Why do we have to push 1 for English...if we live in America?

Question

When calling a business that is what you are instructed to do// why? It should be just standard for them to speak English.

Well,, we always have said, Speak English"..Like the English language. we take English in School.. not American.

I do speak Spanish although not fluently.
I travel to Mexico every year sometimes if I am lucky;; I get to go twice~~~
President Bush did say just this a.m. that they will have to learn our language....and do i speak French? NO,, because who would I be able to converse with???
Maybe if my dream comes true and I go to Italy,,,I will make it a point their language so I will be able to communicate w/ them.

Answer 1

I don't recall there being any article in the Constitution that gives the English language any official status or that guarantees that American citizens should never be subjected to hearing languages other than the majority tongue. If anything, the United States was actually founded to encourage acceptance of diversity. Remember the First Amendment? It guarantees not only freedom of religion but also freedom of speech, and that means not just WHAT you want to say but also HOW (and in what language) you want to say it.

I agree that immigrants should be encouraged to learn English, but not because Americans have some God-given right to never have to hear any language but English. If you're really all that concerned about immigrants who are having a hard time acquiring the English language, perhaps you should volunteer some of your time tutoring immigrants in English.

EDIT: After all, it can take years to acquire a second language. How many years did it take for you to learn Spanish, and how fluent are you in it? That is, are you conversational? Would you be comfortable speaking in only Spanish all day long in every situation? How about when you travel to Mexico? Do you speak Spanish every second you're there, or do you just use Spanish when you have to ask for directions of something and revert back to English when speaking to other Americans you're traveling with?

Or are you perhaps a second or third generation Latina? Did your parents or grand-parents speak Spanish? And if so, why is it that your mother tongue is English and not Spanish? It's amazing how quickly people become assimilated in this country, isn't it? It is admittedly difficult for those who immigrate to this country as an adult to pick up the English language, especially when most of them work long hours, rely on others for transportation, and can't afford college English classes. After all, it can take YEARS to become fluent in a foreign language. Don't you agree? Yet more often than not, the children and grand-children of these immigrants not only learn to speak English fluently but don't even learn to speak their parents' language, which is a shame, if you ask me. In the meantime, it does admittedly take those first generation immigrants a while to pick up the language, so maybe we should be a little more patient and stop being so judgmental. Those of use who have learned to speak a second language fluently realize how difficult a process it can be. If more Americans took it upon themselves to try to learn a foreign language, they might be a little less judgmental.

FYI: French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is spoken as a first language by people in France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, etc..., but more importantly, it is spoken as a second language in countries where it is the official language or where it has a historical presence, including, but not limited to the following countries: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Tchad, Senegal, Guinea, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Burkina-Faso, Cameroun, Ruanda, Burundi, Zaire, Egypt, Guyana, Guadelope, Martinique, Reunion, Corsica, French Polynesia, etc...

Answer 2

Surely if you live in America you should speak American. If you follow your argument, you should only speak English in England. My point is that English is an immigrant language, which arrived on the continent way after French, Spanish and Dutch, and certanly long after 'American' language was already being eradicated, so why did USA pick English? maybe because the English colonists were the most aggressive, and had the biggest guns at the time (bit like USA now!). So why on earth should we speak English, it is just another immigrant (or invading) language if you want to put it in those terms. And by the way, you don't have to go far to speak with native French speakers, just up to Quebec is far enough!

Answer 3

I could furnish you with 3 months max, I are living inside the center of Sydney and that i used to be offered a role operating in B.C. Canada and suggestion that a metamorphosis could be as first-rate as a holiday. Within each and every week of being there I visible and been to the complete lot. Sydney being 24/7 big city then to a nine-five town in Canada didn't pass good with me in any admire.My concept of going out all night time time wasn't sitting with the support of a river all night time time fishing. Or having to drive over 20 miles to a gas station whilst the all outlets closed at 6 simply to shop for milk and odds and ends . Wasn't a tick of watching to stay there whilst I might walk out my front door right here in Sydney to a grocery retailer a part of a block away and do my weekly looking or pass to the wellness membership and feature a meal, drink or espresso whenever or even at four within the morning. I gave it a pass knowing it wasn't for me.I overlooked the sirens and noise,visitors people jogging circular all the time. My dad laughed after I back knowing I beneath no occasions even lived inside the suburbs. I'd pick residing inside the center of any big town at any time when.

Answer 4

someone might have just moved to this country and not know english yet, wouldnt u be annoyed if u were in mexico and u called someplace and u couldnt understand it cuz it wuz spanish i agree they should try to learn it though
:)