Learn the Language (choice, America, service)

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Lycan

Just to clarify...
When I talked about the "country" making consessions I wasn't refering to the government, but more the business/service community (stores, restraunts, etc.).

oops sorry. In that case in a free market economy when it is seen as a strong financial investement by a busines to do than it becomes feasible.

For example, I work part-time in a dept store. I speak just enough spanish to put a get a person's shirt size, pants waist length, ask how they are doing, get them into a fititng room introduce myself ect ect. I am the only white guy who has spanish regulars that come to me for that reason and it probably adds about 15 % to my qouta achievement annually and maybe as much as 25%

It is a competitve advantage for me to learn the bits of spanish that I can speak (but not write). Likewise a business competitng for market share will do well to make an investment in schooling its staff in other languages when it brings in more business. Just as Mexican restaurant staff, some of whom are mexican americans and speak spanish as a first language use english to capture the gringo market business operating in a heavy spanish community down here will only see postitive results if they learn bits and pieces of spanish to capture some of the market share that may be avaliable to them.

I heard Pwolf's joke alot while taking foreign language classes in college. It is a sad diplomatic message americans present to the world with their complete disinterest in other languages.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by robtex

I find it interesting how stubborn we are as a culture to undertake a second language and amazing at how much stronger many foreigners understanding of the english language is compared with many of my neigbors and co-workers.

I've never understood why our schools do not teach Spanish starting in first grade considering how many spanish speakers we have in this country. My youngest son and I are learning spanish together, but it is soo confusing since I'm trying to learn japanese for my business.

[Lycan]

Another clarification...

I am not just talking about people coming to America, I am talking about anyone moving to any other country that has a predominant language different from their own.

ex: If I (as an english speaker) move to Germany, should I have to learn German or should German businesses and such be willing to change to accommodate my native language?

[painted wolf]

perhaps thats part of why we buy more than we sell to the world?
they sell us things in english and we happily buy it, but we refuse to bother to sell in anything but English?
Why buy the American product in English when you can get it in your own language somewhere elce?
Near the border here with Canada, there is a lot of multi-lingual business... it only makes sence, would you go to the resturant that is willing to speak your language (or at the lest print it on the menu) or the one that doesn't?

Multi-lingualism is a nessisity for success in many parts of the world eaven here in the USA. One nice thing about New Hampshire, dispite our reputation as a bunch of backwards yankee hicks, we have a lot of diversity.. a large spanish speaking population, a lot of towns have large Asian communities and growing African comunities due to our willingness to accept refugies.
Our schools require that you have at least two years of classes in another language to graduate. Nearly everyone in my graduating class spoke decent french, the one language we had avalible in my small school. I did have the opportunity to be bussed to a neighboring school to learn a year of Spanish.
My finace grew up in southern NH and growing numbers of neighborhoods in his 'city' spoke primarily spanish, he got to learn it both in school classes and in everyday use. When he was in high-school Nashua was the fastest growing spanish speaking population not counting California.

If anything it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about another culture and to grow in both inteligence and tolerance.

wa:do

[painted wolf]

you would be amazed at how many people in other countries speak english... I know a lot of Germans do. The biggest problem an english only speaker would run into would be signs.

wa:do

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by robtex

I heard Pwolf's joke alot while taking foreign language classes in college. It is a sad diplomatic message americans present to the world with their complete disinterest in other languages.

And a sad thing that our government seems happy to reinforce that, by showing a complete disinterest in other cultures.

I would certainly try to learn the language of any country I'd moved to. I wish I knew more about language as it is. I've only got a rudimentry understanding of French, and a longing to speak Japanese.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Lycan

Another clarification...

I am not just talking about people coming to America, I am talking about anyone moving to any other country that has a predominant language different from their own.

ex: If I (as an english speaker) move to Germany, should I have to learn German or should German businesses and such be willing to change to accommodate my native language?

I don't suppose you Americans are half as bad as we british, but most people in England feel that all non-english speakers will understand you if you shout at them (In English, of course)!!!!!!!!

[jamaesi]

I'm going to Brazil in July to be an exchange student for ten months. I'm learning as much Portuguese as I can before I leave. It's, you know, the polite thing to do.

Most of the people in the United States speak English. I have no real desire or need to learn Spanish, as everything where I live is in English, though I might learn it for business purposes. I'm not being lazy or a stupiduglyAmerican, I speak four languages (five, if you count my so far horrid Portuguese- which will be improving oh so soon). English is the one that gets me by here. If we had to pander to everyone's lingual needs, everyone would be speaking 5,000 languages.

There is a huge difference in living in Europe and America. In Europe you have many countries with many different languages that are very close to you. Of course you'd want, or even need, to pick up a few other languages other than your native tongue. It would also be a heck of a lot easier to do so. Where I live, everyone speaks English. The closest foreign country, one that's still very far away and I've never gone to, is Canada. They speak English there, too. All the places I go in a normal day are places that, you guessed it, English is used at. I have no need to learn about other languages. Learning other languages, especially ones that have no real concentration of native speakers near you, is terribly hard.
While it's cute to always make fun of Americans, do try to look at the other side.