Quote:
Originally posted by ktsnake
Offensive? Can you think of another reason that an english speaker in America would need to learn Spanish?
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Without some law enforcement officers who speak Spanish, police will find it very difficult to do their jobs and may even face increased risk of danger.
Without some medical professionals who speak Spanish, doctors, nurses and EMS technicians will find it very difficult to provide adequate health care.
Without lawyers and court personnel who speak Spanish, the legal system will find it harder to deal with criminal, domestic and other cases where the defendants or parties speak limited English.
Without church workers who speak Spanish, churches will find it hard to minister to those whose English is limited.
And as AlphaFrog says, sometimes it's just plain good business to speak the language your customers speak.
Just a few examples of why an English speaker in America might find it worthwhile to learn Spanish.
I think everyone who comes to this country should learn to speak English. But I think we have our heads in the sand if we think immigrants (legal or illegal) are going to learn English overnight, or that older adults will ever learn English as well as their grandchildren. That's never happened with any other immigrant group.
So in the meantime, not a bad idea for some English speakers to learn Spanish.