Should everyone in America speak English?

[savraj1]

Originally Posted by K Town Trash

Originally Posted by zmoney3

everyone in the world should speak English, would make things so much easier in all countries for people from different countries doing business...etc

lol que? so why not chinese since its the most populated country in the world? why not indian? 

No such language as Indian 

 I think you mean Hindi. Even then, many of the educated people in India know and speak some English.

 

[azndood21]

Originally Posted by ServeChilled81

Originally Posted by zmoney3

everyone in the world should speak English, would make things so much easier in all countries for people from different countries doing business...etc

 

[AZwildcats]

They shouldn't be forced to because they are only hurting themselves in the long run.

On a semi-related note, in high school we were required to take two years of a foreign language. Thing is, Spanish was the only foreign language offered. So essentially we were required to learn some Spanish to graduate high school. I would have rather studied a different language, but I cant say I'm worse off because of it.

 

[runningfishy]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

Originally Posted by RunningFishy

Silly is what silly does.

Obviously if you were to reside in a location where English is the dominating language, you would have to speak it to communicate.  If you don't speak it, how else are you going to communicate?  This is common sense as common sense is common sense.

To take it to the next level though, I don't feel like everyone should ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH.  I endorse diverse cultures and different languages/dialects.  It helps to preserve cultures and customs in America.  More so, lingustics carries different shades from one language to another.  There are some things that can be said in one language that cannot fully be translated into another.

Thank about it.

but thats the whole point.

there are a ton of ethnic communities in the US where people can get by without speaking English.

for example, where i live (LA / Orange County) there are large populations of many different ethnic groups.  A Mexican immigrant living in Santa Ana or Boyle Heights could get by without speaking a lick of English because there are shops, banks, markets, restaurants, professional service providers, etc... etc... that cater towards the Spanish speaking population.  Same could be said about a Vietnamese immigrant in Westminster.  Same about a Korean immigrant in Garden Grove.  Within their community in which they reside (in the US) they have no problem communicating in their native tongue.

  

Exactly, but they arrived here for a reason, and it's obvious that the predominant language in America is 'English'.  That's not to say it's mandatory, but it would make sense for these people that live here to want to achieve higher by learning the predominating language.  I guess a simple question to ask would be whether or not you want your kids to learn purely English or carry another language.

I personally would want my kids to have another language.  It gives them options.  What I wouldn't want is for my kids to struggle in English.

 

[asianplayer]

I would say it shouldn't be forced cause there are certain areas in the U.S. where you don't need to know English to survive. Hell, just knowing English in those areas may have you being the lost one.

Also, can't really generalize and say just cause you can't speak English means you aren't doing well financially. I know a couple of people who live in the U.S. that do a lot of business overseas and never learn English, but are doing well.

 

[yankeesking92]

Absolutely, I see why we should have to adjust to people coming in to the country to make life suitable for them. Learn English if you're living here and call this country HOME!

 

[kramer]

Do we have an official language? no. But no other language here in the USA is as dominant so please lets just all speak english

 

[omgitswes]

No. But if they want to provide anything in this country then they obviously need to learn it

 

[oh you mad]

Everyone in America should be bilingual 

 

[three6mafia]

They should at least know it.

 

[coolgraymemo]

Originally Posted by Oh YoU MaD

Everyone in America should be bilingual 

This.
Why would everyone in America be required to speak English?

 

[mints]

I find that it tends to be a moot point. People complaining about the current group of immigrants not learning English have forgotten how the Italians and Germans were treated when they first came here. Within a generation or two at most the offspring of the original immigrants are normally assimilated into US culture. What does get me are families that let their kids be placed in ESOL programs despite having been here 15 years or so prior to the kids being old enough to go to school. When I was registered for kindergarten I had to take a test, and despite passing it the school system wanted to toss me into a 1 hour a day ESOL program (I think they get more money per student) my parents knew that by that point I'd mastered English as well as any other 5 year old so I went into the regular classes. Other parents don't do that and I think it does their kids a disservice.

 

[jrdnsrnss]

Yes

 

[grimey]

this is such stupid logic

 

[maicolkickhead]

Originally Posted by milestailsprowe

YES If your living in a country where One language spoken by 99% of the population then you NEED to know it.

99% of the population speaks english? i doubt it.

 

[frostythepoptart]

the overwhelming majority of the population speaks english.

english is the language of the u.s.

if you go to any hispanic / chinese / neighborhood business i guarantee that regardless on their preferred language or their usual customer every one of those who own their business speak english.

I don't even get the point in arguing against this.

 

[so nyuh shi dae]

english is not the official language. so, no.

 

[b fr3sh]

Yes.

 

[ricky409]

In America, we speak American, dammbit.

 

[nocomment6]

yes.

 

[kingjay718]

Spend American money...

 

[bob lobblaw]

so how the hell is my 85 year old grandma supposed to learn english? what is the point when the only people she interacts with speak the same language as her?

 

[boys noize]

No one should be forced to learn English in America.

Don't get me wrong, learning English can only help you in this country but you guys make it sound like picking up the language is that easy. Not everyone has the privilege of time to learn a new language. Both sets of my grandparents immigrated from Hong Kong and between the four of them they know the alphabet and maybe fifty words by heart. They've been here over twenty five years now and have done amazing for themselves. There aren't many places in the world similar to the US where you don't necessarily have to learn an "official" language since there are so many different diverse communities. Back to my own family's example, they're based in the SF Bay Area where there's a large Chinese immigrant population. In their social circles and everyday interactions, English was never necessary. To compare living in America and learning English to living in France and NEEDING to learn French is to compare apples to oranges.

 

[lil black jean jacket]

Yessir.

 

[zk1mpls]

Yeah.