English USA's "Official" language

Xenophobia!

Every high school graduate should be required to speak at least 3 languages proficiently. And university graduates, five, fluently. This is the only country in the world where a person who speaks only one language can call himself educated and keep a straight face.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ May 19 2006, 06:07 PM) [snapback]258310[/snapback]</div>

So if you went to Germany or France, you would learn how to speak the language from an instructor who only knew how to speak German or French? Good luck with that.
I'd prefer to learn from an instructor who was bi-lingual--but that's just my dumb approach, I guess.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 19 2006, 07:49 PM) [snapback]258327[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, and let's make sure all road signs have 5 different languages on them too! Maybe the first language on top should be Farsi, followed by Spanish, French, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese! Of course, we would have to rotate the order every year to be fair to everyone so we don't give the impression we favor one over the other....

Better yet, make everyone learn Latin in grade school to set the foundation!

3rd Grade book bag in 2013:

"Latin I", check
"My Two Mommies", check
"Hola Mi Amigo!", check
"Kwanza Coloring Book", check
"Having Fun with Ebonics", check
"The Q'uran", check
"Night", check

 

There's another thread on this which I posted a few hours ago.

If you look carefully at what language is included SO FAR (whatever the Senate passes must be reconciled, in committee, with the House's proposed immigration bill): it states English is the "national language". But "national" was substituted for "official", which was first offered by Sen. Inhofe (HI) in his amendment to the immigration bill.

Even further, an alternate wording declaring English to be the "common, unifying" language is still included, in case they want to water it down further in committee.

What the Senate AVOIDED saying today is that English is the "official" language of the U.S.

 

Yo communite de la lata con mi propia clase pero no usted.
¿Por qué debo aprender su lengua para hacer uno de usted?
¿No es América el gran pote que derrite?
Estamos haciendo nuestro mejor para derretirlo.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ May 19 2006, 08:55 PM) [snapback]258375[/snapback]</div>

I don't speak any Spanish (except "una cerveza frio por favor"), but I used Bablefish to translate this:

I communite of the tin with my own class but not you. Why I must learn its language to do one of you? Is not America great pote that it melts? We are making the our best one to melt it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 19 2006, 06:49 PM) [snapback]258327[/snapback]</div>

Reminds me of a comment I heard somewhere: "If a person who speaks two languages is called bi-lingual, and a person who speaks several languages is called multi-lingual, what do you call someone who only speaks one language? Answer, an American" :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tleonhar @ May 19 2006, 08:56 PM) [snapback]258410[/snapback]</div>

Yes, because the British, Australians, Japanese etc. speak more than just their own language as a rule. The anti-Americanism on this site is so thick you can cut it with a السكين .

 

BTW, even without the proposed new legislation, the process of naturalization already includes an English literacy test. It can be waived, but only in special cases, such as the elderly, and maybe (I'm not sure) some disabilities such as blindness.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndrewGS @ May 19 2006, 11:53 PM) [snapback]258463[/snapback]</div>

I wholeheartedly disagree with you on what constitutes anti-Americanism. Your judgment is a REPRESENTATION of "anti-Americanism" on behalf of your moral understanding of this particular issue. We don't have the laws YET to curtail our moral perceptions in regards of self-criticism. I am sure you wouldn't mind putting all of us behind bars for stating anything that may connote ideas infringing on your comprehension of social issues.
I am assuming that you're recognizing how strong moral labeling leads into radicalism, wahhabism, fascism, communism and other indoctrinating forms that lead to suppressing freedom of an individual.

If tleonhar chooses to embrace criticism of a particular social discourse, he has a given right to do so. Clearly, his comment meant to underline what should be addressed for the betterment of our nation, accordingly to his moral judgement, this hardly conveyed a concept of "anti-Americanism".

Unless you come from the school of though that WE ARE PERFECT AND AN INFALLIBLE SOCIETY.

I gather, you will feel offended if he would have passed the same label on any of your moral judgments.
How would you feel being anti-American then?

I'm sure Voltaire is continuously rolling in his grave!

DONT SPEAK OUT AS YOU WILL COMMIT TREASON!

Respectfully,

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ May 19 2006, 08:03 PM) [snapback]258337[/snapback]</div>

You don't have to resort to use 5 different languages, some signs even if written in English alone are moronic. More idiocy! :lol:






[attachmentid=3540]

 

True story. I was attending a grade school PTA meeting in a school district that is veritable United Nations. Since the district superintendent was attending, the school was putting its best foot forward including translaters for english, spanish, tagalog, arabic and two more which slip my mind. If you've ever sat through a PTA meeting, you know this was going to be hell. Fortunately someone, I think it was an arabic mom, moved that we just translate for those who actually wanted it. It ended up being a few parents getting simultaneous translation in the corner. There was a audible sigh of relief throughout the auditorium which needed no translation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ May 19 2006, 09:06 PM) [snapback]258382[/snapback]</div>

Hi Michael,

Translation is brilliant :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndrewGS @ May 19 2006, 10:53 PM) [snapback]258463[/snapback]</div>

Actually, there was no Anti-American intent whatsoever in my post, just a light-hearted jab at a shortcoming many of us (myself included) have, that is we only learned one language in school. I've long ago learned that if we don't take ourselves too seriously, it becomes a whole lot easier to get along with others.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dsunman @ May 20 2006, 09:42 PM) [snapback]258678[/snapback]</div>

Heh, if you knew Spanish, you'd know that translation is a bit off...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ May 21 2006, 03:22 AM) [snapback]258789[/snapback]</div>

yeah, exactly, hence my rather sarcastic manner of replying to Michael on his poignant attention to Bablefish mistranslation, which brings a valid point, that if you don't know the language nothing else will help you nor will substitute it.

I admit my Spanish is rather shameful, gotta take classes, but so many things going on and there is so little time.

I'll be relocating to Bangkok for 8-10 months soon so I'm taking rudimentary Thai at this time. And my female young teacher is a 'whoa', trust me I can't concentrate. :lol:

Hey, I'm glad you have mastered Spanish, I'm envious of you in that respect, again bastard :lol:

BTW, the teacher looks like Lalita Panyapas, famous Thai actress/super model.




[attachmentid=3548] [attachmentid=3549] [attachmentid=3550]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ May 21 2006, 12:22 AM) [snapback]258789[/snapback]</div>

Once in a while the Squid and I agree: bablefish produces garbage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dsunman @ May 21 2006, 10:10 AM) [snapback]258834[/snapback]</div>

If I had a teacher that looked like that, I'd let her "thai" me up! B)

 

Fetishists in Bangkok: These Are The Thais That Bind.