361 replies to this topic

[Persuasion]

For arguements sake, the USA doesn't have a national language like other countries in Europe. It's not required to speak English, rather English just happens to be the presiding language Blame the US government for having so many foreigners?
America is known as the mixed salad country and the government auctually invites/welcomes foreigners. If you want more english speakers, go away to somewhere British

-Also, the reason they tend to gather around is due to thier language barrior. They need to in order to help each other. What you can do is move/avoid such situations...

[California]

Seriously? If EVERYONE spoke English that'd just be most bullshit to listen to.

[Frizzle]

I did. Tell me what I didn't read again?

The title "

If you don't speak English, stay the hell out of America, seriously! People who aren't willing to learn "

why cant you learn their language

Because I'm English and not a Slovak. Idiot.

[Adina]

The people at my work place who are trying to order in their own language are much more tolerable than those who are yelling at me because their smoothie is not 100% to their liking. Half the time I wish the customers didn't even speak English so they would stop bitching.

I don't mind playing charades, as long as they don't give me attitude. No one that can't speak English ever has acted frustrated because I can't understand them so I guess it all depends on the area.

[Lallard]

For a few who're basically posting "oh yeah I'm a first generation and I managed to adapt to the english language; if I can do it so can you!", it's not that easy. It's just a given that older folk are not as quick in learning stuff (on average) anymore. Usually they just assume that "they're too old to give a sh** anyways" to bother learning another language.

OP has a point though - I remember helping out CAHSEE students for community service (and you're not a CA resident it's basically some thing high school kids have to take in order to get out of high school), and it just appalls me at how some folk will get irritated when you just have no idea what they're trying to tell you (in this case, some Hispanic parents talking to me... in Spanish) although it's implied that English is the main language used. Sometimes you just have to wonder whether the effort should be put by the sellers (and it's workers) to conform to the customers': learning another language, or should the clients at least be "considerate" enough to try adjusting to their environment rather than the other way around.

[Las3rs]

For a few who're basically posting "oh yeah I'm a first generation and I managed to adapt to the english language; if I can do it so can you!", it's not that easy. It's just a given that older folk are not as quick in learning stuff (on average) anymore. Usually they just assume that "they're too old to give a sh** anyways" to bother learning another language.

OP has a point though - I remember helping out CAHSEE students for community service (and you're not a CA resident it's basically some thing high school kids have to take in order to get out of high school), and it just appalls me at how some folk will get irritated when you just have no idea what they're trying to tell you (in this case, some Hispanic parents talking to me... in Spanish) although it's implied that English is the main language used. Sometimes you just have to wonder whether the effort should be put by the sellers (and it's workers) to conform to the customers': learning another language, or should the clients at least be "considerate" enough to try adjusting to their environment rather than the other way around.

Yeah, I agree in some cases. Living in Los Angeles, there are plenty of people who take pride in their own race to an extreme and ignorant level.

CAHSEE... 40% of the kids at my school fail it each year (even though it's a middle-school level test).

Edited by Las3rs, 19 February 2011 - 11:45 PM.

[Lallard]

Yeah, I agree in some cases. Living in Los Angeles, there are plenty of people who take pride in their own race to an extreme and ignorant level.
CAHSEE... 40% of the kids at my school fail it each year (even though it's a middle-school level test).

Oh yeah, and to give anybody an idea of how ridongculous this whole exit exam is, here are some sample questions (under "advanced" - which I LOL'd):

If r = 5 z then 15 z = 3 y, then r =
A. y
B. 2 y
C. 5 y
D. 10 y
E. 15 y

The setting of a story effects the story's plot.
A. effects the story's plot
B. effects the stories plot
C. affect the story's plot
D. affects the story's plot
E. affects the story's plots

and as the post above mentioned, some CA high schools have half their kids failing this shit.


EDIT: Offtopic: This is why Tiger Mom is the shit, yo.

Edited by Lallard, 20 February 2011 - 12:24 AM.

[Las3rs]

Oh yeah, and to give anybody an idea of how ridongculous this whole exit exam is, here are some sample questions (under "advanced" - which I LOL'd):

If r = 5 z then 15 z = 3 y, then r =
A. y
B. 2 y
C. 5 y
D. 10 y
E. 15 y

The setting of a story effects the story's plot.
A. effects the story's plot
B. effects the stories plot
C. affect the story's plot
D. affects the story's plot
E. affects the story's plots
and as the post above mentioned, some CA high schools have half their kids failing this shit.


EDIT: Offtopic: This is why Tiger Mom is the shit, yo.

Heh, I have a Tiger Mom. She'd kill me if she found out I waste my time on this shit.

Oh, and here was an example from my year:
If x-1=2, what does x equal?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 6
d) 8
e) 12

Edited by Las3rs, 20 February 2011 - 12:51 AM.

[rizler]

Heh, I have a Tiger Mom. She'd kill me if she found out I waste my time on this shit.

Oh, and here was an example from my year:
If x-1=2, what does x equal?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 6
d) 8
e) 12

some easy question you sure they didnt take that question from a 3 year old?

[Las3rs]

Math is universal though XD
If they cant understand how to solve for x -_- that's terribad lol

Funny thing is, a huge portion of my high school is at an elementary school/middle school level in math. Only 3% of my school ranks as even "Proficient" in math, and 7% in English. Yes, LAUSD is THAT bad.

