Are Americans going to learn Spanish?

Question

They are 15 million illegal immigrants with out counting all the legal citizen that also come from other Spanish places..so i suggest you start learning Spanish if you want to get around in America,because the competition is going to be hard if you only speak 1 Language..I am so glad i am Bilingual so i have nothing to worry !! Do you? No offense but instead of spending your time on yahoo answers you should be taking Spanish classes..Lol


They are all ready changing the signs,billboards,commercials and schools are even starting to demand, kids learn both language...

Answer 1

I agree completely! They better get busy! I am American and I speak English and Spanish too! It's so much easier to know both languages than 1! I even got offered a job translating!

Answer 2

Yeah, but what's the point nobody even speaks proper Spanish. Having lived in NYC and Miami now I have to say, half these Hispanics from different countries don't always understand each other. Also what they teach in the schools is not what is spoken on the street. I also can't figure if I where to go across the border to live and work and go slumming, would it be fair for me to force that country into imposing everybody learn English and force it into the school system as a requirement??? Just wondering. Also now if we started getting a large influx of Chinese immigrants would we also have to learn Chinese? Get what I'm saying, they leave because they are not happy with there country but then try to turn ours into what they where leaving behind?????

Answer 3

I'm bilingual. I just don't speak Spanish. Even many Hispanics don't speak Spanish.

We have over 100 languages in this country. We can choose Spanish as a second language if we choose to. However, we need English so we can all communicate amongst ourselves.

Where I live they don't demand kids learn Spanish. They can't even afford to teach second languages until at least middle school, because the funding all goes to ESL programs disproportionately for illegal immigrant students and students who are children of illegal immigrants.

This is a sore spot with many. Do you think you further your cause when you raise it?

Answer 4

Are the illegal immigrants going to learn English?

"because the competition is going to be hard if you only speak 1 Language.."

That statement, if true, is not only true for Americans, but for illegal immigrants as well. At the moment, many illegal immigrants also only know one language, but no one has suggested that they should learn another. Why?

I'm not racist. I am also bilingual. I just do not understand why people can't learn my language since I've taken the time to learn their vernacular.

I have stepped out of my comfort zone and now it's time for immigrants to do the same. I love foreign languages and learning them. I understand the results of studying a foreign language--it helps you better understand your own. From that point of view, everyone should want to learn a foreign language, unless they don't care to improve their own language skills or expect everyone to cater to them.

Answer 5

IMHO - everyone should learn a second language (and I include immigrants). The world is becoming less of a segregated society and MORE of a global unity. If we want to promote equality and human freedom we need to encourage it and learn to speak with each other.

Personally, I took 6 years of Spanish (in school and college) because I wanted to be able to communicate with my friends' family. It also means that I understand the billboards and commercials. I'm not as fluent as I once was, but I plan to pick it back up!

You know, in my area we also have a high number of Vietnamese and Koreans, not to mention Thai, etc. We have signs and translators for them....

Answer 6

I am fluent in Spanish. I also know how to politely say, "I'm sorry, but I prefer English for all those involved in this conversation. My father is tone deaf and unable to learn a new language" (some people just can't and we need to think about that sometime!). And we are changing the signs to show Spanish, but go through "Chinatown" in any urban area and you'll find Chinese. Do I need to know Chinese? I do, but it's not necessary. Why? Because they know that Americans speak English. They know that to get stuff done they need to know ENGLISH. And if they don't want to know English? They don't sell to non-chinese speaking Americans. But they also don't tell me to know Chinese.

Answer 7

This is America, not Mexico. If I sneak into Mexico and hide and live, then yes I will learn their language. It's their country. In the 50's, I was made to learn Spanish in 5th and 6th grade living in California. Now I think it was wrong to force us. The Mexican kids were not made to learn English. How unfair is that. I am happy that I learned some because it's fun to teach what I know to my kids and grand kids, but they are not forced like i was.

Answer 8

I'm Dominican-American, so i was speaking Spanish before i learned English. And i do love being bilingual. Nearly half of children under 5 are minorities and (Latinos are the largest), so what does that say about the future of our country? But i still think immigrants should learn English.

Answer 9

Here in England spanish is getting more and more popular too, it's became an option in schools and loads of kids want to take it as lots go on holiday to spain, so I agree that spanish is definitely on the way up.

Answer 10

Most europeans know more then 2 languages, and , I agree , that its pitiful that we are such a thriving nation and yet we continue to hold sooo strongly onto the English language. In our defense though, ( don't give me any slack my dad is puerto rican) we should not have to be forced to learn spanish because of such a large illegal immigrant population. We should instead be learning languages because they are beneficial in a more global economy. If spanish is beneficial in that respect then great ( its an easy language to learn), but if you ask me the language of MATH should be taught with Japanese.

Answer 11

You are right! I work in a predominately Spanish speaking school district, but I have to admit that even though I took Spanish in college (and did well) I speak and can understand no Spanish. I am pretty ashamed of this. Spanish is really difficult for me, but I do see the need to learn it. It would make society run better.