[ahab]

In the US there is a massive amount of immigrants that do not know english well and some even refuse to learn english, due to this they have a hard time getting better jobs in the workforce. In some public schools english is not taught at all and the people educated at these schools do not do well outside their community due to language barriers.

I can understand how making a language official and excluding all other languages from official business would be discriminatory against minorities and immigrants expecially, but there are other less language restrictive measures that could be taking.

A decent proposal I have heard to end this problem is english as a second language classes required in all non-predominately english schools to help these people do better in the workforce. It wouldn't be strictly english, but moreso the nation's dominant language, so if after time the nation's language changes the language tought would reflect this. Is this wrong in some way or ?!? I'd just like to bounce this idea off a few people.

[Krasniy Yastreb]

I think everyone should be taught every language that is used in their continent. Many say this is impossible but nearly every single person I've met from mainland Europe can speak at least three languages. It puts us Brits to shame......

[Proctor]

Its not impossible, but it would just be stupid. People in asia would have to learn hundreds of languages!

That said, I wouldn't mind seeing more people who are bilingual, and I support the majority language being compulsory.

[Boondock Saint]

English should be the official language. All other languages are optional. If I moved to Japan I wouldnt expect everyone to speak Enlgish to me. If I moved to France I wouldnt expect everyone to speak English. If I moved to Boston I wouldnt expect everyone to speak without one of the most annoying accents on the face of the earth .

So whensomeone moves to the US they should expect to speak English. Thats that.

Not saying people arent free to speak whatever language they wish ... hell I plan on brushing up on my Spanish and eventually French and German but I don't expect anyone else to speak it here ...

[SirBateman]

There was a proposition a few years back in California repealling a lawa that mandated ESL classes in the state. Schools were complaining that they were spending too many tax dollars on the immigrants and residents who had limited english skills. A fierce debate raged in communities, until it passed by a small majority (I think it was less than 5%). In any event, CA no longer requires that schools offer an ESL option to non-english speaking students. A bane on progress, that ultimately saves a few bucks.

I believe that every nation has the right and duty to determine an official language, but the US and GB are far behind the times as far as bilingual populations. I used to live just north of the US/Mexico boarder, where a vast majority of workers are spanish-speaking, while a very small minority of the white population spoke more than a word or two of Spanish. This i believe ultimately hurts the population, and increases poverty and crime. If the government will not actively help these people learn a new language, and the only jobs they can get without knowing English is in the grape vines, these millions will be subject to poverty for generations.

SirBateman

[FCP]

In Canada, bilingualism costs the government 2 billion dollars a year, simply to translate all documents into English and/or French and provide all services in both languages. That's alot of money!! It's practically an industry.

[KurtFF8]

well if you want to work in an english speaking country, and deal with english speaking customers,etc. then you should speak english. or is that racist!

[Putinist]

well if you want to work in an english speaking country, and deal with english speaking customers,etc. then you should speak english. or is that racist!

No. Not at all. It's just logical.

When my family came to this country (the United Kingdom), they had to learn English. Nowadays they all speak it quite well, considering that top linguists have put English as the hardest language in the world to learn (the easiest being French)! My grandfather speaks poor English, but I can still understand what the guy is saying - and he tries!

If the Slavs can do it then so can the folks from the Asian subcontient (Indians and Pakistans - whom there are a lot of in Britain). Polish people or other Slavic people never needed signs up in hospitals, clinics, and whatnot, in their own language! If we can learn, then so can the Pakistanis (and believe me - I know a lot who can speak it better than my grandfather ever could!).

[KurtFF8]

french the easiest? no, spanish is much easier than french lol

[Putinist]

french the easiest? no, spanish is much easier than french lol

At school I studied three languages; French, Spanish, and Latin (yes, people - Latin!) - and all at higher level, I must point out! The funny thing though is that I also found Spanish twice as easy as French! Why, I could do the accent better, the numerical system was much easier to learn that the crazy French one, etc.. My languages teacher in latter years even acknowledged that, of the two - French or Spanish; I had "more of a flair for Spanish"! Plus, espanol is much more worthwhile than French, as it it the world's second most widely spoken language (the most widely spoke being good old English - spoken by 33% of the planet!). In fact, I think that high schools in the US and the UK should be teaching their students Spanish first, not French. As KurtFF8 said, it is by far the easier.

!Viva espanol!;)

[Adrien]

What? French is the most easy language on earth, and i can tell you i had no problem learning it!

Anyway, while we're talking about the languages problem, another one is the invasion of english, at least here, i am all in favor of a Quebec style law that would defend french!

[Wilhelm]

In Aruba the educational system goes like this:

Form Kindergarden to 5th grade, everything is in Dutch. Then, from 6th to 8th or 9th grade, everything is in Spanish (I think), and then from 9th or 10th grade to 11th grade, they can choose either French or german. IN addition to that, outside school they speak teh native Arubian language which is Papiamento. They end up being able to communicate in 4 different languages.

