40% of Californians speak a language other than English at home.

[Sims2789]

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/csre/reports/report_14.pdf

The Europeans can't laugh at my state for being mono-lingual!

EDIT: Sorry that it's in PDF format. I hate it too, but I don't feel like converting it into another format.

 

[amadeus]

No, they should be forced to learn English. Start by limiting voting rights to those who can speak English.

 

[Cashie]

For California, that's not surprising

It's not such a bad idea to learn another language, over here, we're required to do at least do some level (a year or so, i think) study of a "foriegn" language, I quote enhoyed the oportunity to try out other tongues. It probably wouldn't hurt if Americans in general (especially politicans) saw more of the outside world, as this would give a better picture of America's place in the world.

 

[Sims2789]

Most people in California do speak English. Also, we won't have to retrain our teachers in elementary and middle school to get people to be billingual. One can start taking Spanish in 9th grade and continue though college. After the first year of college, one should be fluent, and throughout the rest of college, one can sharpen one's skills.

 

[Sanaz]

I don't care if they never learn english - the second generation will, and the first generation's options will be a bit limited. Americans should only learn a second language if they want to.

 

[Sims2789]

No, they should be forced to learn English. Start by limiting voting rights to those who can speak English.

What about people who speak in sign language? What about those who's tongue is a Native American language?

America is a great country, but what unifies us is not our coulture nor our language: it is our belief in freedom. If anything should limit our citizen's voting rights, that should be it.

 

[alex994]

we should learn another language, compared to other countries, the majority of our ppl only knows how to speak one language.

 

[amadeus]

What about people who speak in sign language?

That's effectively English. Besides, if they use closed captioning, they know how to read and very well write in English.

What about those who's tongue is a Native American language?

English, not bababooey.

America is a great country, but what unifies us is not our coulture nor our language: it is our belief in freedom. If anything should limit our citizen's voting rights, that should be it.

Then let kids vote. They're citizens too. You have to draw the line somewhere, and I don't want Jose and Mohammad drawing it for me.

Moderator Action: You've crossed the line with that RM - warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[amadeus]

the majority of our ppl only knows how to speak one language.

Making my point already, that many Americans can't even get English right to begin with, why should we bother with all this other nonsense?

 

[Sarevok]

I wouldnt force people to learn more than 1 language, but everyone should be able to speak english at minimum and hopefully something else depending on where they are.

 

[Plexus]

If you're bilingual, that's great. I myself am learning Spanish and would like to learn several other languages. But why are we even discussing whether or not Americans should learn another language? English is the official language of America and in most cases, it isn't necessary or even practical for Americans to learn another language. Who cares if the average European speaks more than one language? I'm sure Americans would too if each state had a different language. There is no doubt in my mind that if that were the case, I'd be able to actively converse in Nevadan, Arizonan, Oregonese and I'd know at least a smattering of Washingtonian and New Mexican.

Besides, many states make classes in other languages compulsory.

 

[amadeus]

Europe is like the U.S. computer market of the 1980's, America is like the U.S. computer market of today.

In the 80's, you had thirty different major computer companies, each with their own software. As many like to romanticise about those days, it was impractical and inefficient. We spent a lot of time and money converting all this stuff around, but we evolved out of that.

Today, you've got one major software provider, Microsoft, irrationally hated by many, it gets the job done faster and smarter.

And Microsoft won the same way English did. Practicality. There are more English speakers in Vietnam than there are French speakers, and Vietnam was a French colony. Why? France doesn't have the money to support Vietnam like the U.S. and the rest of the English-speaking world does.

 

[stratego]

Yes, the world is becoming more globalized, and we can't afford to be linguistic isolationists.

 

[joacqin]

Sadly for you RM you cant force Americans to speak English, not until you make it your official language atleast.

 

[stormbind]

In the 80's, you had thirty different major computer companies, each with their own software. As many like to romanticise about those days, it was impractical and inefficient. We spent a lot of time and money converting all this stuff around, but we evolved out of that.

Actually, in the 80s there was more competition between computer firms, and the products were better for it.

You could have an entire system for $99 thanks to price wars, and there was tons of software, plus viruses were less common because not everyone ran the same platform.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I think Americans should study foreign languages more than they do, but not for the benefit of monolingual hispanophone immigrants.

 

[Plexus]

But what's the point? If foreign languages don't interest them, why should they learn something other than English?

 

[Jawz II]

if i wanted to be a wise ass id say as long as an american speaks english im happy

many americans can barely speak english

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Please note that speaking another language at home does not mean you cannot speak English. I personally speak another language at home, yet I am pretty good at English.

Of course, Hispanic immigrants have a higher tendency to not learn English than other immigrants -- and this is a very worrying trend. This is especially the case in California, where the sheer number of Hispanic immigrants makes it easier for people to not learn English, since they will have plenty of people they can still talk to in Spanish, and they also have a very liberal state government that will accomodate their lack of a desire to learn the language.

If this trend does not end, massive Hispanic immigration to the Southwest will become one of the greatest problems facing this country.

 

[Fetus4188]

That's freaking ridiculous, the state needs to get these people to learn English and stop letting them cut in front of me at the DMV so they can talk to the spanish speaking teller . The problem with the massive (and primarily illegal) imigration from Mexico is out of hand, Arnold needs to pump them up.