Obama thinks your kids should learn Spanish

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Should American kids learn Spanish?
Yes All American children should be taught Spanish 63%  63%  [ 25 ]
No learning Spanish will not benefit American children 38%  38%  [ 15 ]
Total votes : 40

Cyanide
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23 Jul 2008, 11:00 pm

If all kids *have* to learn a second language, they shouldn't be forced to do Spanish. But I think the biggest problem is that most public schools don't offer some of the extremely useful global languages (namely Arabic, Russian and Chinese).



z0rp
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23 Jul 2008, 11:17 pm

Spanish is one of my pet peeves so I really hope that doesn't happen.. It's by far one of or the most annoying language in my opinion, and this is coming from someone who knows the language fluently.



skafather84
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23 Jul 2008, 11:45 pm

oscuria wrote:
I feel everyone should speak more than one language. It could even reduce the horrible accent english speakers have when attempting to speak other languages.



do you hold non-english speakers to the same standard when they're trying to speak english?



Malsane
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23 Jul 2008, 11:59 pm

I don't understand why people are so opposed to learning another language. How can learning be a bad thing? Learning Spanish can't 'bring down the country' in any way. Learning another language is good for your brain, if nothing else.

I think kids should learn another language. So many other countries the kids know at least two languages. At my high school, taking a foreign language was a requirement. I don't think the language needs to be Spanish, but we should learn other languages.



skafather84
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24 Jul 2008, 12:17 am

Malsane wrote:
I don't understand why people are so opposed to learning another language. How can learning be a bad thing? Learning Spanish can't 'bring down the country' in any way. Learning another language is good for your brain, if nothing else.

I think kids should learn another language. So many other countries the kids know at least two languages. At my high school, taking a foreign language was a requirement. I don't think the language needs to be Spanish, but we should learn other languages.



i'm not against learning another language. i just think it's not very well thought out to say that every american should be required to be fluent in spanish as many of the other posters have implied.

well, that and obama is just pandering to the mexican/gulf islander vote (gotta win florida somehow). he means it as much as he means that he's for change (which is why all of his policies reflect maintaining the status quo).



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24 Jul 2008, 12:26 am

I think that all kids should be required to learn at least one second language, and Spanish is certainly a useful one. I use my Spanish all the time at work (and, no, the clientelle is not 'drugs and thugs'). Mandarin would be an incredibly useful language to offer as well, but I don't think that there are a lot of Mandarin teachers available in the States. German is good to have for science majors. French is good to have for anyone that wants to travel to the old world, and also useful in former French colonies around the world.

Old joke:
Q:What do you call someone who speaks three languages fluently?
A:Trilengual.

Q:What do you call someone who speaks two languages fluently?
A:Bilengual.

Q:What do you call someone who speaks only one language?
A:American.



Last edited by LKL on 24 Jul 2008, 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

skafather84
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24 Jul 2008, 12:41 am

skafather84 wrote:
it's hard to say because unless you're immersed in a language, you forget it really quickly and it's pretty much a waste. might be better to focus more on the cultural side, if anything. reaching an understanding of different cultures is much more important than just learning the language.



but no one seems to get that here and would much rather bicker over saying that everyone should learn spanish for some odd reason.



Malsane
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24 Jul 2008, 1:02 am

In my Spanish class, we focused a lot on the cultures of different Spanish speaking countries, so I guess in my mind, learning a language and learning about another culture is wrapped up together.

I don't care if Obama is pandering. I think foreign language is a great thing to learn, so the politicization of the issue is irrelevant to me.

Oh, and I love that joke.



SuperSteve
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24 Jul 2008, 5:04 am

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Sweden you're bordered by what, half a dozen countries? at least? you HAVE to learn the other languages. America we're only bordered by Mexico and Canada


Just like everyone and their dog, you're confusing Sweden with Switzerland (which borders to five, by the way).

Sweden is bordered by Norway, Finland and Denmark (and, if you count, like, ten meters as a border, Russia.

However, Swedish can be understood by Norwegians, and to a lesser extent by Danish, and vice versa. The Finns learn Swedish in school (to some extent) to nurture the extensive exchange between our countries. And Finnish children and adolescents are offered education in both Swedish and Finnish, so not to forget their mother tounge.

We learn Swedish, because its our native language and can be used extensively throughout Scandinavia, English because its a good base language to have internationally, and a mainland European language to further extend our reach. I'd say you guys in The States are lagging behind.


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Larree
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24 Jul 2008, 9:45 am

Fred2670 wrote:
Do you?

Let me state right off the top that I think
Spanish (Castillion) is a beautiful language

but I dont see how learning to speak it can benefit a child. In the growing global economy languages like Japanese, Chinese, even Russian could come in handy, but not Spanish. As Mexico continues to deteriorate into madness, Spanish has become only a language of "drugs and thugs". Common sense would indicate that if there arent any jobs for Mexicans in Mexico, there sure as hell arent any there for Americans, unless perhaps you are a large business owner looking to slap American workers in the face by exploiting cheap foreign labor or something like that. Schools dont even teach Latin any more, they shouldnt teach Spanish either. I think if American children do business with Mexicans they should do it on their terms in English. Why must Americans always have to "accomodate" 3rd worlders? Why must American children stoop to the level of Mexicans, by learning Spanish in order to do business with them? English is the language of the future not Spanish. Just like Latin, Spanish is a dead language, Obama must believe that it will eventually replace English in the American workplace. If that happens America will be well on its way to ruin. Dont believe Obama's hype, dont give in, dont make your children learn Spanish. Dont let some refugees from a dead country with a dead language break in to the United States and change the rules because it suits them.. even if Obama likes the idea. He has it backwards anyway. The whole world should learn to speak English the language of the greatest nation of the face of the Earth, the primary language of global commerce.

