Why if I am a natural born American english speaking woman need to learn Spanish?
Sunday, March 21st, 2010 at
4:58 pm
Isn’t America an English speaking country?Shouldn’t those who have a primary language in something other than english be the ones to learn OURS instead of requiring the Americans to change? I don’t mean to offend anyone, it just doesn’t seem fair, that I am from America, but I’m beginning to feel like I’m a second class citizen, and foreigners are taking over. If this was Mexico, I would have to learn Spanish right?
Tagged with: American • born • English • Language • learn • natural • need • speaking • woman
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16 comments
You don´t “need” to learn. It just makes you smarter. My first language is french. Had I not learned english, I couldn´t be answering your question. And I live in Mexico, so I learned spanish and I´m fluent.
Think global.
It´s not bad, it actually broadens your horizon.
Just because one country’s main language in English, doesn’t mean that you should be oblivious to other languages and cultures. There are countless languages in this world that you will need one day.
You don’t. Your choice.
sweet heart when americans voted for the the language options 51% voted for english and 49% for spanish or you are such a misinformed american not to know this ?que tal ?
america is changing. i see it everyday. i’m one of the few people in my neighborhood who speaks english, and i too have learned to speak spanish. i don’t think i really NEED to, but it helps.
america has no official language, but it’s mostly english. i think it ought to be official. i have bits of knowledge from many languages, but my mother tongue is english and it exasperates me when i cannot express myself in english in an oxnard market.
You are right, if in Mexico we have to learn Spanish, but we call businesses in America and we are told to press 2 if we want to hear a message in English, NO! It should be vis versa!
Is the US in England? NO!
I don’t think anyone’s forcing you to learn spanish, and if you visit Mexico it would convinient for you to speak spanish, but let’s face it, 95% of the americans who visits Mexico don’t have any idea of how to speak spanish, and they don’t need it because they are on resorts where they can get everything they want without saying a word in spanish, tengo un gato en los pantalones isnt like enough, clever either though.
By the way i wasn’t forced to learn english either i did learned because i wanted.
PS, Soy mexicano y vivo en mexico, y, aparte de hablar Ingles por pura diversion y por conocer un poco mas de otras culturas, no me es indispensable. De cualquier modo nadie te obliga…
Sorry J,I don’t think you have any obligation to learn other people’s language ,but it doesn’t hurt
to be educated and knowledgeable with other people’s culture,believe me you’ll feel a lot better
Just try to get over the race thing because I’m sure you would love to learn French,German or even Japanese !
I think Americans should learn at least one other language. Many other places in the world teach their youth not only the language of their land, but one or two others (usually one being English) as well. Granted, it can feel overwhelming seeing the number of foreingers grow within the U.S., but I don’t feel as if they’re taking over entirely. They’re at a great disadvantage here if they do not know english or even have a strong accent; facing discrimination when trying to find a good place to live or a decent job. I’ve witnessed this during time spent helping people like a family of Bosnian refugees and a woman from Guatemala. Knowing another language has multiple benefits; opportunity for better jobs, learning some about the culture of people in another part of the world so you can help or understand them better, and being able to get to know some great people because you can communicate with them in their language. Learning a foriegn language isn’t a mandatory thing here, but having that knowlege is a great thing to have in so many ways. I hope you’ll consider it. : )
There’s no legal ruling in the whole US stating Spanish to be the official language. In other words, you don’t need to learn Spanish.
You say “If this was Mexico”. Curious thing. Read your history book: Actually, before February 2, 1848, California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming were part of Mexico, but Mexico had to “willingly hand over” that huge portion of its territory to the US, after a war the US single-handedly initiated, with the only intention to expand its territory by seizing it from Mexico, by force. Even president Lincoln, during the US civil war, said something to the effect that the Mexican-American war had been an “illegal and unjust” one, which should not have been.
So think about it, originally, most of the south and west of the current US, were Spanish-speaking territories.
So you say “it doesn’t seem fair” “those foreigners are taking over”. Just think of what many of those “foreigners” feel about what happened several generations ago, when their parents were forced to become American or leave the country, and their original country (Mexico) was invaded and attacked for close to two years, so an expansionist country finally got what they wanted. THAT IS unjust, that is not fair, and that’s what the US did to Mexico not so long ago.
Yes, the territory is much better off being American than if it were still Mexican, but that’s not the point. The point is: How dare a CERTAIN MINORITY OF Americans, USUALLY WHITE ANGLO-SAXONS call Mexican people invaders, complain about their language and culture, after what the US has historically done to Mexico? BTW, I’m a white Caucasian myself, as white as can be, but that doesn’t mean I’m a closed-minded hate-monger like so many other Americans of my race are.
Just some food for thought. You have to view both sides of the fence to get the whole picture and be able to comment in an unbiased manner. Those primarily Mexican illegal invaders shouldn’t be in the US, I agree of course, but the only one at fault is the US government, by not enforcing the border laws and increasing border security, for God knows what reasons.
Bottom line: If you don’t want to learn Spanish, because you hate Mexicans and/or Hispanics in general, DON’T! the only one affected will be only you, by being more ignorant than people who speak both English and Spanish.
if you dont wanna learn you dont need to learn.
but
if you dont eat apple you dont know how it is right?
experience is the best teacher.
No you do not. Just speak English!
According to your avatar, your ancestors were not “naturally born Americans” but were brought by Europeans onto this continent against their will to work as slaves for them.
200 years later, some Spanish speaking people are trying to do work as slaves here and even risque their lives to do it.
No one forced you to learn Spanish, but your ancestors sure had to learn English in the hard way…
Yes, the immigrants should learn English, and many are doing their best at it.
And, let me assure, the Word did not start in the USA and will not end in it.
We are living at the age of globalization.
I know 5 languages, and no one forced me to learn them.
I just like languages…
I speak Spanish, English and French, understand Italian and Portuguese. What is the problem to know other languages? is not good for cultural reasons? knowledge is the best thing you can have.