Non-English speaking "citizens"

[MaxPower]

Something said in another thread sparked this one, and instead of taking that one off subj. I decided to take it here. Here's what it was:

well, to be really frank, we don't have a declared national language here. thus, the most of us who happen to speak english are really frustrated when our markedly american monolinguism makes it more and more difficult to speak with our compatriots.
if we had a declared national language, i could take a different stance; until we do, i have to accept that there will be non-english-speaking americans and that the fact that i only speak languages is MY handicap, not other people's.

~ dan ~

I admire morelos compassion and understanding, but I cannot dissagree more. True we don't technically have declared national language, however it's well known around the world that we speak english here. When you move to another country for long term residence or to become a permanent citizen, it is your responsability to make sure you're understood when you speak. It is not my responsability to take language courses to understand them, although I make every effort.
When my company sends me somewhere, I go to the book store and pick up one of those translation books, just to learn enough to survive, get hotel rooms, taxies, rent cars, buy meals. Europe is cool, most people there speak some english, so if I wanted I could just coast. But I don't, I make an effort to speak in their native languages, as much as possible.
Now I'm not saying that I expect the same effort from temporary visitors to our country, it's just something that I choose to do. But if you plan on staying here a while or for the rest of your life, Speak fucking English mother fucker! Sorry but it pisses me off.
Why should I have to go into a store or resturaunt and the worker stands there going "Que?......Que?"

"I said!...can I please have a fucking number 3 hold the fucking lettuce, extra fucking tomato!!!"

"Que?.. joo hwant fry?"

And then they get pissed at me for not speaking their language or something.

Heres some advice for those looking to move to america.


- Bienvenido a America, ahora habla ingles

- Accueillir a l'amerique, maintenant parler l'anglais

- HeiBen Sie Willkommen nach Amerika, spricht jetzt Englisch

- Verwelkoom naar Amerika, spreekt nu het Engels


Welcome to America, Now speak English.

 

[dustinzgirl]

Well, why dont you get off your lazy butt and learn all those languages. Then, they can be lazy and not learn ours.

I speak a little bit of spanish, which helps in my job.

I dont speak korean or arabic though and I get those customers all the time.

Since I do computer sales over the phone, I have figured out that asian and arabic dialects are the fucking hardest to understand!

 

[Bullshyt]

Frankly, I think Morello's post is of plain ignorance.

 

[Jaymes]

They should try to learn our language. It's sorta thier responsibility of moving here. Would you move to Japan and not try to learn Japanese?

 

[morelos]

Frankly, I think Morello's post is of plain ignorance.

From www.dictionary.com :

"ignorance n.: The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed."

I'd say i'm none of those things, but I'm not here to argue that. I just wanted others to understand why I got a chuckle at your expense for that post.

now, to MaxPower:

you have a really good point. and this is why things like this become actual issues; it's because there are two valid, justifiable, and MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE points of view available for people to take (legality of abortion / guns / adoption, separation of church from schools, etc.) and because people will take both, we will have disagreements.

thankfully we're free to do that here in america. now here's the thing i do want you to know, though. i think things would be a LOT easier here in america, both for me and for the non-english-speakers, if they would learn english. i wish people did. moreover, i purposely avoided pointing out that the state of california DOES have an official language, and it gets on my nerves VERY MUCH that we print official documents in so many different languages. i just don't feel right taking that stance nationally.

when my great-grandparents came here in the early 20th century (yes, all eight of them from the same generation, from northern italy; four separate married couples) they learned english.

BUT

as long as there are enough people speaking a certain language and teaching it to their children, there will be subcommunities speaking that language which, in fact, CAN survive economically here in the states. because of that, it removes anyone's incentive to learn a new language (and as an adult, it's like 3208423098x harder than it is as a kid).. so we need to combat THAT somehow.

my actual idea?
1) declare english the national language.
2) only allow visa holders to not learn english (you have a sponsor, you're only here until it expires, and you either get re-sponsored i.e. by an employer where you can function or you get deported).
3) greencard holders cannot hold driver's licenses (limits freedom, limits employability, limits all kinds of shit). only visa-holders and citizens. we already have no social security and no voting rights for greencard holders; it's not beyond our scope to make it impossible to get a license as well.
4) citizenship examination conducted (as now) in english, with NO foreign language translations.

now, with all that, i would want to add a "legal aliens get their citizenship within 5 years or get deported" clause, but i think the driver's license limitation would kinda cause every one of them to REALLY REALLY try to learn english and then pursue their licenses.

but i just can't support that kind of thing until americans get together and demand the declaration of an official language. maxpower, when you go abroad, you go to a country whose people have gotten together and declared, "we speak French" or "we speak German here." once we do that, i'm behind you 100%.

