Thread: Why Is It That We Have To Speak English?

Hahahaha OUCH! He told him!

LOL. I like that one. Being in the industry that I am in, I have to deal with many people that do not speak English. It's very difficult at times. I think that if you are coming to our Country to live, please learn our language.

Americans do not as a whole (population) master a language other than English. Other countries - probably because of the close proximity of other countries with different languages - learn to speak their native language and at least one other. English is spoken in many places throughout the world and Spanish is also. I believe English and Spanish are the "accepted" universal languages (because many can speak them or have learned or that they are spoken in many places). Take Care, John H.

OUCH, did someone have their TOES stepped on

Ahh yes, the old American superiority complex. Personally, I wish I spoke more than one language, but our school systems did not think that was important when I was kid and foreign languages were not offered until high school.

I feel so smart.

Originally posted by John H.
. I believe English and Spanish are the "accepted" universal languages

What about swedish ?

Originally posted by Vieope
I feel so smart.

Me too, I speak 3 and a half

Originally posted by Jenny
Me too, I speak 3 and a half

"Good feeling is gone"

What good is learning a language if you are never going to use it. THAT, IMO, is why there aren't so many multi-linguals in the US. John H. is right on track with his line of thinking.

I learned French in High school and regret not taking spanish(we only had the choice of French, German and Spanish). I would much rather speak to one of our spanish speaking friends.

Originally posted by sYkboY
What good is learning a language if you are never going to use it. THAT, IMO, is why there aren't so many multi-linguals in the US.

Have you ever heard about travelling? J/k, I think you're right too. Here in Sweden we start learning english very early in school, because we're basicly not able to get by without it. We also learn a third and sometimes fourth language, which I think has a lot to do with us being in Europe since it is so multilingual.

Originally posted by Jenny
Have you ever heard about travelling? J/k, I think you're right too. Here in Sweden we start learning english very early in school, because we're basicly not able to get by without it. We also learn a third and sometimes fourth language, which I think has a lot to do with us being in Europe since it is so multilingual.

Hi Jenny. Certainly learning multiple languages would be very helpful I would think. But you would have to get people to learn them early in life (kinda like learning computers - the younger you are the better it seems you are able to pick it up - as I think it is harder to do the older you get (maybe? generally speaking?). Take Care, John H.

Originally posted by John H.
Hi Jenny. Certainly learning multiple languages would be very helpful I would think. But you would have to get people to learn them early in life (kinda like learning computers - the younger you are the better it seems you are able to pick it up - as I think it is harder to do the older you get (maybe? generally speaking?). Take Care, John H.

Maybe not .. You just need to be influenced a lot by the language. That is why people in Europe, like Jenny, knows so many languages. I learned english by the influence of books, television, music, movies, Seinfeld ..
One day I woke up : "Wow! I know english!"

Originally posted by Vieope
Maybe not .. You just need to be influenced a lot by the language. That is why people in Europe, like Jenny, knows so many languages. I learned english by the influence of books, television, music, movies, Seinfeld ..
One day I woke up : "Wow! I know english!"

Hi Vieope. I can see that for sure! I guess I was speaking from being here in the U. S. - there are not a lot of instances as in Europe I guess where Americans would be subject to any GENERAL "exposure" to other languages and would then have to learn them in school more often than not then say just from living experiences... Take Care, John H.

Spanish should be core curriculum for grade school students in the U.S. Most spanish speaking U.S. citizens are bilingual.

And I wish I spoke French so I could carry on a conversation with my Canadian friends, and their freinds who do not speak English. I took three years of it between high school and college, but knowing how to ask "Ou est la toilete" will get you just so far in Canada.

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
"Ou est la toilete"

"Where is the bathroom ? "

Right ? I hate the french language.

It is always good to have perspective and an open mind.

je voudrais les pommes frittes

JK!

mais j'adore le glace chocolat

Hey, frozen or melted... chocolate is chocolate

I don't think it should be required, but I think it is very useful to know multiple languages.

Originally posted by Dale Mabry
I don't think it should be required

I suppose you're right. Let's first work on imporving our kids' HORRIBLE math and English skills.

AGREED!!!

English was my sixth language and I have always been confused by the spelling. Grammatically it's easier than the romance languages (no feminine, masculine, less verb conjunctions etc.) but the spelling......arrgh! Also, the adjectives ad infinitum. Nothing beats the simplicity of chinese grammar (heck, we don't even use a, the, and past and present are expressed in usage vs. actual modifiers etc.) However, it is easier to write in english as well as type so I won't complain. I wish I knew German, since there are so many good german medical literature I'd like to read. I know enough spanish to get some basic history after immersing myself in South Central on the obstetrics ward for three months. However, I wish I knew more since I love the literature that comes from so many latin, spanish writers!


The american school systems have it all wrong. The brain can absorb a second, third, fourth language before the age of 9 quite easily, in fact, there is very little "accent" if learned before this age. Instead, most languages are introduced after the age of twelve or junior high school if I am correct.

Originally posted by Dale Mabry
I don't think it should be required, but I think it is very useful to know multiple languages.

For Americans I think it's pretty important for kids to be learning Spanish in school. I am "making" my son take Spanish, actually he has been taking it all thru elementary, and we are going to make him take all the way thru high school.

knowing multiple languages is very useful!

ex: making fun of people in Greek while they are right there

My youngest brother is an Antropological Linguist and speaks English (of course), Latin, Spanish, Iquitos, some language in Papya New Guinea, and Greek (watch what you type greeky )... he's learning German right now.

He teaches at the University of Texas.

I'm such a proud big sister

AMERICAN English can hardly be considered proper english !!!

its all ebonics, southern english and other vernacular drivel that has permuated proper English that once existed in this country.