For Spanish Press 1, For English please stay on the line

[funks 1]

everytime i dial 411 and hear this it drives me freakin nuts....I think the proper options should be "To sign up for English lessons please press 1, if you cant understand this recording then you are just shit out of luck"

Why oh why do we allow people to get away with not speaking English?? Damn ATM's too...I sure as hell am not getting pesos out of the money machine, why the hell would i want to see my options in spanish?

Oh yeah, one other thing...being the lazy non-cooking person that i am i tend to frequent my neighborhood wendys quite often. ..and i'll tell you what...something just isnt right about that sign posted by the drive thru window...you know the one.."To help us serve you better please have your money ready at the window" How about having my FREAKING FOOD READY AT THE WINDOW!!!

ok, i'm done....

[diablopilot 2]

Amen brother.


Do you know how many lanuages we print fucking voter information pamphlets in here in California?!

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[DrunkMonkey 0]

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Amen brother.


Do you know how many lanuages we print fucking voter information pamphlets in here in California?!

"Dear God!! The pamphlets aren't printed in Hmong!! Call my Lawyer!!" [/sarcasm]

[mardigrasbob 0]

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Amen brother.


Do you know how many lanuages we print fucking voter information pamphlets in here in California?!

7 including english
www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_multi.htm

[diablopilot 2]

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General Requirements: All naturalization applicants must demonstrate good moral character. The other naturalization requirements may be modified or waived for certain applicants, such as spouses of U.S. citizens.
A period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States
An ability to read, write and speak English
Good moral character
Knowledge of the principles of the U.S. Constitution
Favorable disposition toward the United States

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[miked10270 0]

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An ability to read, write and speak English

Amen. It always struck me as ironic that in this respect the US immigration requirements are actually less than those needed to ride a donkey down into the grand Canyon!

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[Darius11 12]

Hey that even gets on my nerves bro.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[quade 3]

Get over it.

It's called business.

If a large percentage of people with money are more comfortable using another language, then a business concerned with making a profit will cater a portion of their business to them. To do otherwise would be to give the business to another company willing to do so.

This is the American way.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Casurf1978 0]

Hey I like it. Whenever I call 411, Credit Cards, etc and they put me on hold in English I'll press the 1 and bust out the Spanish. Get faster service.

I'm thank full they have ATMs with option in different languages. Especially when traveling in Europe, Asia, etc.

Main question in my book is why the hell dont we teach a foreign language to kids before highschool.

[pajarito 0]

I agree. The standard here is to speak the national language...English. If you speak another language...Great! However, it shouldn't be standard operating procedure for companies or the government to pander to those who don't fit all the requirements for naturalization or citizenship.

[Conundrum 1]

Good god, that shit makes me so irritated. You want to live in this country? Learn the language.

[rickjump1 0]

Criminals are being set free because their Miranda rights were not correctly translated. If that bothers you check out http://www.us-english.org/inc/

The CEO of US English, INC is Mauro E. Mujica from Chile. He and a lot of others people believe that the success of all citizens, both immigrants and naturals, depends on making English our national language.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[quade 3]

What I think people are confusing is the practice learning English well enough to get by and learning English well enough to be informed and involved.

It's similar to issues surrounding illiteracy, but the different language turns up the xenophobic dial a bit.

Yes, I agree that all immigrants, no matter where they come from, would do far better in U.S. society to learn English, but the reverse is also true. Most U.S. citizens would also do better in business if they learned, for instance, Spanish. I kick myself sometimes for not paying attention as well as I could have in the 6th grade.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[funks 1]

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What I think people are confusing is the practice learning English well enough to get by and learning English well enough to be informed and involved.

It's similar to issues surrounding illiteracy, but the different language turns up the xenophobic dial a bit.

Yes, I agree that all immigrants, no matter where they come from, would do far better in U.S. society to learn English, but the reverse is also true. Most U.S. citizens would also do better in business if they learned, for instance, Spanish. I kick myself sometimes for not paying attention as well as I could have in the 6th grade.

Why would most US Citizens do better in business if they learned Spanish? Maybe if they were selling ads for the Hispanic yellow pages, otherwise i dont see how it could possibly benefit them???

It might make someone a more well rounded person, but it sure as hell wont help in business unless you do business with that specific nationality...

[Casurf1978 0]

Spanish and English are head to head as to which is the second most widely spoken language world wide. I work for an Intl finance firm, mainly deal with Europe, but many times I've been called into a confrence, asked to speak to a client or help out with a document since I know spanish and enough french. This also happened when I did an internship at a small business here in Cali. Knowing a second language does not only make a "well rounded" person but it's almost a necessity in this world. That is unless you want to spend the rest of your life state side and not see what's out in the world.

I lived abroad for almost half of my life, very few times did Americans try to learn the local language and many of them lived in these countries for years. They just thought the locals would have to learn English. It's a two way street, you wanna live and work in a foreign country learn the language, as should foreigners who want to live and work here. I think the same applies to travellers, at least make an effort to learn the local language.

I know a lot of you are or were in the military and stationed abroad. How many made the effort to learn the local language?

