It is important for your kids to learn Spanish.

**98MustGT** · 05-31-2006, 04:43 PM

If you are young learn Spanish, i am encouraging mine to take all the Spanish classes they can and to take lots of Spanish in college. Maybe spend a summer south of the border immersing themslves in Spanish.

Check out the Wal-Mart ad I got in the mail here, note the Mexican flags. The handwritings on the wall.

JohnnyGTO · 05-31-2006, 08:13 PM

My son will know both English and Spanish. My wife also speaks Spanish.

**myss** · 06-01-2006, 03:34 AM

Never hurts to know a second or third language, but I don't think it should be mandatory.

**rbob93** · 06-01-2006, 04:32 AM

When I was in grade school, we had French lessons which were part of the regular curriculum.

Learning other languages opens so many doors.

**third_shift|studios** · 06-01-2006, 04:54 AM

awww shit...they have walmarts in spain too!? DAMN YOU SAM WALTON!

**CaptainCaveMan** · 06-01-2006, 06:02 AM

My kid already knows spanish. She tells me all the time she wants tacos or nachos.

**98 Purple TA** · 06-01-2006, 07:55 AM

I think it is more important that the illigals (and legals) spanish learn english. I know all of my ancestors had to learn it.

DisCrete · 06-01-2006, 08:06 AM

99MustGT,

This is not a good thread to post in general forums...

If I didn't know better I would force it to move to the political forum very quickly.

So i'll keep my opinions to myself for now.

But, in short... I disagree.

**norm43a** · 06-01-2006, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by DisCrete

99MustGT,

This is not a good thread to post in general forums...

If I didn't know better I would force it to move to the political forum very quickly.

So i'll keep my opinions to myself for now.

But, in short... I disagree.

This is not a political issue but a social issue. As others have already stated, learning another language is definitely a good thing. It opens doors, broadens one's mind to other cultures, stimulates the mind.

There used to be a joke that went something like this, "What do you call people that speak two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone that speaks three or more languages? Multi-lingual. What do you call someone that speaks one language? American."

Sad commentary, but all to often true.

**1fastcamarosss11** · 06-01-2006, 09:30 AM

my kids son 3.5, daughter 2, watch go deigo, and dore the explorer, it amazing the thing they pick up from those shows. very sad but spanish will be the second spoken lang. here very soon.

john · 06-01-2006, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by 98 Purple TA

I think it is more important that the illigals (and legals) spanish learn english. I know all of my ancestors had to learn it.

you mean they didn't learn Navajo?

**Bigrus** · 06-01-2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by norm43a

This is not a political issue but a social issue. As others have already stated, learning another language is definitely a good thing. It opens doors, broadens one's mind to other cultures, stimulates the mind.

There used to be a joke that went something like this, "What do you call people that speak two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone that speaks three or more languages? Multi-lingual. What do you call someone that speaks one language? American."

Sad commentary, but all to often true.

We should not have to in our own country period.

DisCrete · 06-01-2006, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by norm43a

This is not a political issue but a social issue. As others have already stated, learning another language is definitely a good thing. It opens doors, broadens one's mind to other cultures, stimulates the mind.

There used to be a joke that went something like this, "What do you call people that speak two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone that speaks three or more languages? Multi-lingual. What do you call someone that speaks one language? American."

Sad commentary, but all to often true.

It's comments like that... while justa joke... is not funny in this particular post... at least not from my point of view.

So what do you call someone who speaks english and arabic?

Terrorist?

point is... it's the same notion and insultive depending which spectrum of the political bias you tend to fall under.

while I could mean that question merely as a joke.. I'm sure certain people would take offense to it... as I have with your joke.

but, to respond to your question directly.

The most spoken language in the U.S. is infact english in case some people have forgotten.... so why should it be any different to those who "Refuse" to speak it in our own country? While we goto other countries and volentarily learn the language for 2 reasons... 1 of which as you posted... to broaden our horizons and the other is respect for the culture of that country.

The american culture is english speaking no matter how you diversify it. So it's ok for people not to respect american culture? but we should automatically respect theirs?

