| Aug 24, 2006 @ 1:59 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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dark_moon
Posts: 158
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I'm not going to state any opinion on this, just point out a couple of things I noticed and see what others come up with.
(Disclamer - if you attempt to determine what my opinion is you will be wrong, so don't waste time trying)
A couple of months ago while driving across the southwest (OTR trucking through OK and NM to Phenix AZ, to southern CA then to Dallas TX) mostly at night, I was in the notion to listen to the radio. (I mean the radio, not the CB)
Most of the time outside major cities I could only pick up stations in spanish. I was told that it has been that way for a while now. I hadn't been through that part of the country since I was 15.
Now I would assume that at least part of the time I may have been picking up stations actually in Mexico, since I was driving along the border for a few hours on the way to Dallas. But not just outside Phenix I would think.
Also, in one truck stop where I had lunch the tv was tuned to a spanish station.
Then tonight I was watching Worlds Funniest Commercials and I noticed that very few of them were subtitled for the show. Most were in english. Now a good deal of them were commercials from the UK. But there were also plenty from France, Germany, and whatnot.
And that's all I'm gonna say about that for now.  Go
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 3:11 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 19,320
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Well, I live in Phoenix, and the south side of the city is generally referred to as little Mexico. Of course I was born in NY, and grew up in little Italy, which had morphed into little Guyana by the time I moved out (and no, I enjoyed my Guyanan neighbors and maintain some of the friendships to this day...that's nothing to do with why I left!). My point is that it's not exactly a new phenomenon for me. My far and away favorite Mexican restaurant was really limited to Spanish speakers until recently...enough people have now heard of them that they broke down and hired someone fluent in English to take phone orders.
Maybe we're starting to become more like Europe...instead of a melting pot we're becoming more and more balkanized. Belgium was interesting - everything was posted in Flemish, French and English and everyone was multilingual. I work for a multinational company and deal with just about every country in the world on a regular basis (so far I haven't had dealings with Antarctica). Meetings can be really interesting, especially when some of the names are suggestive of other things (one of the guys I'm working with in Singapore's name is pronounced 'c0ck tongue'...sometimes it's tough staying serious). It's not unusual for a person to ask a question in one language and have it answered in a different one...it's amazing how much we can pick up from context. Everyone manages to follow what's going on, even though they couldn't tell you what the words actually meant.
Personally, I enjoy different languages and cultures, and I'm really grateful I've had the opportunity to learn about so many different ones.
Oops - Robo (  ) just reminded me that every cab I took in Prague had classic American rock playing and all the drivers spoke better English than I've often heard in NYC cabs...occasionally even from native born Americans... 
[Edited on 8/24/2006 3:18 AM]
[Edited on 8/24/2006 3:19 AM]
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 3:14 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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robodad
Posts: 8,004
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I was at a Chinese restaurant and workers were watching TV and the program was in English
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 11:37 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,809
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Chinese people, work very hard to learn English here and to talk so they are understood.
My husband, ( who speaks more than 2 languages) works with alot of Chinese at his work place.
Now when you are west and south of the Rockies,,,lots of Spanish. ( I am learning).
I remember we went to a wonderful Japenese restaurant here and our Chef came out to cook at our table,,and my husband started talking to him in Spanish,,  .
Yep, a Spanish chef, cooking Japanese! They had a good ole time!
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 12:31 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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RareQuestor
Posts: 3,069
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Multilingualism is definitely the wave of the future. India is worth studying in this regard. It has more than 800 languages and dialects and yet its citizens manage to communicate adequately. In fact, the only reason that English is the primary language of our nation is that so many of the original settlers were immigrants from countries that had been dominated by England for centuries: Britain, Ireland, Scotland, etc. They settled in communities which remained relatively isolated for decades or even centuries (as in Appalachia.) There have actually been times in our history when more people spoke German than spoke English. Modern communications are only accelerating a trend that started with the invention of the printing press.
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 1:28 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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MotownManiax
Posts: 9,737
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Projections say the US will be predominantly Hispanic in the not so distant future, so our children's children could conceivably be living in a bilingual nation.
But I still think this country must have one "official" language. If that becomes Spanish, guess we'll cross that road when we come to it. I'm not a big fan of everything being in three or four different languages. I believe it's wasteful and ultimately counterproductive.
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 2:25 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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Jankia
Posts: 12,600
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The day will come when the US is predominantly Asian.The whites,blacks and the Hispanic wil be a minority combined.
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 2:59 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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FeliciVagano
Posts: 2,152
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the day will come when the US is predominantly people.. and race will no longer be an issue... 
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 3:07 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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Jankia
Posts: 12,600
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Thats true Felici,but only the chosen will benefit from it.
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 3:14 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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tyrannyforyou
Posts: 3,066
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race will always be an issue.
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 3:45 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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thegoodideaman
Posts: 1,915
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lol...
in a few Hundred years,
when we concur the world...
