Apotheoun Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1597018' date='Jul 10 2008, 11:45 AM']While it is[b] good and noble [/b]and all to learn a second language (and Spanish IS a practical one to choose) it is misguided to say that it is more important for English-speaking Americans to learn Spanish than for Spanish-speaking immigrants to learn English. What next? Are we all to learn Hmong so that Hmong immigrants from Laos and Thailand don't have to bother to learn English? We have a pretty high Russian immigrant population here, should I be brushing up on that so that they don't need to learn English? What about the Somalis? What we need is a better system for educating ALL immigrants in English-- quickly, so that they can ALL function better in America.[/quote] I agree completely. This is by far the best post in this entire thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1606429' date='Jul 23 2008, 04:49 PM']Why? What's wrong with suggesting that we institute a better system for teaching everyone English? English language proficiency is the key to success in the US.[/quote] Oh the irony. In Asia, they are gung-ho about learning English. The Koreans love learning English and families who have kids in English classes are considered very respectable. If those kids end up learning the language well enough to attend an American university, that's even better. Japan is jumping on that train, too. Same goes for China and Taiwan. Indians speak excellent English already, as do Filipinos. Switching continents, many parts of Africa (especially in the western and northern nations) teach English in schools right from kindergarten and as a result many Africans are entirely fluent. Lots of Europeans speak English, as do Middle Easterners. So it seems strange that in OUR OWN COUNTRY we are criticized and maligned for expecting immigrants to learn English in America. The irony. Edited July 23, 2008 by Madame Vengier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckllnknny Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) in regards to homeschoolmoms quote.. Exactly. thats all Obama was saying too. but what is wrong with him saying brushing up on the second most popular language in the united states might help us communicate better? Edited July 23, 2008 by rckllnknny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rckllnknny' post='1606476' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:06 PM']in regards to homeschoolmoms quote.. Exactly. thats all Obama was saying too. but what is wrong with him saying brushing up on the second most popular language in the united states might help us communicate better?[/quote] Because it's not the responsibility of English-speaking Americans to help foreigners "communicate better" in their native language. Let the bilingual Hispanic Americans do that if they want to. It's not my responsibility. And the fact that Hispanics are the largest minority group in the USA on account of the fact that there are 12 million of them here illegally and we're expected to cater to them, THAT is particularly offensive to me. They break the laws of our sovereign nation and we should reward them by "brushing up on Spanish" so they communicate better? I'm ALL for teaching legal residents English--I would love to do that myself, where can I sign up?--but I'm not going to brush up on THEIR language for them. Edited July 23, 2008 by Madame Vengier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckllnknny Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [mod] edit, personal attack-- hsm [/mod] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='rckllnknny' post='1606476' date='Jul 23 2008, 06:06 PM']in regards to homeschoolmoms quote.. Exactly. thats all Obama was saying too. but what is wrong with him saying brushing up on the second most popular language in the united states might help us communicate better?[/quote] Because he was saying it to pander to Latino voters.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1606469' date='Jul 23 2008, 06:03 PM']Oh the irony. In Asia, they are gung-ho about learning English. The Koreans love learning English and families who have kids in English classes are considered very respectable. If those kids end up learning the language well enough to attend an American university, that's even better. Japan is jumping on that train, too. Same goes for China and Taiwan. Indians speak excellent English already, as do Filipinos. Switching continents, many parts of Africa (especially in the western and northern nations) teach English in schools right from kindergarten and as a result many Africans are entirely fluent. Lots of Europeans speak English, as do Middle Easterners. So it seems strange that in OUR OWN COUNTRY we are criticized and maligned for expecting immigrants to learn English in America. The irony.[/quote] This is a really good point. btw, we have a Japanese college student coming in a few days. She will be here for a couple of weeks... Why is she coming? To practice English.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckllnknny Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) madame nobody said it was your responsibility. i didnt ask to come to earth but God tries hard to cater to me anyway. Judging someone of trespassing on your free soil??? what you just said, was the most unjustified racial ignorance ive ever heard. THIS IS AMERICA......................you dont HAVE to brush up on anything. Edited July 23, 2008 by rckllnknny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1606510' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:18 PM']This is a really good point. btw, we have a Japanese college student coming in a few days. She will be here for a couple of weeks... Why is she coming? To practice English....[/quote] Sweet! I wish you were in the DC area. I would practice with her for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='rckllnknny' post='1606514' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:20 PM']nobody said it was your responsibility. i didnt ask to come to earth but God tries hard to cater to me anyway. Judging someone of trespassing on your free soil??? what you just said, was the most unjustified racial ignorance ive ever heard. THIS IS AMERICA......................you dont HAVE to brush up on anything. but were not in England either.[/quote] Our soil is not free. We have laws just like every other sovereign nation. I'm sick of my country being criticized and maligned for doing what every other country on the planet does: having laws and expecting others to abide by them. And anyway, we have 12 million illegal aliens in this country that our government won't do anything about. Won't deport them but won't come up with a safe, orderly path to legal residency either. So don't preach to me about our "free soil". We are not exactly beating people away with sticks and tasers on our borders, you know. And nothing I said was about race. It was about language. And abiding by laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='rckllnknny' post='1606502' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:15 PM'][mod]edit--hsm[/mod][/quote] Was that a personal attack? Supposedly this is against the rules of Phatmass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckllnknny Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1606505' date='Jul 23 2008, 06:16 PM']Because he was saying it to pander to Latino voters....[/quote] ok. THAT, i understand... Edited July 23, 2008 by rckllnknny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckllnknny Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1606529' date='Jul 23 2008, 06:26 PM']Was that a personal attack? Supposedly this is against the rules of Phatmass.[/quote] [mod]edit--hsm[/mod] Edited July 23, 2008 by homeschoolmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 [quote name='rckllnknny' post='1606534' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:33 PM'][mod]edit--hsm[/mod][/quote] Now you're calling me a liar AND a racist. And telling me to go to h***?? Are you on some kind of marathon of personal attacks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Relax. We don't call people names here. Take a powder, rcklinknny.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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