[funks 1]

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Spanish and English are head to head as to which is the second most widely spoken language world wide. I work for an Intl finance firm, mainly deal with Europe, but many times I've been called into a confrence, asked to speak to a client or help out with a document since I know spanish and enough french. This also happened when I did an internship at a small business here in Cali. Knowing a second language does not only make a "well rounded" person but it's almost a necessity in this world. That is unless you want to spend the rest of your life state side and not see what's out in the world.

I lived abroad for almost half of my life, very few times did Americans try to learn the local language and many of them lived in these countries for years. They just thought the locals would have to learn English. It's a two way street, you wanna live and work in a foreign country learn the language, as should foreigners who want to live and work here. I think the same applies to travellers, at least make an effort to learn the local language.

I know a lot of you are or were in the military and stationed abroad. How many made the effort to learn the local language?

If i am traveling to a foreign country i may try and pick up on certain words but i sure as hell am not going to try and "learn the language". I would bet the majority of people who travel abroad do not know the language of the country they are traveling to, that does not mean you have to be stranded stateside and cannot venture to other countries. Visting is one thing, being a permanent resident is another. I would never expect people to cater to me in a non-english speaking country, however we have begin catering to people here.

You said it perfect in your post "Its a two way street, you want to live and work in a foreign country then learn the language" That is the point of this entire thread.

[rickjump1 0]

. Visting is one thing, being a permanent resident is another. I would never expect people to cater to me in a non-english speaking country, however we have begin catering to people here....

We have. With bilingual education, multilingual ballots, drivers license exams in everything from Albanian to Vietnamese and translation services, we make it too easy for immigrants to avoid learning English.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[TheBachelor 4]

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Get over it.

It's called business.

If a large percentage of people with money are more comfortable using another language, then a business concerned with making a profit will cater a portion of their business to them. To do otherwise would be to give the business to another company willing to do so.

This is the American way.

Business is one thing, but when non-business entities such as the government and schools spend extra money (that they don't have) to kowtow non-English speakers, it maddens me.

There are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years...

[Zenister 0]

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I know a lot of you are or were in the military and stationed abroad. How many made the effort to learn the local language?

always, it was a part of the cultural experience, beyond just the simple greetings, you really meet far more people and a better look at how life really is there, if you make a point to try to integrate as well as you can....If I'm going to be anywhere more than a few days i always make an effort to learn, expecting everyone to pander to you in a foreign land is arrogance, unfortunately we're now indoctrinating our immigrants with the same mentality..

"i'm an American now, since Americans dont learn other languages i'll bitch until they comply with me, by putting everything in Spanish..."

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[rickjump1 0]

I kick myself sometimes for not paying attention as well as I could have in the 6th grade...

At the rate Arkansas is filling up with Mexicans, my high school and college Spanish is finally gonna get used. If I only can remember..We have an influx of good Mexican restauants too. Trouble is, they are located in a dry county. Probably nobody on this thread knows what a dry county is.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[Zenister 0]

yet another throw back to religious oppression...

lucky there are fewer and fewer "Blue laws" everyday..

the city i went to college in now has draft beer!! oh the heathens....

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[billvon 2,404]

> However, it shouldn't be standard operating procedure for companies or
> the government to pander to those who don't fit all the requirements for
> naturalization or citizenship.

Why shouldn't a business operate bilingually if they choose to? Heck, what's wrong with a spanish-only lanscaping company operating in LA? If you don't like it, use someone else.

[benny 0]

Hell, we used to be a "damp" county here... then we got beer on sundays, then liquor by the drink, now the damn state's got a lottery, we're all goin' to hell in a handbasket!

Never go to a DZ strip show.

[Michele 1]

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Why shouldn't a business operate bilingually if they choose to? Heck, what's wrong with a spanish-only lanscaping company operating in LA? If you don't like it, use someone else.

That's fine, for a privately owned business. But what about those landscaping businesses that don't speak english? It leaves me out, then, as a client, because I don't speak spanish/arabic....but whatever. Again, it's privately owned, and everyone's allowed to succeed or fail according to their own standards.

But when the right to vote (i.e. citizenship is granted) is acquired, shouldn't we be following the requirements regarding english comprehension and common usage?

When I visited Europe, I didn't speak the language. We got around just fine. When I visited Mexico, we didn't speak the language. We got around just fine. We also weren't voting, working, or living there.

When I lived in Ramsel near Aarschot, Belgium (that's the spelling, as best I can recall) as an exchange student, I learned my fair share of Flemish, just to get along and around. Why the difference? I didn't just visit there; I spent a goodly amount of time, and needed to acquire the language skills which would allow me to travel, understand directions when spoken (and not written), and experience the region I was living in. A beautiful country, by the way...and where I was was incredibly rural and remote, and much enjoyed by me, a city girl.

My thought is that if you live in an english speaking country - live there, not just visit - then it would behoove you to learn that language. If you become a citizen of that country, it seems important to know the language enough to participate civilly without assistence for the most part. Same for any country - if you're going to be a citizen there, learn the language....

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[billvon 2,404]

>My thought is that if you live in an english speaking country - live
> there, not just visit - then it would behoove you to learn that
> language.

I agree; people should. But I don't think they should be made to. If they don't want to learn, then they have problems reading signs etc. but that's up to them.