2006-06-15 04:42:39 · 26 answers · asked by EverdayImHustlin 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
they dont feel they have to
2006-06-15 04:45:43 · answer #1 · answered by missy 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Have you tried to completely learn a second lanuguage????? If you haven't I would stop right there. Fact: English is one of the hardest and most complicated languages to learn. One of our words can have 10 different meanings in some cases. Fact: The best way to learn a language is immersion. Example: Coming to America to learn it. The world outside America understands this why can't we? We are so busy thinking about ourselves we forget that we made the Native Americans who were here before us start speaking English!!! Where is it fair now???
2006-06-15 12:24:46 · answer #2 · answered by Rebeca O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why should they? English isn't a prerequisite to getting a job, a driver's license or free health care. This country bends over backwards to make it possible for immigrants - legal or no - to not learn the English language.
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language
... and we have room for but one sole loyalty
and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
2006-06-15 11:48:38 · answer #3 · answered by parsonsel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you learn the language of the country you are going to? If you plan on staying there for any length of time you should, however if it is just a vacation, some everday words will suffice. It seems more people speak english nowdays so when you travel you can understand and be understood.
2006-06-21 15:26:05 · answer #4 · answered by fivestarmama 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because we make it easy for them not to by providing everything in two sets of languages(i.e. most directions on household products are in both Spanish and English---hair-care products-etc...) Why should they learn when in some Border states even street signs are in Spanish. I have nothing against anyone, but when I went to France--I had to speak a little bit of French to even get a burger and fries!!!! I think they should learn English and that we should not make it so easy not to. That not only applies to Mexicans, but any one else who comes to this country and wants to live. Gimme a break!!
2006-06-15 11:51:03 · answer #5 · answered by gzmom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't learn it after they hop over either unfortunately. Although we would be expected to adapt to any other country we would choose to reside, in our country we bow down and don't require that, and people that is nothing to brag about. I have known people that have been in this country for 20 years and still can't speak a word of English. They always understand and speak the US dollar though!
2006-06-16 02:41:51 · answer #6 · answered by beachdiva954 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ignoring the obvious ignorance as to the complexity of immigration issues and human rights that your question touches on, I just want to ask - how many languages do you speak fluently that you began to learn in adulthood?
If the answer is more than zero, I would expect some compassion for the monumental effort this can take. ALL political matters aside, this is a self-absorbed line of reasoning on the part of some so-called "patriots"
2006-06-15 11:51:12 · answer #7 · answered by Neil 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mexican immigrants are actually learning English at a faster rate than previous waves of immigrant groups from an actual statistical perspective. But of course with a question like yours you probably don't want an academic response about immigration waves and how America is an immigrant based society. *sigh* Flamers exhaust me.
2006-06-16 18:37:05 · answer #8 · answered by brownfreckles1977 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're too busy trying to eek out a living. They're too busy trying to take care of their families in awful conditions. They're too busy trying to make it to the next day. Otherwise why in heavens name would they choose to forsake the land where they were born and mostly love to come to another country? It's funny I've know Americans who go to live in other countries and except for very few words come back still not knowing the language. All people are pretty much the same.
2006-06-15 12:19:36 · answer #9 · answered by daljack -a girl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My question is not why don't they learn English before they come to this country to work to live to send their children to school, etc. My question is, why don't they learn English once they've pretty much established that they're not going back to Mexico!! Why do we have to be 'punished' and be required to learn a second language so that they can understand us??
2006-06-15 12:10:41 · answer #10 · answered by grahamma 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where would they learn English? Most of the people coming over didn't go to school (in Mexico you have to pay for all your schooling beyond I think 5th grade, there is no public school for jr/high schools).
2006-06-15 11:50:09 · answer #11 · answered by erin7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