85% Support English as Official Language Of U.S.

[Cort Haus]

Perhaps the official language should be COBOL.

[loinburger]

You're clearly racist against FORTRAN.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by loinburger

Its true though, and to think that it isn't is to miss the point.

[Japher]

exxcellent, I'm for it.

The cost for conducting buisness' in every language is costly.

Someone said it's racist; how?

Someone mentioned that the bill should come with funding to teach those who can't speak it; there already is, it's called ESL programs. If you have ever lived in a place with a large number of immigrants you would know about it, and you would know how much kids who already speak english are ripped off of an education because the teacher is to busy trying to mime a leason plan.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
Oh yeah, I would be against them removing education or information about Spanish (or other languages).

I don't see how that directly relates to having an official language. About the only place where I could see it, is that in school English would have to be taught (maybe this is already true?). If they removed ESL I would be against it (and I think most people would be also).

Jon Miller

It's important because, as Jaguar said, it's political grandstanding. The impact of the law isn't to make English the official language - a relatively meaningless thing to do - but to score a political victory for the other side, which wants to reverse the trend towards providing services in multiple languages (esp. Spanish) where that's appropriate.

If you've ever heard the people that call into the radio to talk about this stuff, you'd know that most see this debate as more of a larger debate over whether we should just provide things in English.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Vesayen
Edit: I am perfectly willing to bash illegal immigrants. Legal immigrants should integrate themselves into our society, if not, we are under no special obligation to cater to them. If they become U.S. citizens, thats different.

CASE IN POINT.

Vesayen is one of those idiots who considers things like ESL to be catering towards immigrants. It's not. It's good policy. It is absolutely ****ing useless to try and teach kids who don't speak English in English. Teach them how to speak English, yes, but until they learn, teach them math, history etc. in Spanish.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Vesayen is one of those idiots...

Enough with the personal crap... Discuss the topic and stop insulting other posters!

[Tuberski]

The guys I work with are upset that a certain company we buy supplies from, has a phone answering system that says

"For English, stay on the line, then, in Spanish, it says, in effect, "For Spanish press 2".

This is in a city that is 50% Hispanic.



I think it less than no big deal, English speakers have to do nothing to get an English speaking salesperson.

Apparently, they are upset that there is an option for Spanish.

ACK!

[Q Classic]

Teach them how to speak English, yes, but until they learn, teach them math, history etc. in Spanish.

Frankly, no.

Teaching them in English only will give them an incentive to--surprise, surprise--learn English.

Of course, this is presuming that they want to be educated...

My position is as simple as this: since Asians, with languages in entirely different language families and sprachbunds have to learn English to get by here, I don't see why it should be so hard for Spanish-speakers to learn English.

Particularly because they're in the same language family. Particularly because they use the same Latin alphabet. Particularly because it's the lingua fraca throughout most of the US.

[Kuciwalker]

Teaching them in English only is pointless. There's no reason to make a kid sit in a class he can't even understand. Frankly, kids already learn English. We even have classes designed for it (which we didn't used to have). Don't keep them from getting any other education while they're learning it.

[Japher]

I will argue the whole education needing a common language stance til I'm blue in the face.

However, the education system is messed up any way because of the government involvement. IMO, all schools should be somewhat privatized with government subsidizing. That way you could have spanish speaking schools and english speaking schools if you so desired, and the issue wouldn't exist.

[Q Classic]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Teaching them in English only is pointless. There's no reason to make a kid sit in a class he can't even understand. Frankly, kids already learn English. We even have classes designed for it (which we didn't used to have). Don't keep them from getting any other education while they're learning it.

Nothing teaches language faster than total immersion.

[Japher]

or shock therapy

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Nothing teaches language faster than total immersion.

Nothing teaches any of the other subjects slower.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Nothing teaches any of the other subjects slower.

Exactly. Stick a non-Anglophone in an English algebra class and he/she will pick up some English, but no algebra.