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"Welcome to America....Now Speak English!!"
- Thread in 'General' Thread starter Started by doublejs07,
- Start date
xtapolapacetl
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If you don't come with the bigot-like "If you don't speak English, then you kin gyet out" attitude towards people, you'll get much betterresults. People will learn English automatically then, but if you push them, they will cling on to their culture and refuse to integrate properly.
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which reminds me, there was a DWI checkpoint a few weeks back that I got caught up in and I saw a sign in the median that said something like " sobriedadde ......". Knowing a little bit of spanish I knew it was a dwi checkpoint or sobriety checkpoint, but there wasnt even a english sign out there... i wasbeyond pissed. I'm conforming to spanish now where I live.
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That sticker is as ignorant as the illegals who come here and simply REFUSE to even attempt to learn how to speak a language that would only benefit them intheir day to day lives. To each his own, I take it with a grain of salt.
bayyrd
formerly bay1591
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I do agree that immigrants should learn to speak English, I personally know people who cant speak English but since they came to work and to give theirchildren a better life when can they learn how to speak it....
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Immigrants SHOULD learn English, simple as that. At the minimum it should be conversational English (Hello, What time is it?, etc.) How do they expect toprosper in a society that they can't understand? They should learn English for their own benefit. They came to America in search of a better life, not tohave everything translated for them. This country primarily speaks English and that is a fact. Even if it is not official, everywhere you look you see English.
This is coming from someone who is trilingual (English, Arabic, Spanish). I'm taking Italian classes now and afterwards I will learn Japanese. If I move toJapan, Italy, or a Spanish-speaking country, I don't expect to have everything translated for me, so why should immigrants?
I don't mean to come off as rude, but this is the truth. They came to have a better life. Why not better it further by learning the language necessary tocommunicate?
This is coming from someone who is trilingual (English, Arabic, Spanish). I'm taking Italian classes now and afterwards I will learn Japanese. If I move toJapan, Italy, or a Spanish-speaking country, I don't expect to have everything translated for me, so why should immigrants?
I don't mean to come off as rude, but this is the truth. They came to have a better life. Why not better it further by learning the language necessary tocommunicate?
bobbybrownpacks
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only thing i can say on this subject is : if you live in a certain country, you MUST MUST MUST learn the official language of the country.
like real talk...F all that PC bs that half of ya'll are spewing. F all that blah blah blah tryin to drop knowledge and F the grammar police in here(writing and speaking are 2 totally diff. things)
if I went to mexico to live...do you think i would not be forced to learn spanish to survive?
or china? or france? or wherever? seriously.
like why do I, who have been living here all my life, have to suddenly learn another language to survive on my own turf?
thats like if humans starting living underwater and expecting fish to learn how to breathe air cause we dont know how. then forcing them with death if theydont.
(im high. best analogy i could come up with) but you get my point.
im really getting sick and tired of having to use my half #%# spanish to get a goddamn chilidog from weinerschnitzle. ya dig?
this is also a hard subject to get across a point cause english is everywhere.
but lets say french started living in china, would the natives start putting up french signs? or even acknowledge people trying to communicate in french withthem?
i think not.
like real talk...F all that PC bs that half of ya'll are spewing. F all that blah blah blah tryin to drop knowledge and F the grammar police in here(writing and speaking are 2 totally diff. things)
if I went to mexico to live...do you think i would not be forced to learn spanish to survive?
or china? or france? or wherever? seriously.
like why do I, who have been living here all my life, have to suddenly learn another language to survive on my own turf?
thats like if humans starting living underwater and expecting fish to learn how to breathe air cause we dont know how. then forcing them with death if theydont.
(im high. best analogy i could come up with) but you get my point.
im really getting sick and tired of having to use my half #%# spanish to get a goddamn chilidog from weinerschnitzle. ya dig?
this is also a hard subject to get across a point cause english is everywhere.
but lets say french started living in china, would the natives start putting up french signs? or even acknowledge people trying to communicate in french withthem?
i think not.
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That's what I'm getting at. They shouldn't be catered to, and while I think it's fine to live in homogeneously ethnic communitiesand have a thriving culture within [family businesses for example], they still live in America with the rest of us and should be able to at least somewhat function. What happens when the Cambodian immigrant gets pulled over and can't speak no damn english ? What ifhe's in east TX and there is no translator available ??Originally Posted by SIRIUS LEE HANDSOME
Slow down there Jack. Who's "THEM" that you're referring to? If you're singling out Spanish speakers (which you are) then you're just making yourself sound like a bigot. Straight up. There's a lot of contempt in the words you just wrote. Protesting against someone's lack of English skills shouldn't be an excuse to express yourself in such a bigoted manner.Originally Posted by Forgot About Jae
DONT COME BACK INTO MY STORE UNTIL YOU LEARN SOME DAMN ENGLISH
No I don't "piki panich" and I am NOT your "primo" gtfomf with all that. I can't STAND them
People should learn the language of their host country to become part of the bigger audience but some of you making certain groups of people a scapegoat or condoning the undercover bigotry of those who would go so far as campaign against "them" are just as bad.
