Are we forcing immigrants to learn English ?

jasonheavilin

It has to do with cultural and political control. Typically the strongest survives. English was probably a more developed language than the one present at the time and place.

For example: The Roman Empire controlled Greece politically, but Greece's culture was so strong that it changed the Roman culture - i.e. mythology.

And no, we are not forcing anyone. If you go to Florida, Texas, California, and New York, you will see many government offices with Spanish translations on the walls and on the documents.

E A

English is the official language, if you want to live here, you should be able to communicate with the rest of the country. Everyone who lives in this country should learn English, if you don't like it, leave, no one is making you stay here.

ehc11

If you go to live in another country you need to speak their language.

David

No, we are not forcing anyone to learn English but we bloody dam well should

fran

Yes you should learn our language, we have spent millions of pounds making immigrants welcome and making sure that we have interpreters so immigrants can understand how to make a new life here, if you wanted to emigrate to Australia, first you must only speak English in public and have a job in Australia and agree to become an Australian.I don't like to say it but I think the Australians have got it right

christerniven

If you move to another country of course you should learn the language, I mean can you immagine going to Russia and expect anyone to speak English, I moved countries twice and iÂ´ve always learnt the native language, I wouldnt expect people in other countries to speak my language.

genuine_duck@btinternet.com

We do not force people these days to speak English. In fact we offer help to immigrants who cannot speak English interpreters to translate for them in cases where they need to speak to one of the authorities, Local Councils for example. However, it is in the immigrants best interests to learn English so that they can integrate into society. They do need to be able to do shopping for example. With the diversity of people in Britain today, it would be impossible to learn all their languages. By rights the man mentioned in your question should of made more of an effort to learn more of your language, unfortunately growing up in a society where English is predominantly the second language spoken by most countries. There is no incentive for us to do so.
There are more English people who can speak other languages now, due to the revised education system, which makes it more important to learn a second language. I've always considered that the British people have been arrogant when travelling abroad and don't attempt to learn at least the basics of the native language, but we are changing slowly.

Mr Crusty

Actually, we spend over Â£100 million (BBC yesterday) on translation services for immigrants that canâ€˜t speak English & that doesnâ€™t encourage them to learn or integrate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/bb_wm_fs.stm?news=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&nol_storyid=6174549&checkedBandwidth=bb&checkedMedia=asx&subtitles=hide&alreadySeen=1

highlander

IF you go to live in another country it is only comman sense to learn to speak the countries language for your own sake and for your adopted country

The One

I dont believe so, they come here of their own free will, if they plan to get anywhere during their stay, they have to learn the native language!

Now if the british were going round to other countries, imposing the english language on them, that would be totally different. As it happens that is not the case.

So i disagree, they're not being forced to do anything!

colin m

we actually discourage themfrom learning english by making it easy to get by we provide translaters for everything

jeff k

If you want to live on our soil, speak our language, I holiday on the Greek islands, I don't expect them to speak English, so I learnt Greek.

All of my family as far back as 4 generations were immigrants from Ireland or Germany. Nearly all of them bilingual. Most of them speak their native language when they are at home. They still feel a sense of pride for being from their countries of origin.

I have always found it interesting that my maternal grandfather learned to speak German at home and wasn't taught English by his parents. When he was finally put into the public school system around the age of 7 he quickly learned English to assimilate. This was in the late 1920's and early 30's. My grandfather felt so much pride at being an American that he never spoke German again. He even fought as an American in WWII. Not against the Germans but against Nazism. He loves the country of his origin but he told me that once he educated himself and realized the sacrifices made by so many Americans before him, to be able to call himself an American and enjoy everything that being an American affords him, it would have been a "Contradiction of commitment" [his favorite expression] not to use the language of the country that has provided life, liberty,and the pursuit of happiness to all of its citizens.
He was a strong, loyal,hard working beautiful man and I miss him very much. He died Dec. 23,2004. Men with such character and strength are hard to find.
So I hold being a citizen of the United States very important and deserving of my loyalty and that includes being able to communicate with its citizens. How would anything ever be dealt with or decided upon if we all spoke a different language. Everyone speaking one language provides us unity through diversity.

AndyPandy

They should learn English if they choose to live here, we want them to intergrate sometimes the husbands of women do not permit them to learn English it is a way they feel they can keep control over them.
It would help doctors, hospitals and schools and they would be able to work and support their families if need be.

Anthony A

I'd give you a good answer if I could understand what you're trying to say. Your grammar is very poor.

pensterx

Of course you should learn the language of the country. I live now Germany and study twice a week at an evening class. My German is far from perfect but I can speak with my colleagues, friends and strangers and go about my daily life. I do know other English people here who have been living here for 5 - 10 years and their German ranges from extremely bad to non-existent.

