English only

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by dar512

There's more than a bit of German (from the Saxons):

"English is the result of Norman men-at-arms attempting to pick up Saxon barmaids and is no more legitimate than any of the other results."
- H. Beam Piper

I'm teaching English in Japan and I loved this quote. It's the most pithy explanation for the inconsistencies in English.

Seriously, though, being unable to speak the language of the country where I have moved is very limiting and I am sure I miss out on a lot. But I chose to come here and if I were planning to stay long-term I'd be studying Japanese much more than now. If you migrate to a country, learn the language. Even a few mangled basics can get you by.

But it's great business to have an English speaker on staff. Most Anglophones in this city are with the same phone, internet, travel agent and computer companies, for this reason.

So to apply this to US schools:
Everyone must learn the official language (English). Without it you're at a major disadvantage. But lots of people should learn common minority languages (Spanish, etc) too. And I recall (but can't cite, sorry) claims that English-only schools are less effective at teaching minority students than mixed language schools. Remember they're also learning math, history, science etc - and social skills.

now let me end with the universal language ...

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

...

Everyone must learn the official language (English). Without it you're at a major disadvantage. But lots of people should learn common minority languages (Spanish, etc) too.

But English is not the official language. The US doesn't have one.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

But English is not the official language. The US doesn't have one.

mmm. didn't know that. Never been there.

But the point still works if you replace "official" with "predominant" or "most common". Even if government services are multi-lingual, very much else isn't. Having lesser English skills is still a disadvantage.

You trip me up on semantics, and if that weren't exactly the sort of thing I get up to I'd get so ... so ... something.

PS I'm new... what do you mean, HungLikeJesus. He wasn't hung (hanged). He was nailed, with big 10-inch-long, iron-hard spikes ......... aaaahhhhhhh. Sir I am impressed!

[dar512]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I'm teaching English in Japan and I loved this quote. It's the most pithy explanation for the inconsistencies in English.

If you liked that, Zen, you should really check out "The Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson. It's an informative and funny look at the English language.

[Rexmons]

english only is fucking retarded, english mandatory...not a bad idea.

[Razzmatazz13]

My opinions on this debate have changed radically over the last two years. I grew up in an area with an 98% white english-only speaking population. Where I live, if you don't know english, you can't survive. Going to get groceries would be difficult for you. So, basing off of my expieriences back then, I would've been all for english-only...because it's more beneficial to the speakers of other languages.

Now, I've opened my head a little, something I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to do...and I know that there are places where you don't HAVE to speak english to live. Communities that will support other languages, I think that's really cool.

Admittedly a big part of my mind change comes from my bf. His parents moved here from mexico, he was born here but raised to speak spanish until he went into school (because his parents have a very hard time speaking english.) However, they knew that he would need to learn english in order to be sucessful and move out of the area that they live...so they pushed the schools to put him in regular english classes as a kid instead of ESL. He's perfectly fluent in both now...but I feel like I should be a bit more fluent in spanish before meeting his mom

[DanaC]

Good question bruce. I understand that people may feel printing official literature in multiple languages is an unnecessary expense...but surely that's te lesser of two evils, with the other evil being a whole slew of people living in the US but unable to access most of the services/systems.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, but apart from individuals dealing with government bureaucracy, how about when you can't talk to your neighbor?
Hey, your dog has been shitting on my lawn.
No Habla Ingles?
Why you dumb fucking wetback, keep your dog off my lawn or I'll shoot the son of a bitch.
No Habla Ingles?
BLAM!

[Aliantha]

English is the language of business thoughout the world.

French is the language of diplomacy.

Anyone hoping to engage in trade with another country must be able to speak English, and if they want to avoid an arse kicking, they must be able to speak French.

English does originate from German, so I guess we are all speaking modified German anyway.

Asking people to forget their first language is asking people to forget their culture. That is wrong.

Asking people to learn a new language to make going to the doctor and getting a correct diagnosis is advisable. That is right.

[Aliantha]

I guess that would be annoying.

You should try attempting to organize a delivery of a watertank to someone who doesn't speak english. It gets done though, because if you live in a culture where other languages are spoken, virtually everyone learns enough to understand what is being said to them, even if it's not in a literal sense.

I'm pretty sure if you stand there with an angry look on your face pointing from the dog to the shit the person will get the idea and I don't know about your part of the world, but over here, 90% of the time the person would rectify the situation.

Of course, there are arseholes everywhere. Some of them even speak English.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Of course, there are arseholes everywhere. Some of them even speak English.

Cock.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Cock.

v. intr.

1. To set the hammer of a firearm in a position ready for firing.
2. To turn or stick up.
3. To strut; swagger.

[Middle English cok, from Old English cocc, probably from Late Latin coccus, from coco, a cackling, of imitative origin.]

or

cock (n1.)
O.E. cocc, O.Fr. coq, O.N. kokkr, all of echoic origin. O.E. cocc was a nickname for "one who strutted like a cock," thus a common term in the Middle Ages for a pert boy, used of scullions, apprentices, servants, etc. A common personal name till c.1500, it was affixed to Christian names as a pet diminutive, cf. Wilcox, Hitchcock, etc. Slang sense of "penis" is attested since 1618 (but cf. pillicock "penis," from c.1300). Cock-teaser is from 1891. Cock-sucker is used curiously for aggressively obnoxious men; the ancients would have understood the difference between passive and active roles; Catullus, writing of his boss, employs the useful L. insult irrumator, which means "someone who forces others to give him oral sex," hence "one who treats people with contempt." Cocky "arrogantly pert" (1768) originally meant "lecherous" (16c.); modern sense of "vain" is 18c. A cocker spaniel (1823) was trained to start woodcocks. Cock-and-bull is first recorded 1621, perhaps an allusion to Aesop's fables, with their incredible talking animals, or to a particular story, now forgotten. Fr. has parallel expression coq-à-l'âne.

?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Don't strain your brain, Aliantha will understand.

[Aliantha]

Well to be honest, I was wondering if you were refering to me or someone else. Either way, it doesn't really matter.

The definition was entertaining though. Thanks HLJ.

[HungLikeJesus]

I was mostly pointing out, not the definition, but the series of languages through which any word tends to evolve. The word actually had 15 definitions, of which I listed only two.