Like I said earlier in this discussion, if you go so far as to parade around with a bumper sticker on your car with a message that's verging on hate towards certain people, then it's most likely not coming from a good place.
The psychology of placing a bumper sticker with this kind of message on one's car isn't too far removed from those yahoos you saw protesting during the Teabag protests recently or the protests during the last Presidential election with people clad in American flags talking slick. Think about it. Do you really want to group yourself with that kind of population?
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If you're going to be a productive member of a society, you should learn the popular language. English wins in the US. If I go to Russia, Japan, or Mexico,I'm on my own. I don't expect them to understand me, I will have to try to learn theirs. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but it is disrespectfulto refuse to learn the local language.
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QFT
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The point of this post totally flew over your head I see...
We're talking about learning English well enough to function and interact with people whose native language is English or a dialect of it.
how can you ask of people to learn a language when the people that speak English as a native language can't even do it the way they should, withoutmistakes and errors?
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i have an album called "speak english or die"
ironically, i was listening to that album and my dad asked me in broken english w/ one of the worst accents i have ever heard (exaggerating) what the hell iwas listening to
ironically, i was listening to that album and my dad asked me in broken english w/ one of the worst accents i have ever heard (exaggerating) what the hell iwas listening to
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I work with a non-profit organization that assists immigrants in learning English, and let me just say that a lot of them do put in the effort and learn atleast a basic level of conversational English, but it sure can be a big struggle learning a new language as an adult, especially with many of them not havinggotten far in their schooling. It's easy to say, "Speak English!" but much harder to give a little assistance in how to aquire it.
But two things that truly sadden me: a) Why does just about every other damn country emphasize English as a 2nd language yet our ignorant selves can barelyspeak one language?? b) It bothers me how the English language gets absolutely butchered. I'm no English expert, but its appalling how terrible a largenumber of people butcher the English language.
No official language...
But two things that truly sadden me: a) Why does just about every other damn country emphasize English as a 2nd language yet our ignorant selves can barelyspeak one language?? b) It bothers me how the English language gets absolutely butchered. I'm no English expert, but its appalling how terrible a largenumber of people butcher the English language.
No official language...
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This all comes down to basic business principles, which in your co-worker's case fits perfectly (although I do find it tacky and distasteful).
If you're on the SELLING end of international trade, you learn your buyer's lanuage. So since Asia is one of the Top 3 in international business withthe U.S., that's why a lot of them speak English, meanwhile very few of us bother to learn theirs.
If you're on the BUYING end of international trade, you let them learn your language-- they're trying to convince you to buy their product. Sameconcept as above, just reversed.
It's a little sad, but true. Not that I'm justifying that bumper sticker in the least, but that would explain the idea.
If you're on the SELLING end of international trade, you learn your buyer's lanuage. So since Asia is one of the Top 3 in international business withthe U.S., that's why a lot of them speak English, meanwhile very few of us bother to learn theirs.
If you're on the BUYING end of international trade, you let them learn your language-- they're trying to convince you to buy their product. Sameconcept as above, just reversed.
It's a little sad, but true. Not that I'm justifying that bumper sticker in the least, but that would explain the idea.
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Haven't countries around the world mandated English classes as they grow up for economic purposes? What's the difference?
I keep reading these examples about going to other countries and how they don't cater to English speakers, yet, a lot of these countries teach English intheir schools. I've only been to two other countries and they were both Spanish speaking so I can't say that I know this for sure, but I think I'ddo okay going to any major, industrialized city in the world w/o speaking the local language. I'd obviously have to learn the language and be proficientat it to be "successful," but it's no sweat of their backs if I am or not.
By the way, have y'all been to China recently? France? Spain?
What are the names of their most populous cities and how many primarily English speaking or bi-lingual (w/ English obviously being one of the two) live there?
Are there any Sacramento's in China? San Antonio's in Spain? New York's in Germany?
As a Californian, I laugh that people are trying to claim English-only or English as an official language when a majority of the people living here live incities named Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Ana, and Fresno. It's even worse when I consider the history of theregion, land that was stolen and laws put into effect to make life harder here for Mexicans.
Making California English-only would be denying its history and culture.
Find me another country that has a similar history and has taken such a step.
I keep reading these examples about going to other countries and how they don't cater to English speakers, yet, a lot of these countries teach English intheir schools. I've only been to two other countries and they were both Spanish speaking so I can't say that I know this for sure, but I think I'ddo okay going to any major, industrialized city in the world w/o speaking the local language. I'd obviously have to learn the language and be proficientat it to be "successful," but it's no sweat of their backs if I am or not.
