Is it legal or fair to require someone to be bilingual for a job?

Question

My friend's husband just lost his job and she has been applying and looking for a job for herself in the meantime. She says a lot of the jobs require, or "strongly suggest" the applicant be bilingual to get the job (usually spanish and english). She some jobs didn't require, but paid more if you were bilingual. I know I have seen ads in the past which say "bilingual" preferred, which that in itself I found to hint that if you weren't your chance goes way down.

Is this legal to require this? Isn't it kind of like a form of discrimination? I find it to be very unfair. We live in a country where the main language is English, why should people applying for jobs be punished if they don't know another language?

And no, I'm not a Republican or anti-immigrant, I just think if you come here you should learn the language. I wouldn't move somewhere else and expect people to conform to me.

Also, other countries teach English or other second languages to kids in school. In America they don't start learning languages until high school, and its very bare minimum and usually an elective. I don't feel my friend should be punished in the workforce for "only" knowing English.

Answer 1

Hi never!!!


Yes, all what you say is true, but you are forgetting one litttle detail; which is the better a company communicates with the public, the more business you make. And since here everything is about money!!!!! That is why is extremely important for people to learn two languages.

Spanish is the second best to learn, and I believe Japanese would be the next one.

Also every where you go, you will find someone who speaks either English but also Spanish.

I'm proud to say that I'm completely bilingual, and other than being extremely professional in my job, speaking Spanish has kept me working for 20 years, in the same place, which I'm very proud of. Translating to others, gives me a sense of pride.

Also I had the opportunity of working different second jobs, and because I'm bilingual, I was hired on the spot!!! Making a very good salary, too!!!

I suggest that instead of looking at this in a negative way, people should look at it very positive, because in a long run, everything will work for your benefit. Bringing a lot a money, and also anybody should be proud of being if not bilingual, multilingual.

In college I started taking French, and I find that the more languages one knows the better you communicate.

One of my co-workers is Italian, and I also practice a liitle of what I know with her too. To my surprise, I do know more than I thought. Now I teach her Spanish and she teaches me Italian!!! It is fun, to learn something new!!!

I do NOT consider that descrimination, due to the fact, that it doesn't really touches on race itself, doesn't have to do with the color of your skin or your religion. It touches on the fact of what and how is the person ability to comunicate "FOR BUSINESS PORPUSES"!!!!

There are many people, that NOT being Spanish, they do speak Spanish.

I strongly recomend to your freind and yourself taking Spanish classes, so you can secure and find a god paying job in the future. You both will not regret it.

GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS YOU & HAPPY LIFE

A.Z.

Answer 2

With some jobs, you can do more/complete tasks better when you know two languages. For example, if you work in advertising, you can appeal to more than just the English-speaking audience if you know another language, which would help your company.

And actually, a lot of schools teach (and have been teaching) Spanish in elementary school. And most high schools require foreign language credits to graduate... At least, a lot of the ones I know about.

Answer 3

In many areas with a large Hispanic population, it is reasonable to require a knowledge of Spanish, as many customers will be more fluent in that language than in English. Many Mexicans cross the border simply to shop, and their English skills may be limited. Similarly, when I was working in Saudi Arabia, it was almost a universal requirement that store clerks be able to speak English, even though many were Pakistani, Filipino, or other non-English speakers. (Arabs mostly don't do that kind of work.) Even if English were the official language of the US (as I think it should be), one will still have Spanish-speaking customers.

Answer 4

It's absolutely legal, as long as it's necessary for the execution of the job. If you are expected to be able to communicate with people who speak another language, how can you be able to fulfill the job requirements without that skill?

It's no different than a programmer being expected to use the programming languages required for the specified programming tasks.

Answer 5

Like it or not, the largest minority group in the United States is Latino. A great many of them are not entirely proficient in English, which if it's not your native language is one of the hardest to learn - as hard as Hebrew or Mandarin is for folks who didn't grow up speaking those tongues.
And - those Latino folks represent a substantial purchasing power. You're darn right I'm going to hire multilingual sales staff to serve them...I have a business to run, kids to feed, a mortgage to pay, etc and etc. Sorry about your friend - Spanish classes are available and I suggest she and her hubby start learning the language, comprende?

Answer 6

Just like any it were any other skill, an employer can discriminate between candidates based on language skills. Certain jobs require that employees be able to use certain computer programs and others might require that employees be able to speak to clients (whether they be local or international) in another language. If a candidate is not, he/she may not be hired.

Answer 7

Is is fair that a pilot know how to fly? The requirements of a job require that some one meets them. If you cannot fly a plane - don't apply for a job that requires it, but if you do know how to fly and the company finds out that you can fly different types of planes - good chance they will pay you more.

Answer 8

To me it depends on the job.. if it's a matinence job at a mexican resturaunt then it'd make sense.. or at an immigration office.. but just for any job it dosn't seem fair.. but it is a skill not a racial thing so i am pretty sure that it's leagal

Answer 9

These same people protested, in the 70s, because employers advertized, "must be fluent in English". They said it was a way of discriminating. Now, they believe Affirmative Action perks to be their right and don't have any problem discriminating against people who are not part of their culture.
Its legal, but it sure as hell ain't right. Thank a Democrat.

Answer 10

This is very accurate.Why we all dont copy it and send it to both President Calderon (& Mexican Senate),and President Obama and the US Senate and House of Representatives.Probably wouldn't do most politicians any good if the read it. They only see votes and listen to their own rhetoric and preach anti-American propaganda.