Everybody will be Speaking some form of "Engrish"
and the way humans Breed, we'll all be the same race,(a tan color)...
but Hopefully we'll still be able to hate each other because of or Religion,
if not...
then by the way we cut our hair,(all Mullets must Die)
I'm sure we'll find a way 
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| Aug 24, 2006 @ 6:54 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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MotownManiax
Posts: 9,737
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then by the way we cut our hair,(all Mullets must Die)
Say it ain't so????
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| Aug 25, 2006 @ 7:42 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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DoorWatcher
Posts: 6,259
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I've always thought the US was rather arrogant in its disregard for other languages, but it would be nice if our general population learned English before or during their studies of other languages. And c'mon, let's try to unite under English, and Then embrace the others. 
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| Aug 25, 2006 @ 7:57 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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8Knots
Posts: 2,710
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"The future race of man is the future race of tan".
Although lived in several countries with languages other than my own I could never learn their languages from the people I spoke with because they insisted on speaking English.
Many years ago I was at a European Conference with one or two people representing their countries, we were all sat at a bar in the parisian hotel. Someone said, one day we need to have a language so we can all understand each other. Another said, oh yes spangleese, another Esperanto. So went the conversation until someones said, hey we are already speaking one language.
As an Englishman I think English is the excellent choice for the world as is Italy for fashions, France for wines, Germany for sausage, USA for movies (lol is that one ok?), etc. (Guess there could have been better examples... sorreee).
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| Aug 25, 2006 @ 10:25 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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dsma
Posts: 272
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I have strong feelings about this issue so I will try to keep them in check..I work with mostly Canadian and many different Asian people (Chinese, Vietnamenese, Cambodian)..They speak their language to each other, and most of them speak pretty good English. Some don't. There are some Canadians I work with who are intolerant and say quite loudly at times "Speak English, this is Canada!" It infuriates me  Because that is their language! I would not expect to go to their country and just stop speaking my native tongue, and I would feel horrible if someone said to me "This is (insert Country here) speak (insert language here)" I just think it must be really hard for immigrants to learn the language and everything about their new home. They do not need people who are intolerant to make it more challenging.
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| Aug 26, 2006 @ 6:16 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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chinabull2000
Posts: 7,012
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I lived in the Netherlands for about 6 or 7 years, and at least 80% of all television programs were in English with Dutch subtitiles. No-one had a problem with this.
Disclaimer: this was simply an observation.
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| Aug 29, 2006 @ 12:56 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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dark_moon
Posts: 158
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 I'm glad to see I didn't start a big flaming thread fulll of vicious comments and people not even reading what others said before bashing their opinions.
Well my take on it all, in a nutshell....
I enjoy multiculturalism. Have lived in other countries. Have lived in mixed areas in this country. I don't see a problem with the US becoming bi-lingual in a social way. However, I do have a problem with going into a fast food chain and not being able to order in my native language in the US. I did have that happen once a few years ago.
And although I don't blame anyone for wanting to enter the US in any way they can to make a better life for themselves, I believe that illegal immigration must be stopped.
Also, I think it is unfortunate that allot of the world has the concept that there is no poverty in the US.
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| Aug 31, 2006 @ 7:29 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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thegoodideaman
Posts: 1,915
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of course the only place these lines really exist is on a map...
and as long as humans insist on separating themselves into groups
there will always be killing and wars...
maybe some day humans will be allowed to live, work, breath, exist
where ever there feet take them...
all the ways we use to separate ourselves from one another is just a pile of...
maybe some day humans will understand that...
a common world Language might help...
but I doubt it...
we're all just earthlings...
the rest is really just Bull Sh*t we made up...
humans should quit separating each other
buy race, Language, and Geographic Location...
so we can concentrate on the business of
hating and killing each other over the things that really matter...
like Money, politics, and the kind of cars we drive,
(the way God intended)
Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia...
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| Aug 31, 2006 @ 7:46 AM |
Language - thoughts? comments?
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thegoodideaman
Posts: 1,915
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maybe we can all get together,
(Canada, Mexico, and the United States)
as North Americans...
and agree to hate the South Americans...
after all... the really are,(insert Stereotype here)
besides... it would be allot easer to build a fence there?
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| Aug 31, 2006 @ 8:02 PM |
Language - thoughts? comments? |
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Bj864
Posts: 4,234
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I have to admit that I think English should be our official language.
I think anyone who becomes a citizen, should be required to learn basic English.
I think every country has their language and we shouldn't be giving ours up to make people from other countries more comfortable.
I get really tired of hearing, if you want to speak in English, press 1. I live in the U.S., so why do I want to speak in another language? Do they do this in other countries. In Mexico, do they ask, if you want to speak in Spanish, press 1?
I have lots of respect for other cultures, but I thing when people move to a new country, they should expect to have to learn a new language.
When in Rome...........................
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