By the way, have y'all been to China recently? France? Spain?
What are the names of their most populous cities and how many primarily English speaking or bi-lingual (w/ English obviously being one of the two) live there?
Are there any Sacramento's in China? San Antonio's in Spain? New York's in Germany?
As a Californian, I laugh that people are trying to claim English-only or English as an official language when a majority of the people living here live incities named Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Ana, and Fresno. It's even worse when I consider the history of theregion, land that was stolen and laws put into effect to make life harder here for Mexicans.
Making California English-only would be denying its history and culture.
Find me another country that has a similar history and has taken such a step.
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Its weird how the MAJORITY in USA speak english, our schools are in english, TV, books, music, stores, etc.....and yet people still get butt hurt when someonebelieves immigrants should learn english.
like seriously isthat farfetched for a person to think that if you are going to live in a country that speaks MOSTLY english, thenothers should learn english as well? Don't give me that soft %+* "there is no official language" BS. Everyone knows USA = English, period. Thereis absolutely no argument against that. This country started with Englishmen (yes I know Natives were here first).
-The Juice
-The Juice
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They stole the land, they made the land profitable, and the land is apart of the United States. If they want it to be English only.....thenit's English only. Is it fair to the immigrants? Probably not but get over it. Life isn't fair. They make the rules, we follow them. Plain and simple.Don't like it? Then steal the land back or simply learn English.Originally Posted by holdenmichael
Haven't countries around the world mandated English classes as they grow up for economic purposes? What's the difference?
I keep reading these examples about going to other countries and how they don't cater to English speakers, yet, a lot of these countries teach English in their schools. I've only been to two other countries and they were both Spanish speaking so I can't say that I know this for sure, but I think I'd do okay going to any major, industrialized city in the world w/o speaking the local language. I'd obviously have to learn the language and be proficient at it to be "successful," but it's no sweat of their backs if I am or not.
By the way, have y'all been to China recently? France? Spain?
What are the names of their most populous cities and how many primarily English speaking or bi-lingual (w/ English obviously being one of the two) live there?
Are there any Sacramento's in China? San Antonio's in Spain? New York's in Germany?
As a Californian, I laugh that people are trying to claim English-only or English as an official language when a majority of the people living here live in cities named Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Ana, and Fresno. It's even worse when I consider the history of the region, land that was stolen and laws put into effect to make life harder here for Mexicans.
Making California English-only would be denying its history and culture.
Find me another country that has a similar history and has taken such a step.
-The Juice
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Originally Posted by eNPHAN
this is my thing...
i've traveled to other countries...
Mexico doesn't accommodate English...if i'm in Ajijic, and i want an apple soda, i'm pretty much on my own......
i wouldn't imagine trying to do a complex transaction in mexico, knowing i don't speak spanish.....
if i can't point to it and hand money over for it, i wouldn't even ATTEMPT it...
meanwhile, 40 percent of stock in grocery stores is either half-spanish or FULL-spanish...
i think that's quite ridiculous.
When you can live and function in the United States and not even bother learning any English, i take offense...
i take offense that when i call U.S. T mobile, i'm asked if i want to speak Spanish before I'm even greeted...
does the Mexican t mobile ask everyone in Mexico "para englas, habla englas" when you call?
undoubtedly, NO.
but back to the OP, the bumper sticker is tasteless, but i agree, we shouldn't accommodate people who don't know the official language......
EDIT:
I see the argument has turned to "proper" english vs. english...
let me assure you, there is no such thing as "proper" english
every spoken form of english is a dialect of the "standard"
noone speaks the standard.
LET ME REPEAT
NO ONE HAS EVER OR WILL EVER SPEAK THE STANDARD.
what is the standard, anyway?
English certainly didn't start in the United States.....no american could possibly speak the "standard"
please, drop your incorrect standard language ideologies...
everyone speaks a dialect and no one dialect is superior to any other,
be it spanglish or dirty south-talk....
@standard language ideologies...
smh.
Cam:
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I saw a car with two bumper stickers yesterday.
One said "Hardcore Texan"
The other said "Hardcore American"
The car was a Nissan Sentra. I was flabbergasted.
One said "Hardcore Texan"
The other said "Hardcore American"
The car was a Nissan Sentra. I was flabbergasted.
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how can you ask of people to learn a language when the people that speak English as a native language can't even do it the way they should, without mistakes and errors?
I made it bigger since you seem to have missed the point
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I made it bigger since you seem to have missed the point
What I highlighted in green is very funny and ironic. However, improper grammar is ultimately a non-issue. If I can understand what you'resaying regardless of how broken your English is, then you are good to go.
It's funny though. The guys with the worst grammar and the least education are the first to express their narrow xenophobic views on society.
49ers650
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I agree...
