What Tongue Should You Speak In America?
With all of the immigration and other things going on in the government about illegals and immigration. Here is the problem, I was born in this country, raised in this country, and I will likely die in this country. I speak English. It was taught to me in the schools here. Although I do not speak or write it as well as I should be able to I have been able to get by.
I don’t think that if you come to this country to live that you should force your native tongue. It is happening more and more here in America. From Spanish to Korean, I am being forced to try and deal with others that can’t read English. So they decided that they would just force us to learn there way because they are to lazy to learn ours.
I am tired of it. I’m tired of having to deal with people that can’t speak English in the gas stations. I just want my country back the way it was 20 years ago. I was able to walk into a store and the person behind the counter spoke English. Is this really to mush to ask for. If you come to this country please speak the language here. I do not go to your country and ask that you speak English, and I don’t set up shop and force you to know how to speak English when you walk in. Do not expect me to do the same here. You will not get a pleasant response from me.
Learn to speak English or don’t get a job here. As far as I am concerned if you don’t speak English in America you are not American and you do not belong in this country as a citizen.
Tags: American, tongue, immigrants, illegals, citizens
October 8th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
This your blog and you have a right to post any opinion you may have. However I wanted to point out 2 things about your post that are just my opinion. The 1st is that truly english isn’t this countrys 1st language. Because there isn’t truly a one and only 1st language. The indians had many different languages since there were so many tribes. Lastly Candians, Mexicans are American as we all live in North America. Many countries think it cocky of us to call ourselves “Americans” but not concider them the same.
October 8th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I do apologize. I should have said United States of America, as we are the US and not the Americans as you have so put. Mexico didn’t always speak Spanish either, and Canadians, more so in the east have all of their legal documents written in French and English.
I am speaking from when this country, the US, was founded. Europeans speak several different languages, but try to go and live in a European country and not speak their language and see what comes of it. They are proud of the language that they speak and you should respect that when you move to their country and not try and have them bend to your language.
October 8th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I agree with that fact that if you live in (just for sake of argument) England you should speak english. However our country was founded on the fact that we are a hodgepodge of everything making us “United” States of America. I try and be understanding to others rights as citizens to speak whatever language they perfer. However I do agree if you work with the public it is wise to be able to speak the chosen language for that country.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
For one who lambasts those who do not speak English well, you are not doing a very good job yourself. But, the spelling and grammatical errors in your post have no bearing on the issues in which I disagree with you.
You say “I am being forced to try to deal with others that can not read English”. My question to you is this: are you actually forced? Must you drive to the gas station where the immigrant works? If it bothers you so much, why not drive elsewhere. Sure its inconvenient, but sometimes accepting other people is inconvenient.
You go on to say: “I do not go to your country and ask that you speak English”. I must ask you, have you ever done any traveling outside of the United States? If no, then you have no right to say what you would or would not do in that position, because it is merely speculation. If you have, I ask you this- Did you speak to the hotel manager in his native tongue? How about the taxi cab driver? The average person born in America speaks 1.2 languages, which means that only 1 of 6 people born in America can speak another language. In Europe, the average person speaks 2.5 languages- more than double the American standard. When Americans travel, you bet that they expect everyone to speak English.
And lastly: “As far as I am concerned if you don’t speak English in America you are not American and you do not belong in this country as a citizen”.
The United Stated of America, which you so poetically glorify, decides to accept a certain amount of legal immigrants every year. These immigrants must pass a test in which their basic English skills are tested. If you would like the test to be more difficult, simply write a letter to your elected representative asking him to lobby for this cause. We live in a democracy and you do have a say, but these people are legal citizens and can choose to speak whichever language they would like to speak.
October 9th, 2007 at 2:01 am
I love pissing people off on here. It really gets their feathers all ruffled up.
I do respect others and yes, I do not speak English very well, nor have I ever been very good at typing it out either. To get a job in France I have to speak French, to get a job in Russia, I better be able to speak Russian. The only exception is if I was going to teach English, and I should still know how to communicate with the locals.
