The problem is this, adults can't learn a new language as easy as their children. So, perhaps the parents of the immigrants speak an English that a rooster would be better at, but their kids will get it.

I would like to learn a new language as well. I understand the benefits of being bilingual and multilingual perfectly.

But I would expect to learn a new language if I were moving to a country where English wasn't the main language. Many people who move to America don't seem to understand this concept.

I can't wait to learn a new language, its very exciting and something I will look forward to doing until the day i emmigrate I always look on with envy at people who are multi-lingual. My girlfriend speaks 4 languages, which in uncomprehensable to me.

quote:

"Excuse me... where are you living?"

In a country with no official language!

Oh, the irony...

Americans are too self-consumed to realize the benefits of being bilingual and speaking many languages.

I've spoken Spanish and English perfectly since my childhood. The current benefits? I'm an honors student in both classes, learn other languages a lot easier, it looks great on my college application, and I can sound off people who say Hispanics can't speak English by speaking a better English than them. The latter benefits? I'll likely get Alzheimer's much later on.

I'm writing an article for YN on that. It's really necesarry.

I feel like a racist and im not, but BigSlickAK is right. One guy at Target got mad at a hispanic employee for having Spanish as his second language, and why the other wasnt speaking Spanish to him. i was thinking, "Excuse me... where are you living?"

quote:

Originally posted by Kidd:

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
There is no such thing as the American language. Get over it. English is not the American language. German is not the American language. Spanish is not the American language. They all are.

Right on!


pax.amor.aequalitas.

-Brian

www.generationforpeace.org

But English is the main language and the most commonly used in America. I mean not everyone who lives in France speaks French but the majority of them do.

So I just think that if you're going to live here, you should learn the language most commonly spoken. It only makes sense. It's ridiculous that I have to sort through the instructions for my stereo between English, Spanish, French, etc. If I went to another country where English was not as common as it is here then I would expect to learn the language.

quote:

'nipped up the apple n pears, grabbed a crate o'spears then headed down the battle-cruiser for a swift half and finished the night takin' a jimmy riddle and half inchin' a bobbys hat.'

what the heck does that mean? something about drinking right?

i'm from the United Kingdom of scotland, england, wales and northern ireland. And the differences in dialect between various parts of the UK are sometimes phenomenal. Especially to someone whose mother-tongue is not english. the same applies to differences between the various british accents and the american/australian/south african/indian ones.


if any brits are present, they'l know the difficulties understanding a scouser (Jenifer Ellison for exp, or Stevie G) or a cockney with the rhyming slang...

'nipped up the apple n pears, grabbed a crate o'spears then headed down the battle-cruiser for a swift half and finished the night takin' a jimmy riddle and half inchin' a bobbys hat.'


probably wouldn't mean a lot to an American.

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
It has very little in common with the cultured English used in England.

Ha, this is what I like. The assumption that the English in England is somehow more legitimate and cultured. Have you ever been to England? Do you have anymore trouble understanding a person with a normal English accent than a person with a normal Austrailian, Jamaican, or Canadian accent? How about someone from the deep south? Or Minnesota? I've never had any real difficulty, and if you say that there is "very little in common", either you have some sort of hearing problem, or you simply don't know what you're talking about.

American has gone so far past being an English dialect that it should be called a separate language. There are new words, new pronunciations, even new meanings (for instance, did you know "cute" used to mean clever?). It has very little in common with the cultured English used in England.

quote:

Originally posted by Brehon:
When you say dialects and mention Jamacia, India and Canada, you mean accents. That is people who speak Hindi trying to speak English.

No, I mean DIALECTS. It's not accents. There are different words and different pronunciations. It is, however, the same language.

quote:

We do have dialects, like Liverpudlian, that from Somerset and that from Northfolk. Those aredialects. America should take an indipendant language, even if it is almost identical to English in every way and call it American.[/

This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while. It's not called American because IT'S THE SAME LANGUAGE. You're coming off as an ignorant nationalist. Glad to see it exists everywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
There is no such thing as the American language. Get over it. English is not the American language. German is not the American language. Spanish is not the American language. They all are.

Right on!


pax.amor.aequalitas.

-Brian

www.generationforpeace.org

Well actually in many places around the world people speak their native language and Several other languages.

aye brehon like man, i be agreein' wit ya on them regional dialect-amigigs, them yanks be half-inching arr language you know like innit?

When you say dialects and mention Jamacia, India and Canada, you mean accents. That is people who speak Hindi trying to speak English.

We do have dialects, like Liverpudlian, that from Somerset and that from Northfolk. Those aredialects. America should take an indipendant language, even if it is almost identical to English in every way and call it American.

quote:

Originally posted by Brehon:
In colonial English:

"Oh my, what an absolutly facinating debate. One will rather enjoy decimating your points. Come on my old crocus, buck up!"

In American:


In fact no. I can't even bring myself to allow the english (English language = language spoken in England. Not in America) language to be so tainted. Go get your own language, stop plagerising.

Stuff it and realise there are various dialects. Look at your own country. Look at Jamaica, India, Canada. The English have such a twisted idea about what it's like in America I couldn't believe it when I was over there.

In colonial English:

"Oh my, what an absolutly facinating debate. One will rather enjoy decimating your points. Come on my old crocus, buck up!"

In American:


In fact no. I can't even bring myself to allow the english (English language = language spoken in England. Not in America) language to be so tainted. Go get your own language, stop plagerising.

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
Perhaps if we offered classes to teach English to immigrants at a young age, things would be better for you. But alas, we don't. Work on that instead of complaining.

No instead we're spending huge amounts of money providing classes IN SPANISH so the kids don't have to learn. That's the problem, and it stems directly from the idea that there is no "offical language" of the US. Knowing English is an excellent skill, seeing how it's the best thing we have for an international language. We should not spend money, time, and resources to make it easy to get by in this country without learning English.

I think that people who come here should learn english. It will help them in the long run, and if you want to make it in america you have to know english anyway.

I'm going to actually agree with Big.

I've always said that, if you're going to live in America, you need to learn our main language.

I bet you anything that France doesn't put five different languages on their box of tampons.

English may not be the official language but it's the most commonly used and main language of the country. If I went to live in Mexico or France or Italy, I would expect I'd need to learn their native language.