Quebec tried this once in canada... guess what... they speak english and french now... they learned it was not economically sound for the area to force people to learn french. Also, considering 75% of canada speaks english. While at the same token americans take the time and effort to learn french for that reason... not to disrespect another countries culture... but again.. it's ok to disrespect american culture as a whole?

I did not want to turn this into a political debate... so I will stop posting on here. I just wanted to make a point. Respect is a 2-way street. You have to give it to recieve it, and americans as a culture more than give their fair share. In my opinion that is.

**pecha** · 06-01-2006, 11:05 AM

nobody says that you or your kids have to
but it will be very helpful
I don't like the situation neither BUT I am trying to learn Spanish
If you refuse to do it - you are not gonna change anything - you're just gonna get frustrated

**Bigrus** · 06-01-2006, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by pecha

nobody says that you or your kids have to
but it will be very helpful
I don't like the situation neither BUT I am trying to learn Spanish
If you refuse to do it - you are not gonna change anything - you're just gonna get frustrated

If you learn it then it will be expected of you to speak it. Then others who do not speak our language will not try to learn thinking every other american will just learn thier language so they dont get "frustrated".

I will not learn spanish so i do not cater to someone asking me for anythign in spanish. They either speak the language or find someone else to try and help them.

**who cares** · 06-01-2006, 12:21 PM

While I feel that you should learn another lang. for fun, it should not be something that is expected of you. The average person here in the US needs only one language and one only.

**norm43a** · 06-01-2006, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by DisCrete

while I could mean that question merely as a joke.. I'm sure certain people would take offense to it... as I have with your joke.

I think you missed the point I was trying to make. People in America inherently do not try and learn another language. To people in other parts of the world they appear to be arrogant and expect people to speak English, even when they are in another country. The "JOKE" is on us, Americans.

I was simply trying to make the point that learning another language should be a rewarding experience, not something that is forced upon us in our own country. I think that people coming over here to stay and live should in fact learn the language.

**pecha** · 06-01-2006, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Bigrus

If you learn it then it will be expected of you to speak it. Then others who do not speak our language will not try to learn thinking every other american will just learn thier language so they dont get "frustrated".

I will not learn spanish so i do not cater to someone asking me for anythign in spanish. They either speak the language or find someone else to try and help them.

the way I see it is that it's already too late
if there was only English in places like DMVs etc it would make paople learn English
but now I feel that the government is encouraging paople NOT to learn English cause everywhere they go they can find bilingual signs
that's why I gave up, it's simply too late

DisCrete · 06-02-2006, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by norm43a

I think you missed the point I was trying to make. People in America inherently do not try and learn another language. To people in other parts of the world they appear to be arrogant and expect people to speak English, even when they are in another country. The "JOKE" is on us, Americans.

I was simply trying to make the point that learning another language should be a rewarding experience, not something that is forced upon us in our own country. I think that people coming over here to stay and live should in fact learn the language.

No offense bro,

but you just contradicted yourself.

This is why other cultures think poorly of americans... because most of us are hypocritical when it suites us. You either are or aren't, do or do not. but not in between.

As it stands the biggest controversy in this country is infact people want spanish to be a 2nd language.. honest I have np with it at all.. but do not expect me to goto an ATM machine and press 1 every damn time I want to read english. Do not expect me to goto McDonalds and speak spanish in order to get food... Do not expect me to call tech support on a product and press 1 for english.... No offense but this is the United States of America, Not mexico, or spain. And you are 100% wrong about your assumption english speaking americans don't learn the language of visiting cultures... we sacrifice more for other cultures than we do our own.... Example I spoke fluent Armenian when I was 7 years old.. as well as english, I also took spanish classes and I can read spanish, I just can't understand verbal spanish very well. I also know polish, german, and arabic... so please refrain your assumptions about most americans when you do not know the heritage of your own American culture.

DisCrete · 06-02-2006, 01:56 PM

You want to justify teaching people more than one language... as it stands a law past the house of reps to make english the national language...

You want more than one in our country cool beans I support it... but you might want to consider why there is so much mis understanding in other countries such as pakistan whom has 99 national languages... which language would u want them to learn?

Chinese?