Americans are dumb and lazy. That is just because we don’t have much faith in our youth. What is meant by that is that, we don’t feel that they can learn and be responsible, or don’t have the ability to learn other languages.
I’m a prime example of our sorry education system in regards to our poor English teaching, and lack of other language skills. Although blogging has helped to improve my spell, I still have a long way to go with grammar.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:14 am
I for one have tried over the years to earn some spanish. The main reason is because knowdgle can never hurt. Not to mention if you give 50% most people will give back 50% as well. What I mean by that is you can meet in the middle. Most (mind you they are Mexican-American) immagrants do try very hard to learn english. As a rule we have a hard language to learn simple because it is 90% slang. I do promise that if you go to any normal store be it a gas station or the local Wal-Mart, most people (even if with a heavy accent) will be speaking english to thier customers. Oh and for the record I do believe many countries teach english with their native tounge, we do not require you to learn any 2nd language.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Why is it that we don’t teach a second language? We could teach Latin, that would cover a great number or languages; Spanish, French, Italian, to name a few.
US Americans are a proud people. They are blinded by their own ignorance. I have to agree that, as US Americans, we expect others to know English. We criticize those that do not speak English and wonder how come they are so ignorant. Our own president will not give health care to our youth.
On the topic though, we should expect more from ourselves. Although, I do feel that you should be able to at least feel out a job application in English to be able to get a job here. If you live here you should try and speak English to your children so that the teachers are able to teach your child.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Why does it matter if they can’t read or write english. Just because they can’t read or write it in no way means that they can’t speak it. I knew more then one person from the resturant I used to work at that spoke great english but couldn’t read or write it.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:49 am
When I took French in high school I could pass the written part of it but I was never able to pass the oral part of the class. Luck would have it that 80% of the class was written.
It matters to the fact that if they can’t read English, then they can’t read road signs. Pardon me, but people in Atlanta can’t drive as it is, trying adding the fact that someone on the road can’t read a sign to merge or slow down, that doesn’t bother you?
I have been in parts of Houston, TX where the signs are in Korean. I couldn’t find my way around. With more than 95% of the road signs in English I find myself trying to read Korean road signs? I was frustrated, I could see how they would feel trying to read English.
Did Houston, TX accommodate the culture around that area? Yes, they did. I wasn’t mad at the fact that there were Korean road signs, but that there was not any English road signs.
What should the US do? Put up road signs in every language in the world, so that no one feels bad? That would cause a great deal of expense, and it would confuse the masses.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:59 am
You don’t need to read signs to be able to drive. The only signs that require any sort of reading in terms of driving are street names. Other then that you have no need to read “Stop” or “Yeld” or Speed Limit”. They are standard shapes.
As for learning a language it isn’t required in this country. It is required in most other countries. It leaves me to feel that to each his own. I have gotten by fine all these years without being overly pissed about anyone ability to speak english or not.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I have to disagree with you about the road signs.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:28 am
or any of these signs
http://signs.safeshopper.com/12/cat12.htm?220
October 9th, 2007 at 10:35 am
You still do not have to read them to get the jist of them. Not to mention you have to pass a road sign portion of the writen driving test. Shape and color make up 95% of what road signs mean. For example take the words off the sign above. I bet you would still know that it is some sort of caution sign. Cause guess what, all caution type signs are yellow and diamond. All road signs are orange. All offical stop signs are red. You get my point.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Yes, but it still doesn’t tell you if a guy is working ahead or if the road is closed.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:49 am
I really don’t think that it would matter much. If you know it is road work, then traffic speed limit goes down (there will be a sign for it), then you also know that you will have to use cation, at the end before all is said and done your not going to kill yourself or anyone just cause you didn’t read the words on the sign.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
So I am not sure if your a fan of Ill Will Press (Neurotically Yours), but I saw this and thought I would share it cause it fits your arguement.
CLICK HERE
October 18th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
HMMMM
TRY THIS