Quote:
Originally posted by SATX*APhi
Wow, I'm glad there's someone else out there who is right! 
You got me thinking though, and this is for all the "pro English" GC'ers. There are is a good amount of people here that would like for non-English speakers to learn English. Not that I agree with that, but to compromise, if non-English speakers are going to be forced to learn English, then all English speakers must be forced to learn a foreign language. What do you think about that?
|
I don't know how it is in public schools because I attended private high schools, but I
was required to learn a foreign language. In fact, I took two years of Latin and 4 years of Spanish. And if I were to move to Spain, then you can bet that I'd be taking even more classes to make sure that I could function in that country to the best of my ability.
I think that making foreign language classes mandatory is a very good idea, and I honestly wish that our kids were taught another language at a younger age because children learn languages easier if they are taught them earlier in life.
However, all this doesn't change the fact that we've got a ton of immigrants to this country who don't care a bit about learning English. If you're just visiting, then fine. But if you're planning to stay here permanently, then you need to learn English because that's what the majority of Americans speak. Nothing irritates me more than having to stand in a long line at the bank on my lunch hour waiting while 15 non-English-speaking people ahead of me try to communicate with the teller concerning their paychecks.
There are tons of organizations in my area that offer English courses for immigrants. Most of them are churches, and the services are free. I just wish that folks would take advantage of them. It would make their lives easier, as well as mine.