Should Americans be expected to learn Spanish?

Yo it's Me

Read "Who are We", in certain areas of the U.S. if you want a job, you need to be bilingual. Employers in those areas prefer bilingual speakers, but if they can't find those, they prefer Spanish speakers, since they can communicate with their Spanish speaking customers.

But here's one Spanish word we should all become familiar with, "Reconquista", because it's happening right now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista_(Mexico)

Case in point, Nicole E (below) admits to being loyal to another country (dual citizenship, not even willing to fully accept U.S. citizenship by renouncing her other country, yet she refers to Texas as "my" state) and is proud of the fact that she will take a job from a native born U.S. citizen who only speaks English. That's sad.

Dirty Martini

Here's the deal. English is the language of the United States of America. ANyone who chooses to come here to live, should make a serious and concentrated effort to learn the language.

ANd if I got to a Spanish speaking country for any period of time, I should do the same.

But I shouldn't be expected to learn spanish due to an influx into the US. They should be expected to learn english.

But PS--there is a big difference in being EXPECTED to do something, and the free and willful choice to do it. I just may learn to speak spanish one day--for when I travel. Not for when I stay home.

Comprende?

Talen

No.
Won't do it. I'd rather learn German or Swedish before Spanish.

Josh T

maybe not spanish but we should have to learn more than one language... we are the only industrialized nation on the face of the earth to not require this (2 years in high school doesn't cut it)... and couple that with our boorish attitude and complete lack of understanding of the world beyond our borders... you people wonderwhy we are hated. Naturally of course we should demand that immigrants come here learn the language eventually because they want to use our services and live our dream. Remember though, no group that has come here, other than the english of course, has spoken our language at first... the succeeding generations always pick that up though.

wickedlooks

No and one of the requirements of the bill is they learn English.That goes for the visa holders,greencard holders,along with those applying for citizenship.So I really think the language points have been covered well.No one other than them will have to change their language.

culture_warrior13

Learn english or GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY. I WILL NEVER LEARN SPANISH JUST SO I CAN LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...AN ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY!!!

Ted S

Your #'s are wrong. It's more of like 30mil illegals about to be given amnesty. And NO I will not accept having to learn Spanish in a country founded on the English language. If I moved to a foreign country, I'd expect myself to learn the language, not the other way around.

bconehead

What other culture on USA soil is demanding we learn their language? None. This would not be an issue if it weren't a "demand"

ricky d

uh............no, im just saying we dont have to. this is america folks the free country. it would be nice that we all knew spanish but you know life isnt like that. advice to immigrants( of all kinds), Learn english it will help you A LOT. if you dont people will look down on you and to get ahead in life youre going to get ahead in life youll have to adapt yourself to the enviorment. oh yeah another tip, pay your taxes if not there going to deport you.

angela R

No....Thats just silly....

You didn't read the bill, one of the requirements is that they learn English....So they will be flattering us, by having to learn English, how you like them apples?

curious

No! And why do we have to press 1 for English.....WTH?

and socialism

No it is our country! if you move to another country you are expected to learn their language!

vid3ogam3r4lif3

No way! They are not supposed to be here anyway, and when thay are they expect us to learn their language. Heres a message to all immigrants-illegal or not-when you come to America learn the American language because I am getting pretty tired of hearing Spanish,Indian,Pakistani, and other languages I dont know from people who work in the supermarket.

Anne

bored

Aprenda hablar espaÃ±ol

Julz

Hell no!

JJ's and Ki's Mommy

NO WAY!!! Why should we learn their "native tongue" when they are coming into OUR country? It's bad enough they are going to be givin a free ride, I won't disgrace myself that much. I'm sorry, but i was born american, and ENGLISH is what i speak, and i will always speak. Isn't the amenesty enough of a "WELCOME TO YOUR NEW COUNTRY"? I don't see them doing it, if the shoe was on the other foot. This is AMERICA, NOT Mexico.

cool.panamania

Not necessarily but it would be nice that we at least learn another language in this country.In Europe,people at least speak 3,why shouldn't we ? If you don't like Spanish,learn French,Italian,Swahili.Learning a language will make you more intelligent and more of an asset in the corporate world.

cyclops

Not unless we move to Mexico.

iatesoup

No way. The English language is what this country had been founded upon. So we must keep up with the tradition.

TomT

Most of these people don't want to be American citizens, they want to be citizens of Mexico north of the border. Instead of staying in their country and changing it to one more like ours, they want to come here and change ours to be more like theirs. Once they obtain their goal, who knows where they'll immigrate to next? Canada beware!

nrseyjlm

Absolutely not. Coming to America means following AMERICAN norms- meaning speak ENGLISH in America. Those that are immigrating to America are doing so because they like what America has to 'offer' right? But yet it seems that they are all coming here trying to change what we have to 'offer'. We offer the English language, if they want to speak Spanish then maybe America isn't the best country for them to live in. There are several other countries that speak Spanish- I'm sure they would make a lovely place to live also!

