English only

[monster]

I think they need to pick one or the other -English only or Bilingual, and which ever it is, provide a universally decent education program to teach the missing language from an early age. In this day and age, there is no way you gan get the full benefits of life in America without understanding English. The Cellar is (allegedly) in English. I rest my case on that one.

That said, what harm would it do to have everyone learn Spanish, too?

I am appalled that it's still a new and "innovative" program to introduce foreign languages in elementary school. it's not much different in the UK, but in the rest of Europe, languages are introduceed very early on and most continental Europeans are multilingual. The earlier you start, ther easier it is and the more languages you know the easier it is to pick up new ones -including priogramming languages.

Did someone say you don't need to speak English to be an immigrant? An illegal one maybe. We had to have lawyers petition for us to avoid having to take an English test whe we emmigrated -and that was pre 9-11. (Yes, we're English). We did have to take and English test to get our driver's licences.

[orthodoc]

You do have to speak English to a reasonable degree to become a naturalized citizen - at least, you had to in 2002. Don't know if that requirement has been eliminated since then.

To me, how languages change and 'take' from other languages is irrelevant to the issue. I think that one common language is important for a country. As someone has mentioned, language is a part of culture. If people don't need to learn or use the language of their new country, they will not participate in its culture. They will not view themselves as an integral part of that country, and will cling to the language and culture of the 'old country'. The result is balkanization of the population and a collection of ethnic groups all vying for more power to support their 'old country' culture and language.

Not to mention the near impossibility of providing essential services to everyone, when there is no common language. For example, Toronto is attempting to provide 911 services for over 900 languages in the city - and not succeeding. A Chinese family sued the city because their grandmother, who only speaks Mandarin, could not make herself understood on a 911 call.

My husband saw many, many people in the ER in Ontario who had lived in Canada for decades but spoke no English. Medical care is terribly hampered when there's no reliable history to be had. Interpreters are a help, but they paraphrase and misinterpret and are only useful for the most basic information.

As for costs, the cost of bilingualism in Canada has been and continues to be enormous. There are duplicated public school systems to permit French Immersion and French (origin) education. Every traffic sign has to be bilingual. Every government service and document must be available in two languages. Plus the minority language population tends to be favored for government jobs; a huge number of English speakers in Ottawa were eliminated from their jobs (or side-tracked into lateral transfers somewhere in the north) to make room for francophones when the policy came in.

I believe that people who immigrate to a new country have an obligation to learn the language of the country.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

I give the English-only cranks the cold shoulder. Besides English, I have Spanish, French, and Russian, though I cannot claim bilinguality in any of these, reckoning they should approach the level of my English, which they definitely don't.

I think it is a great idea. No other nation cow tows like this.
I live in an area with many nationalities and have lived in areas with FAR more, like central LA.
Funny how the only group that feels the need to be treated special in this way is...
Bullshit.
If I move to a Spanish speaking nation and DEMANDED this kind of treatment, language wise, I know how I would be treated. I have asked.

[monster]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

I think it is a great idea. No other nation cow tows like this.

You what?

Is it different in Canada? Belgium? Holland? Is there some key point I am missing which makes their multilinguality not "cow-towing"? (trying to erase visions of heiffers on skateboards holding on to ropes atrached to pick-up trucks from my mind)

[DanaC]

I think it is a great idea. No other nation cow tows like this.

In the UK official literature and signs in council buildings are in multiple languages.

[Undertoad]

Canada is 100% bilingual and 90% proud of it.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Canada is 100% bilingual and 90% proud of it.

So if I go to an English speaking area of Canada and tell them that they must deal with me in Spanish they will?

[Undertoad]

No, but if you tell them that they must deal with you in French, they will.

Anywhere in that nation? Really, I was unaware, shame.
I did not know all Canadians were bilingual.

[Cloud]

I actually thought it was only in the eastern provinces, like Quebec.

[piercehawkeye45]

I think Switzerland has four languages and they seem to not be torn apart.

[Undertoad]

There is still resistance... to French in the Western provinces, and to English in Quebec. But basically every Canuck child is publically educated to be bilingual. It seems to work OK.. they are generally patriotic about it, any Canucks currently on board?

[orthodoc]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

There is still resistance... to French in the Western provinces, and to English in Quebec. But basically every Canuck child is publically educated to be bilingual. It seems to work OK.. they are generally patriotic about it, any Canucks currently on board?

Raises hand sheepishly ... well, dual citizen. Bilingualism in Canada is established but not equally distributed. Children in the English public school system have mandatory classes in French through 9th grade; they can continue beyond that if they wish. Children in the French public system take English, but I'm not sure for how long. In Quebec the rules are different and English is not used.

There is resistance to enforced bilingual policy in areas of Canada where there are few to no French communities, especially in view of Quebec's language laws - they stipulate no English in government, on any public signs, on any business signs, and in the schools. However, bilingualism is the law and one effect has been to encourage francophones to move to new areas (great paying government jobs) and establish a new need for French services.

The anglophones (English or non-French Canadians) in these areas aren't thrilled at seeing their jobs disappear and their taxes go up. Their schools decline in quality because school taxes are split between English public, French Immersion, and French Language public schools. In Ontario there's a further division with English Catholic and French Catholic schools getting public funding as well. The English public system draws about 10% of funding (I was told this by a school administrator). The schools are in terrible shape - asbestos hanging out of ceilings, no mirrors, soap, or paper towels in washrooms, no janitorial staff, no repairs, no air conditioning, filth everywhere, no lunchrooms (kids eat at their desks in classrooms). There was a series of articles in the Toronto press on the problem in 2004-2005.

So some Canucks are less patriotic about this than others. It depends on whether you get the new jobs and schools or whether you get the other end of the stick.

[SamIam]

The Canadian situation does not sound like a very happy one. Its as if Canada has gone to the opposite extreme with what amounts to a "French Only" policy in certain provinces. I don't agree with that either. Here in the US in areas where there are a high percentage of Spanish speakers, I do think government forms, etc. should be made available in Spanish, as well as English. I've been in government offices where notices are printed in Vietnamese, Russian, Tagalog, and heaven knows what else. This to me seems like taking things to an extreme, but as long as everybody is not forced into speaking Tagalog or whatever, I don't see the harm in it.

I guess I just don't like the idea of people being coerced into speaking any given language, and the English Only movement smacks of that coercion. First generation Americans may have difficulty with the language, but their children grow up to be bi-lingual which I think is a good thing. Knowing another language besides English allows you a broader view of the world, and we are increasingly becoming a global community. It wouldn't hurt to speak an extra language or two. I wish I was bi-lingual.