Thread: Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

On this topic, I will say this one word: Airplane.

The gentleman says he will have the fish.

I don't know that I agree that all citizens or residents should be required to be "fluent" in English, but they certainly need to know enough to get by in society. Whatever that level of involvment may be. For example, I've pretty much given up on ever going to a gas station for directions. 99% of the time, the person working there doesn't speak enough English.

Now, what really drives me crazy is when newcomers not only refuse to learn the language, but then expect everyone else to accomodate this. The fact that we have instructions to vote or get a driver's license in other languages is infuriating.

For those of us who had ancestors come here speaking other languages, I think most of them did what they had to do to earn a living. But if you told them that the state was going to teach their children in Italian or in German or in Chinese, I think they would have gone through the roof. They wanted their kids to "melt" in with society and they knew they needed to speak English to get ahead - to be "American". That's what we're losing these days.

Jordan

How can you make it a law for an immigrant to read English when it isn't the law that a natural citizen read English, or read at all for that matter?

Isn't it the law for kids to go to school and learn how to read? No worries though, Obama plans to expand the current system with his "no illegal immigrant left behind" bill

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Isn't it the law for kids to go to school and learn how to read? No worries though, Obama plans to expand the current system with his "no illegal immigrant left behind" bill

I believe it might be the law for children to go to school, but you can't make them learn to read any more than you can make them learn algebra, or the multiplication table.

As for Obama, things are starting to seem inevitable, huh??

[quote=ScottS;240386]*sigh* ok, you said

How can you make it a law for an immigrant to read English when it isn't the law that a natural citizen read English, or read at all for that matter?

And now you say

I believe it might be the law for children to go to school, but you can't make them learn to read any more than you can make them learn algebra, or the multiplication table.

Okay, that's true... but what's the point? You can and should make them learn to read, just like you can make them learn algebra or the multiplication table (I'm a little slow, please bear with me)

As for Obama, things are starting to seem inevitable, huh??

It certainly does seem that way. I've already promised my wife I'm going to take her shooting again somewhere before inauguration day next year

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

It certainly does seem that way. I've already promised my wife I'm going to take her shooting again somewhere before inauguration day next year

That reminds me: I need to buy a rifle while it's still easy.

I would like the language laws, not to force immigrants to learn English (who's going to enforce it anyway?), but to cut down on all the bi- tri-lingual things we have to deal with. I'm tired of being told that I need to learn Spanish because English isn't going to be spoken in my area in 10 years. I'm really tired of feeling like an outsider in my hometown because the shops, personnel, and merchandise all cater to languages I don't understand.

Originally Posted by ScottS

I believe it might be the law for children to go to school, but you can't make them learn to read any more than you can make them learn algebra, or the multiplication table.

As for Obama, things are starting to seem inevitable, huh??

I don't think this is the case yet. There's still a long way to go. We haven't even had the conventions.

I think the GOP will try to keep things close until the last month or so then really try to hammer away at the real prospect of having Obama as pres. Kind of the way a defensive football team keeps a game close until they've ground the opposition down and can pound out an ugly win in the fourth. Who knows though....

Jordan

Originally Posted by jockeys

The gentleman says he will have the fish.

Butter it up and drag 'em through the garden.