English USA's "Official" language

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(slortz @ May 19 2006, 06:54 PM) [snapback]258330[/snapback]</div>

Not entering the debate, but for the record, there are local languages in Europe which are being revitalised. Even France has gone full circle and now encourage the teaching of Breton in schools. In the UK, there is a Gaelic University, and Welsh and Gaelic are taught at school. In Norway there are two official versions of Norwegian, both of which are represented on TV, although there are many dialects. In Switzerland they have five official languages, and in addition to that most of them speak English. China has a number of different languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese and Uighur.

So it's not that clear-cut. I have no problem with English being the official language in the USA by the way, but I do think it's a good idea to teach other languages at school. I speak about 10 languages myself, all of them very rusty, but I can shine them up quite easily in a few weeks if I need to.

 

Seems to me that it's less about language and more about assimilation.

I think it's important to hold onto one's cultural heritage, but it's also important to do a little 'melting' into the American 'pot.' And, from what I see, that doesn't seem to be happening quite as readily as it once did (my Dad and Mom both came to the U.S. through Ellis Island, and both learned English, while retaining the Greek language and traditions that they'd been brought up with).

I'm all for multilingualism, but not if it's serving to fragment the U.S. even more than we already are. And there is *so* much information that needs to be communicated these days, that having to repeat things twice and three times doesn't seem to be the most efficient way to do that.

I'm really, really scared that we're becoming so much a nation of individuals that we're losing sight of what brought us together in the first place. Perhaps a little compromise wouldn't be such a bad thing. You learn a little about me, and I'll do the same for you...

 

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

Yes, agreed; but can you imagine this *ever* happening when, in CA, surprisingly large numbers of graduating HS seniors are having problems passing exit exams (which are administered multiple times each year, don't change from test to test, and are first offered at the beginning of the sophomore year!).

Seems to me that we've been protected from the sting of failure far too long. Not only has that made us rather soft, but we've forgotten how empowering it is to compete ON AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD and win...or how to take responsibility for, and learn from, our losses.

 

Discussions about "official" language and "teaching to standards" are interesting. People tend to argue from an individual perspective. The only legal US system of measurement is SI or the modern metric system. Yet, many will argue that inch-pound units are "official" measuring units (even though inch-pound units have never been established by statute). Even the House and Senate, who have passed multiple bills will argue to the contrary on language or measuring units.

SI units permeate every day life (money, videos, medicine, pharmaceuticals, computers, automobiles, photocopy paper, Interstate highways, soft and hard beverages, skis, guns, cigarettes and more), yet many are totally unaware. Greek, Latin and "foreign" words are used extensively in English without question or second thought.

The goal is successful qualitative and quantitative communication.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skruse @ Oct 18 2006, 05:58 PM) [snapback]334801[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. It's interesting how sometimes things become a standard simply due to widespread use...I find myself wondering if this sort of organic/accidental process is beneficial (representing a natural gravitation towards that which seems to 'work best') or detrimental (the momentum of the status quo overwhelms the need for change)...?

For example, I read somewhere that the gauge of most modern railroads is actually based on the width of the wheels of Roman wagons.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 19 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]335141[/snapback]</div>

I read that too, and I remember the distance between the wheels being based on the width of the horse's...bum. Practical design solution or interesting social commentary?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Oct 18 2006, 03:31 PM) [snapback]334779[/snapback]</div>

I knew a homeless guy who claimed to be able to speak several languages. It turned out that he could order a beer and ask where the bathroom was in half a dozen languages. For him, that qualified as being able to communicate.

I speak only English and Spanish. But in French I can say "I don't speak French," in Russian I can say "No," and "Goodbye," and in Kiswahili I can say "Hello."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Oct 19 2006, 04:39 PM) [snapback]335264[/snapback]</div>

I saw a travel show on TV this week when the host visited Russia. When people gave him things, he'd say privet (preevyet), and they'd say privet back. (It means hello). He used privet for about 7 different purposes, and he'd go on speaking English in response to people speaking Russian. It was quite amusing, but it reminded me of my first trip to Turkey. Now Turkish isn't much like anything else, so you can't bluff with similar languages. I had a really sore eye, and went into a Chemist's shop. When I had no luck with "Do you speak English?" I tried pointing to my eye. "Visine!" was the response. "Visine!" I replied, but I made a point of learning a few words of Turkish before I left.

Since this is a car forum, the other funny bit in that travel show was when he hired a shiny black Volga. 'Looks fabulous' he said 'handles a bit like ... a boat!'.