Tennessee judge forcing immigrant mothers to learn English!

[Ramo]

How does he get welfare? If he speaks a language that no one can translate, how exactly does he get his welfare check? How does he pay rent, for groceries? The point is, your example is totally absurd.

That would be bad how?

There wouldn't be any witnesses to the murder, duh.

Beats me. Maybe Ramo likes people living in ghettos.

Maybe Dino is an idiot.

[Imran Siddiqui]

In the U.S., it's a time honored tradition of 0-gen immigrants to not be able to speak English, while their children can speak both languages

There have been plenty of families where the kids have had to translate for the parents, who immigrated from the old country. They didn't have to learn English because they lived in communities where everyone spoke German or Polish or whatever. The kids learned English in schools.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
In the U.S., it's a time honored tradition of 0-gen immigrants to not be able to speak English, while their children can speak both languages, because they learn English at school. It's much easier for children to learn new languages than for children to do so. The mohter doesn't need to learn English, her kid will learn it at school and be able to speak both as an adult.

Zero-gen immigrants? As in, the parents who stayed in the old country?

[Zkribbler]

Encouraging people to speak English, si! Forcing them to speak English, no! Especially, when the force comes from threatening to take away their children!

Traditionally, in America, the first generation retains the language of their birth; the second generation is bilingual, and the third generation speaks only English. This has worked for a couple a hundred years.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
In the U.S., it's a time honored tradition of 0-gen immigrants to not be able to speak English, while their children can speak both languages, because they learn English at school. It's much easier for children to learn new languages than for children to do so. The mohter doesn't need to learn English, her kid will learn it at school and be able to speak both as an adult.

QOTM spoke only Yiddish at home when they arrived (mixed with some Hungarian) She was too young for school so she picked up a new language in the neighborhood - not English, but Spanish (her poor parents having settled on not the most Jewish block in Brooklyn) From school age on she learned English (and Hebrew) - she still doesnt have the vocabulary to speak of more intellectual matters in Yiddish (oh, and shes forgotten her Spanish, and most of her Hungarian)

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

In the U.S., it's a time honored tradition of 0-gen immigrants to not be able to speak English, while their children can speak both languages

There have been plenty of families where the kids have had to translate for the parents, who immigrated from the old country.

QOTM had to do this at various times.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Ramo
Maybe Dino is an idiot.

Not really that is the practical effect of what you are suggesting after all. Requiring at least basic English proficency would improve the status of many immigrants and raise them out of the economic ghettos we currently force them into.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Zero-gen immigrants? As in, the parents who stayed in the old country?

No, as in the original immigrants. My parents speak pretty good English, being from a former British colony, but plenty of immigrant parents do not.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Not really that is the practical effect of what you are suggesting after all. Requiring at least basic English proficency would improve the status of many immigrants and raise them out of the economic ghettos we currently force them into.

Presumably the immigrant makes a rational judgement about whether the cost of learning english, including the opportunity cost, is justified by the gain. Just as they do in deciding whether to get training in any other work skill.

There may well be external benefits to society of them learning english. I think there are. So that would seem to argue for, say, subsidizing the teaching of English. Do we do that?

[Sava]

If you move to a country, you should learn the language.

[lord of the mark]

Heres some info about ESL for adults in the county where i live (bolding by LOTM):

"Placement testing is required of new and re-entering students. Take the placement tests at the same location where you want to take class. We can only test 75 students at each site. Once your placement level is determined, you may register for class at that time, if space is available. Allow two to three hours for testing. Please do not bring children to testing, registration, or classes.

An application fee ($10) plus book and tuition fees (determined at placement) are paid at time of testing. You may pay with money order, check, or charge only. No cash accepted.

Reduced tuition classes are available to eligible students ages 18 or older. To request reduced tuition proof of Fairfax County residency and any immigration or similiar documents (I-551, I-94, US Passport, Employment Authorization Card, etc) to placement testing so that your eligibility can be determined. There are no senior citizen waivers."


Well, at least some reduced tuition is available, but its hardly like we're providing it free to all who want it, and the placements are limited (they can of course go to private language schools,at greater cost)

[Dis]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I do have to say that I'm curious how a legal immigrant got in here without learning any English at all. That being said I agree with the probation officer quoted in the article.

many people where I live don't speak English. In fact, you need to know how to speak Spanish to get many jobs here.

[Datajack Franit]

Hello?? You live in my country, at least learn the ****ing language!

[lord of the mark]

if we really cared about immigrants learning english we'd FUND it.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Well that kind of gets to the heart of the matter. On the one hand we care, on the other hand we want to discourage illegal immigration to the point where we make it difficult in many respects.