[Fracture]

I completely agree. I was in line for lunch at school the other day and the mexican kid in front of me was new to the school I guess and was trying to figure out his lunch number. The lunch lady, being an old white woman, was trying to ask him what his last name was and he couldn't even understand what she was saying. She had to yell to one of the mexican girls to translate for her. That's RIDICULOUS.

[Persuasion]

I completely agree. I was in line for lunch at school the other day and the mexican kid in front of me was new to the school I guess and was trying to figure out his lunch number. The lunch lady, being an old white woman, was trying to ask him what his last name was and he couldn't even understand what she was saying. She had to yell to one of the mexican girls to translate for her. That's RIDICULOUS.

Once again for arguement's sake. Deal with it, it's a free country in America and it doesn't have a national language. Mexicans can speak whatever the poop they want to. Of course, you can not like it, though it's definitely not a crime

[JL3]

There are so many things I could say about this...

My grandparents moved over to another country to give their children a better chance at life. My grandparents didn't have any kind of formal education and made a living farming, they moved over to a completely new environment I'd imagine it was very hard for them im sure things were much tougher than your inconvenience you are having.

The funny thing is that a lot of developed countries have shrinking populations and need immigrants to move over to help their economy.

It isn't easy to learn a language, im curious how many languages you speak well.

[Frizzle]

It isn't easy to learn a language, im curious how many languages you speak well.

I haven't moved to another country so I have no need to learn.

[rizler]

it isn't easy to learn a language, im curious how many languages you speak well.

i dont need to learn any new languages however i speak 4 languages fairly well, good enough to communicate with somone across the table ^^
and about 2 or 3 languages which are rough

[Adina]

My grandparents didn't have any kind of formal education and made a living farming, they moved over to a completely new environment I'd imagine it was very hard for them im sure things were much tougher than your inconvenience you are having.

The point is for those who don't want to put in any effort toward learning the language that's mainly spoken in the country they're in. If you're grandparents weren't douche bags about the language then it's acceptable (in my opinion anyway) that they don't speak it, as long as they try to communicate with others without giving off attitude.

[JL3]

I haven't moved to another country so I have no need to learn.

So the only motivation to learning another language is if you move to another country... ?

This is actually quite a big problem in a few countries. Here in the UK very few people actually learn languages because they feel English is enough. The government recognises this as an issue at least for future business, funnily enough last summer I went on a government sponsored programme to go to another country and learn the language and culture.

Edited by JL3, 20 February 2011 - 04:54 PM.

[rizler]

So the only motivation to learning another language is if you move to another country... ?

This is actually quite a big problem in a few countries. Here in the UK very few people actually learn languages because they feel English is enough. The government recognises this as an issue at least for future business, funnily enough last summer I went on a government sponsored programme to go to another country and learn the language and culture.

did you read the rest of my post? i do know other languages and i am not moving to another country. i just know many people who speak different languages and they kinda taught me

[Ladida]

The last McDonald's I went to in Toronto was run completely by Sri Lankans.. They got my order, gave me only half of it, then screamed at each other for five minutes in their own language. While customers lined up. Being Canadian, I WISH I could go places and have people understand English, it being Canada and all.. But welcome to globalization folks

I've lived abroad, so I'm used to gesticulating to have my requests understood, so when I went home, it kind of sucked to be in the same situation again.

[JL3]

did you read the rest of my post? i do know other languages and i am not moving to another country. i just know many people who speak different languages and they kinda taught me

What, I quoted Frizzle not you?

[cara]

So the only motivation to learning another language is if you move to another country... ?

This is actually quite a big problem in a few countries. Here in the UK very few people actually learn languages because they feel English is enough. The government recognises this as an issue at least for future business, funnily enough last summer I went on a government sponsored programme to go to another country and learn the language and culture.

What does learning a language for your own personal pleasure have to do with this thread? Or even help support your original point?

I honestly can't believe this thread is still going on. It's people bitching about the OP being racist or agreeing with her over and over.

[rizler]

What, I quoted Frizzle not you?

oh sorry didnt notice his post above mine and it was similar as i just read ^^
forgive me

[JL3]

What does learning a language for your own personal pleasure have to do with this thread? Or even help support your original point?

I honestly can't believe this thread is still going on. It's people bitching about the OP being racist or agreeing with her over and over.

I joined the thread late and im just responding the some of the later posts not necessarily the OP if that is ok with you.

The government sponsored a few hundred students and myself to learn a language so that it would help businesses here connect easier so it wasn't purely 'personal pleasure'. The point is that it is beneficial to know other languages other than english or rather outside your own country.

oh sorry didnt notice his post above mine and it was similar as i just read ^^
forgive me

lol np got pretty confused there

Edited by JL3, 20 February 2011 - 06:20 PM.

[cara]

I joined the thread late and im just responding the some of the later posts not necessarily the OP if that is ok with you.

The government sponsored a few hundred students and myself to learn a language so that it would help businesses here connect easier so it wasn't purely 'personal pleasure'. The point is that it is beneficial to know other languages other than english or rather outside your own country.

That is all good and well and I'm so super happy that you got sponsored but it has nothing to do with the original point of this thread or the point that you were replying to in your post.