and should not expect people to be fluent in english simply to move here.
 
SemperFly said:
How often does either one actually happen and is it because the cashier doesn't want to learn or is still in the process of learning?

We do not and should not expect people to be fluent in english simply to move here.
Click to expand...

I travel 80% of my month and I deal with it in every major city. And as far as the schools that's a huge problem in areas with a large immigrant population. It's horrible in Denver proper schools.
 
plot said:
Not at all, but we shouldn't have to accommodate for them.

First gen immigrants usually don't learn the language, kids always do. This is fine imo.
Click to expand...

Why shouldn't you accommodate for them?
 
plot said:
Not at all, but we shouldn't have to accommodate for them.

First gen immigrants usually don't learn the language, kids always do. This is fine imo.
Click to expand...

I think first gen immigrants usually try their hardest to learn but again, learning a second language as an adult is very difficult. I don't see a problem with accommodating them; someone complaining about having to press 1 for english is just an asshole.
 
CletusJones said:
My grandmother immigrated from Germany, you used to have to know english to get in. She said she saw people get turned away
Click to expand...

Even now it is a real PITA for a lot to immigrate to the US. I watched a few friends have their family try to and one couldn't get her husband here for a few years. It sucks sometimes. I was reading (not sure how accurate it is as there wasn't a real source) that at least 2/3 of those who come to the US speak it really well. Maybe not 100% fluent but good enough.

English is tough to learn, but I'm not convinced that people who move here (at least legally) don't at least try.
 
If people don't wanna learn the language that's their right as well as their problem...
My bf barely speaks English and has lived in Canada for over 13 yrs.. He gets by... But has no desire to learn the language.
 
Fat Lola said:
If people don't wanna learn the language that's their right as well as their problem...
My bf barely speaks English and has lived in Canada for over 13 yrs.. He gets by... But has no desire to learn the language.
Click to expand...

Or he's just lazy.
 
yeppers said:
Is there a large latino population up there? I remember a lot of Asian people my couple trips to toronto.
Click to expand...

No, more Latinos in Montreal
However he's in the construction business and most people speak Portuguese Italian and Spanish.
My exHusb was/in construction as well and altho he's fluent in English he says he spends 90% of his day communicating with people in Portuguese.

In Toronto there are tons and tons of Indians and Pakistanis
 
Fat Lola said:
No, more Latinos in Montreal
However he's in the construction business and most people speak Portuguese Italian and Spanish.
My exHusb was/in construction as well and altho he's fluent in English he says he spends 90% of his day communicating with people in Portuguese.

In Toronto there are tons and tons of Indians and Pakistanis
Click to expand...

I've never been to Montreal. I need to to get there, i hear it's a great town.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back