It is not racist to make people in the USA learn English. It is the predominant language, it should be taught. I don't see the reasons for not doing it (except for money, which is a shame).

[Adrien]

In Dutch? Well that's interesting!

[Steve]

Aruba is a Dutch colony, so that's why they learn Dutch

[Tigerlily]

French the easiest? I actually think it's quite hard. The grammar is a million times harder than English. In French they have "verb rules" and those rules practically only work for a certain number of verbs and all the rest are exceptions. Haha.

French was made to be hard to write (all those rules in grammar and spelling and pronoms). The French nobles didn't want the peasents learning the language.

Anyway, Canada isn't totally French and English. Only things with the federal government are legally supposed to be in both languages. Quebce is totally french and New Brunswick is the only official bilingual province. Where I am from, we are all English speaking. Even the Acadians who come from French desent and have French last names all speak English as their first language.

And the thing what Putinist said about English being spoken like 33% around the world, is false. We have a map in our school library and it has language statistics and stuff. Chinese (Mandarin) is the most spoken.

[grinner]

I think it's crazy that every ATM I go to asks me if I want English or Spanish before I can start my transaction. Not to sound cold-hearted but this shouldn't be an option or a delay. It should be assumed since I'm standing at an American ATM I'll be using Eglish today. If I were in another country I wouldn't expect English as an option.
A global language?
It's been around since man has.
Not to be cliche'....
It's the international language of love.

[Deicidus]

Sorry baby but, Quebec is not totaly french. 57% of the Montreal population is english speaking. English immigrants are arriving in mass as they found out that the bill 101 is full of holes. 18 to 22% in 5 years. It is not only possible but also quite easy for people to live in Quebec while not speaking a word of french. It isnt possible though to live here and not know a word of english. In every store and every restaurant, cafés and departements, people first adress us in english. The english comunity is greatly offended when welcomed in french and thats not good for business. Those fucks . They have their own institutions, Own neighborhoods, stores, clinics, schools. Created by and for themselves.... And still they claim to live in nazi land.

I just finished done reading my 8th book on the Acadians. I know why they speak english now and I was quite sickened by it.

I agree that French is quite harder to learn. But I think that French is a more articulate and understandable language. I always had better grades in my english classes than in my french classes actualy. My english is not quite perfect as everybody can see by my spelling.

I think what Putinist tried to say is that he thinks that english is the most repanded language. Certainly not the most spoken around the world. Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Spanish, Russian and god knows what else.

[Putinist]

Never mind moaning about Francais and espanol - try and get your teeth into Latin! Latin is challengingly hard, but it can be fun, and learning Latin has its advantages if you go into studying modern European languages too (as I did).

[FCP]

Certainly not the most spoken around the world. Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Spanish, Russian and god knows what else.

Actually English, while being the language of international business, is also the second or third most spoken language on earth behind only Mandarin or maybe -- depending on whose stats you believe -- Spanish

2nd:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0775272.html#A0774735

3rd:
http://www.photius.com/rankings/languages2.html

I just finished done reading my 8th book on the Acadians. I know why they speak english now and I was quite sickened by it.

I don't know much about the Acadians other than a bunch were expelled from Canada and moved to Lousiana. I suspect that the reason many Acadians speak English is probably not that much different than why many Africans, Haitians, French Polynesians, etc. speak French.

[Yeddi]

I've always wanted to learn latin, but its not offten, like Putinist said.. and he would know, Latin supposedly makes other decendents, french, spanish etc. ALOT easier to learn which is bon.
While the french system of numbers may be considered wierd and confusing is some places, 4 20 = 80(it sure is) its just an old form of counting, using a score as the measurement. When you think about english, it too is illogical one two three... eleven twelve thirteen, fourteen fifteen... wheres the pattern? it should be oneteen, twoteen, threeteen fourteen... why the special 11, 12?
I read a book all about counting and number systems (yes its rtrue i have no life) "Man and Number - Donald Smeltzer", 1965... (printed in Bristol )It was very interesting it discussed how humans see in groups of 3 (mostly) and whennyou bring in the most logical and scientific form of number creation.. a better form would be:
1. Consistency in number words - ten-one, ten-two, ten-nine...
onety, twoty, threety... or ten, two-ten, three-ten...
ten, hundred, 'newdred' (10000), ten 'newdred', hundred 'newdred'...

2. change number symbols.... 5, 3 can be confused as can 2 and 7.... maybe change to symbols with the same number of strokes as the number...

3. Change the base 10 which we use to a base of 12, (symbols would have to be introdused, then fractions which are most commonly used are whole numbers... 1/3=4 instead of 3.333333333333... you get the idea (or should )


But of course creating all these changes in a society so deeply rooted in our system would be impossible... so while it might not be the best system, it works well....
[is this really off topic?]

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