~ dan ~

 

[Bullshyt]

No shit smartass, I know what ignorance means, and yes, I did mean it inn the uneducated way, but sorry if you didn't pick up on that, since you're the smartest person here since you're a teacher.

 

[morelos]

being a teacher doesn't make me smart ;]

 

[Cutter]

It blows to get passed over for some burging flipping job at mcdonalds, cause they can pay the wet back 2bucks a hour then me a regular 5.35 an hour,damn piss's Cutter off he gets fucked over

 

[magnolia]

poor babe. Welcome to the site. And I know how u feel. BK didn't want me.

 

[ferengi]

Don't feel bad. Really. You aren't missing anything except a ton of stress. Fast food sucks donkey dick.

 

[Winternacht]

- HeiBen Sie Willkommen nach Amerika, spricht jetzt Englisch. = Bid you welcome to America, speaking now English.

Gibberish.

 

[Lawdawg428]

1) Fast food jobs do suck ass let the fucking imigrents have them.
2) People from other countires come over here and licenses they take the written test in their respective languages and are spoken to in their native toungs...... fucking bull shit
3) if we as english speaking Americans go to their shit hole countries we have to learn their fucking language to get by, and in Japan unless your rich or in the military you cant have a license for like 6 or 9 months also fucking bullshit

 

[stoj]

Problem solved

 

[MaxPower]

- HeiBen Sie Willkommen nach Amerika, spricht jetzt Englisch. = Bid you welcome to America, speak now English.

Gibberish.

Funny, there is nothing clearer. Lets break it down for you:

Bid you welcome to america This means:

Wel.come:
Received with pleasure and hospitality into one's company or home: a welcome guest. (in this case our country.)


speak now English

Speak: to verbaly communicate

Now: At this present time, or immediately.
Although the context in which I was using it means "From this point on"


I'm always glad when someone takes the effort to ask me to elaborate when they don't understand something. You are a credit to this forum, and we can all take an example from you.

 

[morelos]

maxpower - don't bother arguing with nitwits that just have to attack your translations. your point was made, regardless of the quality of the literal translation of a particular sentence. it's not worth your breath ;\

 

[blw72887]

lol ferengi74656.. well I don't think I could ever work at fastfood.. people would piss me off too much

 

[SpIkEyOaSs]

(Not to be racost in any way but.....) I say we get rid of all non whites sept for slaves and go back to the way it was when we first landed on America then we would speak the same language and not walk in 7-11 and have to listen to arabic or spanish

 

[Seije]

I don't want to sound racist at all cause I'm not but as many ppl who work at fast food restaurants should relate to this as I have

ever notice when listening to orders in drive thru u can always hear them understand them(most the time)

the other part of time is where u just can't understand what the hell they're saying...u keep saying I'm sorry could u repeat that?...and it's sounds incredibly worse the second, third even fourth time
don't want to sound rude but does anyone ever go, "yep that's the arabic guy, or black woman, or chinese person"
and the sad part is ur right...all the white ppl go thru fine until u get that one person who just can't speak right
y do they bother with it getting all personal with us like it's our fault we can't understand them? maybe they should take a lessen on pronounciation and we'd get their order right next time

plus maybe they should just come inside and not bother with drive thru if it's gonna take so long...then again, when I take their orders inside they speak so dam quiet I gotta ask them to speak up twice and try to lean over the counter to hear them......sometimes they start with the first word loud then the rest is just dribble

come'on ppl, we're here to serve u and ur there to get something fast and convenient, but that can't happen if we're trying to give u speech lessons at the same time

kool, I'm sticking this in another forum as well

 

[SpIkEyOaSs]

(Not to be racost in any way but.....) I say we get rid of all non whites sept for slaves and go back to the way it was when we first landed on America then we would speak the same language and not walk in 7-11 and have to listen to arabic or spanish

^^

 

[Bullshyt]

Seije, that did sound pretty racist.