Why is it so hard for mexicans to learn English?

Question

I don't get it, why are there so many people who can only speak spanish when English is all around them? It seems like you would have to try harder not to learn English.

Answer 1

English is a very difficult language to learn. You cannot expect adults, all adults have a reduced capacity to learn language, to pick up English when it is highly irregular, different from Spanish, and sometimes lacking in incentive to learn.

Answer 2

You aren't really looking at it in the right perspective. It's not that "Mexicans can't" speak English but that they don't. Totally different questions. It might be because of segregation (voluntary or otherwise) that they are surrounded by other Spanish speakers. It might be because there are enough cognates (words that are alike in English and Spanish) to get along. It's also part of our history that many parts of the US, namely in the West and Southwest, were originally controlled and populated by Spain and then Mexico.
There are generations of people who have been "Americans" but only speak Spanish because that's their heritage. Length of stay has little to do with proficiency or fluency.
I knew several immigrants who quickly learned English (within a year of arriving) and spoke without accents. Yet, I have met many people who have lived north of the border for decades and never learned English.

Answer 3

As you age, learning a foreign language becomes increasingly difficult. It takes time, energy and years of hard work.

But if you're around friends and family, surrounded by a culture that supports you, then perhaps you don't need to learn another language in order to thrive.

And it isn't any harder for the people of one race to learn a different language than it is for another. For example, have you ever tried to speak French?

Answer 4

Why bother if everything is in Spanish?
Because of life circumstances I had to learn three languages and English is one of them. So believe me, when people tell you that it's a difficult language to learn, it's crap.
My cleaning lady is here for at least 5 years and she still can't read even street parking signs.

Answer 5

English is a very difficult language to learn. It is very difficult to learn it properly just by immersion.

Remember, usually when Spanish-only Mexicans need to communicate, they're with other Spanish speakers. Or they're just being condescended to, which would frustrate me enough to shut out a language.

Also, why is it that so few Americans know something other than English? Why should we be hypocrites?

Answer 6

English is a very hard language to learn. Much harder than it is to learn Spanish. It is especially harder for an adult than it is a child. Many Mexicans can understand English, but cannot speak it.

Answer 7

Why is it so hard for Americans to be open-minded? I don't get it, why are there so many people who can only think of their own culture when others are all around them? It seems like you would have to try harder not to learn to accept them.

Answer 8

Because they don't need to. Today's society puts everything into spanish, so they don't have any incentive to learn English. Seeing that my grandfather was forced to speak nothing but english when he came here from Germany I consider it a slap in the face to coddle those who come from spanish speaking nations. English was made our OFFICIAL language in August of 1776, and anyone who chooses to live in this nation should learn English, and not expect us Americans to learn spanish.

Answer 9

This is a good question. Specially when you consider other ethnic groups. They are quick to pick up the English language. I guess there's no incentive to learn english, most of us don't seem to want to progress. My own mother and father have lived in the United States for over 30 years and they barely know a few phrases. I don't know whether it our cultural values give importance to failure or what...
It is no wonder we are looked down upon.

Answer 10

It's easier to learn a language when you're young. And if most of the people I interacted with spoke my language, I probably wouldn't put that much effort either - just enough to get my by.