Should we translate everything for immigrants or should they be forced to learn English? Should we pay for it?

Question

Oh by "we" I mean English taxpayers.. and if you're wondering, I have worked on the books since I was 16 and have never signed on.. (not that that affects the question.)

Answer 1

The things that certainly don't need translating are - Free accomodation - free english lessons - free help from government to open yet more car washes - job seekers allowance and free NHS treatment even though national insurance contributions from this sector are not accountable, so where does the extra funding come from for all these things? does it come from the taxes they pay when they DO get employment? i doubt it when most work low paid cash in hand. (No thumbs down please, my family have lived in England for thousands of years, THIS is my country and i have FREE speech)

ps - love the id pic.

Answer 2

If you intend to live in a country then learn the local language there and be respectful to their religion and laws too. I think anyone coming to an English speaking country should be able to speak it or go home. I know families here in Cnada that are here for over 30 years and the parents still know zero other than "allo" for hello. Also as far as Africa my friend I speak a lot of Swahili as it is the language they use in the areas around Uganda where I was stationed for about 6 months and the locals loved it when I spoke to them. Also Africa the "Continent"as you put it is a large population of tribes and "countries" to say the least and the dialects are all different too. The people of Uganda for instance speak Swahili, Lugandan, Zulu and English. If one does travel it is within their best interest to learn at least the basics of the local language, but if you intend to stay there, then learn it all. Not like the ones that come here to Canada and put up their own language signs on stores and yet if I open any sort of business I have to put it in English and French which are our 2 national so called languages here. I am from Scotland and was raised in the English language system. Now where is the discrimination here? I have to comply with the 2 national languages yet the Ch, Ar, In, (short form initials) and the rest come here and the government says zero to them. There are certain areas in the North east side of Toronto where I have no clue if I am going into a video store or a local butchers or a body rub parlour.

Answer 3

The problem in the UK is that for many years we have been providing translations of all official documents for the Asian immigrants - Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi Vietnamese, etc.
Now we're getting immigrants from Eastern Europe we're feeling obliged to also provide translation into Polish, Russian, and Romanian.
Some areas with high Polish immigration have even started changing road signs and printing sections of the local newspaper to "help" their new residents. It would be better "help" to have everything in English only and to spend the money on English classes for them.
I wouldn't dream of going to live in another country and not make an effort to learn the language. Not that any other country would be as soft as we are in the UK, and give me everything translated into English!!

Answer 4

okay i think that if you move to another country looking for a better life or whatever your reason and you dont know an ounce of what the new country's language is. that's probably a problem. im not saying that you have to be perfect or understand casual slang or talk. but know the basics. know how to commincate. english is a hard language to learn so i give credit to ppl who have it as their second language. sp im not really sure what my answer is. maybe its more of a yes ppl should learn english. bc when i go to different parts of my neighborhood and there's nothing in english but when i go back home everything is spanish and english. if your guna translate things they should be everywhere not just a select few

Answer 5

Hello; Asking that question suggests that we don't already do it... we do! I'm from Lawrence, Massachusetts, and if you go to the DMV (motor vehicles) they will have the drivers exam booklet in chinese, vietnamese, spanish, french, and russian... just the ones I can recall. Should this be done? Absolutely!

Now that I've moved to Puerto Rico, and not speaking fluent Spanish, I needed to take their driver exam, and had difficulty finding the ONE English translation study guide they had... I had to wait for it to be returned, as someone else was using it! You can go in and get a Spanish one, and keep it... the English one has to be returned! But here's the kicker; the last 2 pages are missing! So, I got the last two questions wrong (no problem, I passed anyway!).

The U.S. puts about $243 Billion in to the Puerto Rican economy each year... they are taught at least one class of English each year, from their first year of school, to their last (twelve years of English) so I am always amazed when I get the "I don't speak English" in good to perfect English! But I have to admit... the only one who's ever pulled the rude, red neck BS; "you're in my country, speak my language" crap, is my teenage sister in-law... the result of how she got treated, while visiting the U.S.!

Maybe the immegrants should pay for their pamphlets, while the others are free... but think about this: an immigrant comes to this country, gets his license, gets a job... starts paying taxes! The govt gets more money by investing in getting them, & getting them to work, don't you agree? Why put barriers in their way? Just like federal student loans invest in getting us a degree, so we can make more $$$, and pay higher taxes (along with our insterest rates).

Answer 6

No! I'm an immigrant myself but I don't believe that should be done.

I can't understand what the purpose is of the people who are trying to impose the Spanish language in this country.

I'll never, ever, agree with that. Whenever you go to a country you must learn the language spoken in that country. It's not fair for taxpayers, who have nothing to do with it, to pay for it.

I really find this out of proportion and illogical.
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Answer 7

A recent study shows that Asian-Americans earn on average $10,000 more than other groups. Discrimination is not the way. What if you had to go to other countries to live? - Of course they'll be places with English and others with no English. Who came up with the idea of wasting money
? - Many immigrants have began printing their own newspapers and radio programmes. It's life! Get over it!

P.S: Why do Poms have to ruin everything?

Answer 8

immigrants should have to learn english. The money that goes into printing everthing in multiple languages could be used to help them. At one time it was mandatory to be able to speak and read well enough to pass a citizenship test. If I found it necessary to move to a different country you can bet that I would have to learn their language, if not to live there, but just to be able to go about daily life. The US has made it too easy for immigrants, in this regard.

Answer 9

I'm an 18 year old bilingual latino who can speak both english and spansih fluently. I think that the people coming into this country should learn english, but let me say that one of the reasons that the immigrants have a hard time learning english is because most of them are even literate in their native tounge. How can they learn english if they barley know thier own langauge. Also we as americans should learn other languages because other countries are not so arrogant as to expect other countries to speak their language! In this day and age, everyone should strive to speak more than one langauge,

Answer 10

Just how many people in the UK are capable of translating anything? Anybody coming to the UK should be made aware of this. And, yes, it is in the interests of integration and avoidance of conflict to provide reasonably priced language lessons for those intending to stay. I think a token fee should be paid, because if you pay nothing then the motivation is lacking.

Answer 11

They should learn English and we are paying through the nose for all the Spanish, French & German instructions that are all on or in every product label or box that we purchase. Why can't things just be like they were 30 years ago?