Press 1 for english!! Press 2 for (fill in the blank language)..so, should immigrants to the U.S. learn...?

Question

english? If you immigrate here legally, by CHOICE, then shouldn't they make the effort to become familiar with our country's language and customs?
I don't know how many times I've called people at my job, and they answer the phone "hello" and I start speaking IN ENGLISH (because that's how they greeted me) and then they interrupt me and go "Oh, no speak-a english" or what have you. Well, if you answered the phone IN ENGLISH, what did you EXPECT me to speak to you in??!!
Do you think it's right that the U.S. caters to other cultures, to include us learning foreign languages, when they immigrate here and refuse to learn ours?

By the way, even though english is legally defined as the dominant language...
our school books are in ENGLISH

our money is in ENGLISH

our Constitution is in ENGLISH

is it really that hard to understand how it works here?

Sorry, I meant ISN'T legally defined

Answer 1

Why are you hostile about business that offer multilingual options ?
Are you mad because you are monolingual ?
If you are so hot on on learning the local language ,
Are you critical of people NOT speaking American Indian ?
Why the double standard ?

The planet is multi-lingual , and the US is a global transit place soooo
Get over it , and get a legitimate life .
(sniveling about multi-linguals is lame )

Answer 2

Well, I am from a non English speaking country, and in my country we answer the phone "hello" and then keep speaking on our mother tongue. I think many countires use 'hello' as their initial greeting, even if they don't speak English. May be coz Hello is such a simple easy to use greeting. Anyway, to get back to your question, yes, I beleive people should try to learn English If they are now living in an English speaking country - to make their own lives easier. And I think and I know that many people try hard to learn English, put lot of time and effort into it. At the same time people whoose English skills are excellent, should show a little patience towards them. How would you feel like if you are in Japan and everybody expect you to speak Japanese straight away!

About language IVR options in phone services, I don't think you should get irritated by it. People try to learn English, but till they become comfortable in English, they still have to survive in U.S. The language options are to make their lives a bit easier. Think, if they arecalling for an urgent service, how harsh it would be if the person cannot explain their situation, simply coz their English is not good!

I am not from US but i know lot of immigrants and and I know how hard they try to learn English. Give them a chance. They will get there eventually.

If you hear somebody answer the phone 'hello' and then say 'no speak a English', don't get it personally. Try another option. I understand your frustation though.

And I am not saying that every immigrant is trying to learn English. I have heard that some are refusing to learn it, but think of majority, not the minority. Appreciate their effort and acknowledge that language acquisition in a later stage of life is not an easy task and be a bit patient when needed.

After all feeling frustrated wouldn't help you would it? Society is not always the way we want it, but we have to live in there anyway. So just adjusting our attitudes a bit would only do us good, coz then atleast we feel good.

Answer 3

press 2 if you have read the stupidities of a person who want the others to forget their roots just because we live here.

The learning of another culture isn't a reason to forget your, perhaps you should be more gentle with the people so they will want to assimilate our culture. What about when you are in vacations and you don't speak the language from the country you are at? Lost right and you look for someone who's able to speak English to help you a little, even when that person has accent, so is the same the other way around, let see if you learn how to respect the others and stop making fun of them.

Perhaps, What's the American culture based in? In the traditions inherited from the immigrants from England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Africa and many others. Immigrants that came here, some others were brought as slaves against their will, looking for a better way to live, Who isn't an immigrant descendant here in the U.S.A.? Come on, lets be real in here we all are immigrants descendants and that's something no one can erase nor delete from the history. Our culture is a multiracial one and the reason that we speak English is just an accident, we could finished speaking German, French, Spanish or any other language brought by our ascendants, but it was English. So be more opened mind to give the chance to those who are just doing the same thing our ancestors did, looking for a better future.

Don't you understand how it works here? This is a free country and the reason that we speak English isn't a reason to forget our roots, our Constitution, in English, defends that right, perhaps the Contitution says "For the poeple to the people" Perhaps it says that "all men are free and equal."

In the only thing I can agree with you is that you do color outside the line, perhaps your argumente make no sense.

Answer 4

Most of the persons responding right here suppose that the query this is that not anything instead of english must be spoken. That's fully unsuitable. The most important query is that those corporations must anticipate that all people speaks English and if you wish to have another language spoken you must push a quantity. If no quantity is pressed the language that that's robotically spoken is English. I for my part am insulted that I ought to do some thing, regardless of how mild, to talk my international locations language.

Answer 5

It's difficult to counteract. Businesses are unwillingly to establish a universal language, doing so would cause a loss in potential consumers. Therefore, it's reinforced by the economy for English speaking Americans to learn a foreign language (Spanish), proving to be personally profitable.

The government is hesitant to push for a federal national language. It's seen as culturally oppressive by the far left. But in reality, this is America - speak English. My grand-parents and great-grandparents immigrated to America and learned the language. This generation of immigrants should be no different. You can still retain your culture while also integrating into society by learning English. It will not only benefit yourself, it will benefit the entire community.

-Kerplunk!

Answer 6

I agree. It's only fair. I used to live in Germany. My husband and I lived there for almost four years. While we were living there, we learned enough of the language to be able to have a pretty good conversation with people, and read the signs and all that. In fact, they appreciated that fact that we made the effort to learn the language. they didn't expect us to be perfect. I have Mexican friends that came here legally years ago, and they went to English classes to learn the language. whatever country you're in , you should make an effort to learn the language. How are you sopposed to live if you don't?

Answer 7

My ancestors immigrated from France in the late 1700's. They all had to learn to speak English just to conduct business in America. Our ancestors had to do it and this new wave of immigrants should too. This country is getting too "politically correct" and soft. You try to go to a country such as France or The Netherlands and see how they cater to you. THEY DON'T...Why should we? Learn to speak English and conduct daily transactions as we do or get OUT!!

Answer 8

I've been all over this rock, and it is ONLY in the us that you will see this.

In The Netherlands it is now required you have a basic understanding of the language BEFORE you can immigrate. In France you have MANDATORY language classes and 2 years to learn or they will review your immigration application. Try finding anything in English in South America...the only English I ran into in Peru was from English tourists...not the phones, buses, cabs, government offices..nothing.

Helping new immigrants is good and proper...not making a common language mandatory however not only stresses the taxpayer, but does THEM a great disservice. It forever relegates them to 2nd class status and limits their ability to join the mainstream...and this hindrance is often passed on from generation to generation.

Answer 9

You do have a point !!me and my husband always argue about this immigrant issue Im mexican born here and my family well my mom and her family was born in Mexico and can here about 40 years ago my mom and all them came here legally and my mom took her citizenship test in English and she learned the language He says that its not right they come here just to work and take the money back to Mexico or where ever they are from He says they just use our country Yes they should learn the language

Answer 10

The simple answer is it is a problem of ignorance. Those who refuse to learn the language are ignorant of it. To live in the US and not speak the language puts them at the bottom of the food chain, makes them the least educated, the least likely to understand or respect the American culture and way of life. There are many cultures that come here and do learn the language, but the ones that don't tend to be the most uneducated (in their own language), most primitive cultures.

Answer 11

Personally I don't think that it's FAIR to those who come here in search of a better life, to have to WAIT and learn English BEFORE they are allowed to become citizens.

My father is a LEGAL resident who has tried SEVERAL times to take/pass the citizenship test. He KNOWS how to speak, write, and read English and has yet to pass it. That test is hard enough already. These people don't NEED ANOTHER barrier put in their way.