I think languages should be encouraged more in schools and the way they are taught should be changed to make them more interesting. I wish that I had learned a language to a reasonable degree of competence in school but I was put off languages by the way they were taught and also because there was prevailing attitude that you didn't need to learn another language because everyone else speaks English in world. That statement is completely untrue.

wondermom

Why should i have to read a street sign in any other language in my country???? Why don't we just post the street signs in every language, so the world can understand?
Why should anyone else's language be forced on me?

If you are visiting then no but if you plan on staying to reap the bennis then yes you should but wait i doubt you would be staying in any other country illegally

MARGARET T

If people from another country wish to stay in the uk they should adopt our ways. If they are not prepared to do this then they should go back to their own countries. WHY should we as a nation lose our identity to satisfy the needs of others

GOBU

One has to learn English so that the person can go freely any where in the world. It is the International language spoken almost everywhere in the world. It acts as an umbrella to safeguard one's interests. A decade ago to learn English, you had to attend costly English classes or purchase course material like tapes and books. Now you can learn English for free from the comfort of your home using the Internet. The BBC and the British Council offer a number of on line courses, which teach written and spoken English. You can also improve your English by watching television programs and reading English newspapers. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/qnzpt

phooey

We've changed since our days of colonisation when we wanted to turn India and Africa into extensions of the UK.
Today, yes immigrants to any country should make an effort to learn the national language. If I was moving to Spain I'd learn Spanish.
I work for a bank and regularly meet customers who have been in the UK for many years, have lived in their own ethnic group, and cannot speak a word of English - annoys me and comes across as antisocial.

smartypants

well there are two sides to this debate i feel that there are so many places that offer to teach english for free but are the people willing to go?

Why should we have to learn a certain lanuage other than our own to get a better job?

So my answer is no.

splandastic

I think wherever you are you should make a point of learning the language.

OK - Perhaps not if your going on holiday for a few weeks, but if your gonna move somewhere to live you should at least learn the language of the country your in and live by their laws and customs.

When in Rome do as the Romans do!!!!

whatotherway

If you are going to live somewhere for some time, you should make the effort to learn to speak the language used there, in the manner it is used. For instance, English, spoken in the US, is different to the English spoken in the UK and in Australia. This is true, even if we would like to think that it is the same language. The English spoken in some of the Islands in the Caribbean, is different again. I have seen English and Americans in the Caribbean telling the people living there to 'speak' proper English, when instead, those people should be trying to speak proper Caribbean English.

I lived in France for 5 months, and spent a lot of time trying to speak to the French in my poor French. It was not appreciated, by some I was told to speak English, as my French was not up to the standard expected to carry on a conversation, and others would just turn their backs on me and walk away. Why 'English' speakers put up with outrageous French Accented English when the French will not put up with outrageous English Accented French I'll never understand.

In a Spanish speaking country, I speak Spanish, not very well, but I speak it.

But many people feel that if they are travelling and only spending a little time in a country, they don't have to learn anything about the country, except perhaps how it looks.

If you are going to live somewhere for any long length of time, you should try to speak the Official Language of that country.

England is is English. Wales, it is Welsh. But in the USofA, there is no official language, it is what ever it is. Hence, in the USofA, you can find pockets where everyone speak Russian, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Welsh, and a host of other languages.

The only part of the US 'Empire' that has an "Official Language", is Puerto Rico, which lists both English and Spanish as official languages.

So people coming to the UK, should learn English. And people going to Saudi Arabia, should learn what ever the official language is.

Tokoloshimani

When in Rome,...........

naturemonkeyirrepressible

If these people are coming here to work (as is claimed).

How can they work if they can't speak the native tongue ?

john

well to me its part of being an american if you want to join fine but be willing to work a little for it because most americans speak english ...it bind all americans in a way ...the language new or old americans we need something to be commen in us all

colinhughes333

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.

pola

The thing is middle aged people lear harder diffrent language than children YOU THINK IT IS EASY TO LEARN DIFFRENT LANGUAGE AND KNOW YOUR OWN!!!! TRY IT YOURSELF learn 2 languages and try to speak them perfectly lol honestly people who think that immigrants should learn the language of the country they come living to, those PEOPLE ARE A GOOD LAUGH !!! haha cause they dont know how it is to feel helpless and confused lol you think you are perfect but your not. not eevryone can pick everythink up so quickly as others. They come to live to diffrent countries not to learn. get a life some of you.

pola

The thing is middle aged people lear harder diffrent language than children YOU THINK IT IS EASY TO LEARN DIFFRENT LANGUAGE AND KNOW YOUR OWN!!!! TRY IT YOURSELF learn 2 languages and try to speak them perfectly lol honsestly people who think that immigrants should learn the language of the country they come living to, those PEOPLE ARE A GOOD LAUGH !!! haha cause they dont know how it is to feel helpless and confused lol you think you are perfect but your not. not eevryone can pick everythink up so quickly as others. They come to live to diffrent countries not to learn. get a life some of you.

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