A mere 12% (maybe a little more) of Americans speak two languages or more.
In Germany, that's 44%.
In Finland, that's a whopping 82%.
Is our "Welcome to America, Now Speak English" campaign going to come back to haunt us soon enough?
2006-09-12 15:37:33 · 21 answers · asked by Tofu Jesus 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
just shows how ignorant america is,my way or the highway!!!
2006-09-12 15:42:31 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 6⤋
Hey, your comment about "coming back to haunt us" hits the nail on the head. Every day that passes, there are more bilingual (at least bilingual, maybe three or four languages) people in the US. "English only" people are going to get outnumbered. This could even happen - there could be so many immigrants here that it won't matter any more who's legal and who's not. Look at the protests that are going on. Si se puede? OK, so there's a slogan now "No human being is illegal." Right. But plenty of human beings are illegally present. Si se puede what? Inmigrar en los EEUU sin documentos? Oh yeah, that's the real truth - se puede. And here's another real truth - the bigger the corporation, the more eager they are to hire people who will work for small wages and no benefits, so they can charge less than the competition and the board of directors and executives can get rich, rich, rich. The jobs are there. Americans are EAGER to hire human beings who are illegally present. So it's best if Americans get over it and start studying Spanish. If you don't think it's already a two language society, go to Compton. If you want to slow the flow of immigration, just convince our nation's wealthiest not to be greedy. They'll be glad to pay more for labor. Also, if you want to win the "war on drugs" just tell Americans not to buy or use drugs anymore. They'll be glad to not get addicted. Give it up. Learn Spanish. Maybe you can be a cop if you hate undocumented aliens so much. Watch out though. You can't fight city hall.
2006-09-12 22:57:50 · answer #2 · answered by Mark Porter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So much of the rest of the world is bilingual because their students are forced to speak......English. That's right, English is already the top international language and it is growing. Most Americans don't need to learn to speak another language, because everyone else in the world speaks English. I have lived in Turkey and Germany and traveled to many other countries. The people there appreciate the effort to try to speak their language, but usually the conversation ends up in English. Being bilingual is still a huge advantage for someone, but it is not a neccessity. 88% of Americans don't leave the US for any length of time during their lives. I could learn German but I am just as likely to meet someone who is from France in the States. There won't be a backlash, because speaking English is becoming a neccessity for global interactions.
2006-09-12 22:54:19 · answer #3 · answered by royalrunner400 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because Americans don't have to. English - American English to be exact - is now the lingua franca (language of the world). Besides, it is the other nations who want to have business with the Americans so it is up for them to speak the language Americans understand.
That's the way it is today - the United States being the only superpower and the biggest economy in the world.
2006-09-12 22:48:43 · answer #4 · answered by koolkat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they dont realize that China will be the next economic power and then chinese will be the next language of business.
Someone said that "it's them who want to do business with America" Sorry kid, but that's not true. A lot of American companies would like to do business with foreign companies.
And for the person who said that "most americans are dumb", you are exactly right. They can't comprehend the idea of learning other languages when they already sucked at science.
2006-09-13 01:37:49 · answer #5 · answered by bassmania100 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OMG, Good Question!
I thought about that...yes it will definitely have its repercussions. I think alot of Americans are xenophobic, yet they like to travel to exotic countries, this is why America is so paradoxical...
Materialism vs. Spiritualism
Individualism vs. Collectivism
.......and many more isms...
But what it boils down to, is what the teachers are educating American children and whether that child or teen wants to continue learning...because by then they reach adulthood it might be too late unless you have a real motivation to learn another language...
2006-09-12 23:54:08 · answer #6 · answered by TruthSeeker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is little emphasis on studying foreign languages here.
as English is the world's most important language, you have to have it for international commerce, we think we don't need to study other languages.
i took 2 yrs of Latin and 1 yr of Spanish and have found the Latin to be extremely useful (not is speaking, in language usage).
p.s. don't take french, only frogs speak it now.
2006-09-12 22:51:47 · answer #7 · answered by arkie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because I choose to live in the US. If I lived in Mexico, Germany, or any other country, I would learn to speak their language and not expect them to speak mine instead. There are soooo many people trying to make a second language mandatory these days and it is wrong! If you live in the US, speak English. If you don't, learn it or go home!
2006-09-12 22:46:37 · answer #8 · answered by Tracy O 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Why should we have to learn every other language just so that people coming here feel more comfortable. To be curtious, many Americans at least attempt to learn a new language if they are traveling out of the country. I think if you want to live here, learn the language, and USE IT when you are in public. Any effort is better than no effort.
2006-09-12 22:44:45 · answer #9 · answered by Misty S 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Boy it's really helped Germany and Finland hasn't?
Maybe there's a lesson huh....
2006-09-12 22:48:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are stupid! They think the world revolves around them!
They have a rude awakening as many foreign companies are not going to want to speak English!
A foreign language was mandatory when I went to school and it used to be in college! No more!
2006-09-12 22:43:15 · answer #11 · answered by cantcu 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