There is no such thing as learning "at least a little bit" of Spanish for healthcare providers. I'm a nurse and I know first hand that knowing "a little bit" of Spanish is unacceptable. There have be incidents with physicians and other healthcare providers that know "a little bit of Spanish" have been sued because that "little bit of Spanish" wasn't enough and errors occurred. You all are thinking get a translator, right? Getting a translator in an emergency room that is overcrowded with illegals seeking non-emergent medical care is not as easy as we would like. But that's another question, another time.
Speak ENGLISH in AMERICA!

Crazybird

At any given time in our history....immigrants came in great numbers.....we never changed our language to suit them. I'm not originally from England. My ancestors learned the language just like all the others before me. They didn't "dummy me down" they brought me up.

I am saying in all seriousness....why should I learn the language of a failing, communist, socialist government? What benefit would that bring me?

I could understand China comming in and DEMANDING I speak their language. What benefit do I get from Spanish? Nothing. I mean where is Spanish in the grand scheme of things? South America? No Where. It's NOT RACE. Learning Spanish is about as beneficial to me as learning Dutch. EVERY SPANISH country is a 3rd world h-hole. What benefit is there? Why should a first rate nation change their language to suit one invasion of a third world country to satisfy the
poorest of their country?

of course not. it should be a requirement for immigrants to learn English. it should also be a requirement for illegals to get the hell out of our country

katie c

hellz no. they can learn english. my husband is mexican american and doesnt even speak spanish. he hates it.

tonyillegalruiz

I'M TONY RUIZ AND I SAY NO TO SPANISH

Ms. Taurus Â¤Blackhoof BuccaneerÂ¤

Eh... Though my high school made the class a requirement for all grades when I was in 12th, so I never had to take it.

John Mac from Sac

No, we should round up and deport them all- a good old fashioned door to door netting. If you don't have proper paperwork to be here, goodbye...tough s**t if it's "immoral" or "just not right", what's happening to REAL Americans is just not right...

BeArPaW_4709

I am not going to pull any punches with this answer so this is from a 'White' perspective. What other position can I take... it is my culture?

Norte Americanos are... people from the Common Wealth of Canada, United States of America and... are your ready for this... United States of Mexico. Check it out. So... when you say Americans you literally mean all of those people. But what I think you mean is US citizens.

The US needs a common language, the language of government, the language our fore fathers used when this country was created. Have you travelled from the North to the South or from the East to the West in this country? Have you noticed how 'White' people who speak English speak it with different dialects and accents? Was it hard to understand what was being said? You bet! And yet we speak the same language. Differences within the 'White' social system makes it difficult to communicate effectively. Look how hard it is for 'White' people to understand (And I truly mean understand with passion and emmotion) 'Black' people. As a 'White' do I really understand what it is to be 'Black'? I try but the answer is no. We all speak English (or American as some people say) and yet it is hard to be clear and understanding. Hmmm. Now imagine different languages being spoken by different races etc. It would be chaos.

I have spent several months working in Mexico and as a guest in that country, I made it a point to learn and speak the national language of Mexico, Spanish. I did not speak it well and every Mexican let me know it by constantly correcting me. It got to the point were I was corrected so often, that I gave up. Imagine if we corrected every Mexican on speaking English correctly? We US citizens would be correcting every word out of their mouths because of their accents and improper word usage. Why are we so tolerant when they are not?

In this day and age, I shouldn't have to press '1' for English or '2' for whatever. My service providers should already know my language preference and accomidate me accordingly. I am puzzled with this because I receive my bills in English and yet get asked if I want to speak in another language... every single time. If I wrote my checks in Spanish drawn from a Mexican bank and paid in pesos would they be honored? Why not? Mexico accepts US dollars... but makes no attempt to accomidate the English language on roads signs or teach its public servants English so when you get pulled over for whatever reason it can be explained to you in a language you understand.

You know... the more I think about it the more upset I get. It's English or get out. Period.

One final comment. 'White' people have all the power in this country and they make the rules. The second you open your mouth and can't speak English without an accent you are placed into a lower social class. Thats life and it isn't going to change soon. SO... is this 'White' peoples way of keeping other cultures under their thumb? Is language being used as a barrier to succeed in this country? I think so.

I have a friend (naturalized citizen) who refuses to speak Spanish but refuses to do so in public. At home yes but in public no. He wants his family to be able to communicate with friends and relatives back in Venezula. And, he doesn't want to be percieved as an immigrant, he worked to hard to become a US citizen and doens't want to be classifed as anything other than. So whats my point? He obviously knows something.

sea link

Well, what language did the Africans spoke when they came to America, a British colony back then?

normobrian

I already have to learn Spanish just to get any work out of them.

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