[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by AXi1257
The song should be sung in English/American. The translation changes the song and it shouldn't be changed. Yes, America the Beautiful is easier to sing, but that's not the topic right now. If you live in a country that speaks English/American, then that's what you should speak. If I lived in Spain, Italy, or Germany I would be expected to speak what the country speaks. I take care of too many patients that do not speak the language AND have been in the country for a LONG time... there is no excuse for that. I don't know how I would buy groceries, buy anything for that matter if I couldn't communicate with the person selling me the stuff. I'll never understand that.

In cases like this (older immigrants who've been here for a while) I'm torn. Neither of my grandparents learned English (besides easy words) and they came here in 1956. My grandfather got by with a job somehow. I've noticed that a lot of older immigrants have very broken English, or never learned the language. But I think in this day that people should learn at least the basics. Back then schools and such didn't accommadate (sp? i know) to those immigrants- at least not in my family's case-, but those students had to learn English. Now my niece who was in PRESCHOOL was learning Spanish. Ok it's good to know a 2nd language and learning at a young age is better, but when you think about WHY schools are teaching it you have to wonder.