In case you didnt know:
87% of Americans want English made the
official language of the United States.

http://www.proenglish.org/resources/polls.html

Be one of them or go back to
wherever people speak your language

Remember the Alamo
SAY NO TO MEXICO!! !!


I live in Southern California. I wish I had been more interested in learning Spanish when I was in school. I am thinking of getting the Rosetta Stone Spanish course and learning it now, at 50! All kids should learn Spanish and English at the same time in the primary grades.



n4mwd
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24 Jul 2008, 10:28 am

I don't think any person, especially kids, should be forced to learn spanish. I live in south florida and its extremely offensive to go to a store and have to listen to some illegal jabbering away in spanish. When people come to the US and then proceed to disrespect it by refusing to learn the language, then those people should be sent back. What's the difference between disrespecting the country by burning the flag or disrespecting it by refusing to learn and use the main language?



Larree
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24 Jul 2008, 10:39 am

n4mwd wrote:
I don't think any person, especially kids, should be forced to learn spanish. I live in south florida and its extremely offensive to go to a store and have to listen to some illegal jabbering away in spanish. When people come to the US and then proceed to disrespect it by refusing to learn the language, then those people should be sent back. What's the difference between disrespecting the country by burning the flag or disrespecting it by refusing to learn and use the main language?


Why is it offensive? I love all the different cultures in my city! I do not find it disrespectful at all! if someone thinks in a different language they should be allowed to express themselves in that language!

Speaking another language is not the same thing as flag burning! Come on! :lol:



n4mwd
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24 Jul 2008, 10:52 am

Larree wrote:
Why is it offensive? I love all the different cultures in my city! I do not find it disrespectful at all! if someone thinks in a different language they should be allowed to express themselves in that language!

Speaking another language is not the same thing as flag burning! Come on! :lol:


Its disrespectful because they are in my country on a permanent basis and should learn my country's language and not the other way around.

When they had the flap about Elian Gonzolez back in the 90's, the cubans in this area showed their true colors by proudly flying the cuban flag on their cars. A large percentage of these people refuse to learn English. There are areas in south florida where NO english is spoken. That is disrespecting the country and its citizens.



Larree
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24 Jul 2008, 10:57 am

n4mwd wrote:
Larree wrote:
Why is it offensive? I love all the different cultures in my city! I do not find it disrespectful at all! if someone thinks in a different language they should be allowed to express themselves in that language!

Speaking another language is not the same thing as flag burning! Come on! :lol:


Its disrespectful because they are in my country on a permanent basis and should learn my country's language and not the other way around.

When they had the flap about Elian Gonzolez back in the 90's, the cubans in this area showed their true colors by proudly flying the cuban flag on their cars. A large percentage of these people refuse to learn English. There are areas in south florida where NO english is spoken. That is disrespecting the country and its citizens.


Sorry dude. But this is kind of racist to me. I don't get mad when Mexicans fly the Mexican flag on Cinco de Mayo. I go out for tacos de lengue.



skafather84
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24 Jul 2008, 11:17 am

Larree wrote:
Fred2670 wrote:
Do you?

Let me state right off the top that I think
Spanish (Castillion) is a beautiful language

but I dont see how learning to speak it can benefit a child. In the growing global economy languages like Japanese, Chinese, even Russian could come in handy, but not Spanish. As Mexico continues to deteriorate into madness, Spanish has become only a language of "drugs and thugs". Common sense would indicate that if there arent any jobs for Mexicans in Mexico, there sure as hell arent any there for Americans, unless perhaps you are a large business owner looking to slap American workers in the face by exploiting cheap foreign labor or something like that. Schools dont even teach Latin any more, they shouldnt teach Spanish either. I think if American children do business with Mexicans they should do it on their terms in English. Why must Americans always have to "accomodate" 3rd worlders? Why must American children stoop to the level of Mexicans, by learning Spanish in order to do business with them? English is the language of the future not Spanish. Just like Latin, Spanish is a dead language, Obama must believe that it will eventually replace English in the American workplace. If that happens America will be well on its way to ruin. Dont believe Obama's hype, dont give in, dont make your children learn Spanish. Dont let some refugees from a dead country with a dead language break in to the United States and change the rules because it suits them.. even if Obama likes the idea. He has it backwards anyway. The whole world should learn to speak English the language of the greatest nation of the face of the Earth, the primary language of global commerce.

In case you didnt know:
87% of Americans want English made the
official language of the United States.

http://www.proenglish.org/resources/polls.html

Be one of them or go back to
wherever people speak your language

Remember the Alamo
SAY NO TO MEXICO!! !!


I live in Southern California. I wish I had been more interested in learning Spanish when I was in school. I am thinking of getting the Rosetta Stone Spanish course and learning it now, at 50! All kids should learn Spanish and English at the same time in the primary grades.


so when there was a large number of italian immigrants, should italian have been taught in all the primary grades?

immigration trends is not a good reason to start teaching another language. what happens if we start it and then there's a large mass of chinese or korean immigrants? should all those spanish classes be converted to mandarin or korean? you're looking too in the short term and not observing the long term.



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24 Jul 2008, 11:30 am

Flipmode wrote:
[actually, it does. if your argument is large concentration then that's your argument...you can't all of a sudden say that even if your argument is wrong, you're still right. can postulate a new argument...but you can't insist on being right without anything backing it.]

I still insist that Spanish is the most important language that Americans can learn even in areas where Spanish is not as common, that is my argument. I back this opinion up by saying that Americans have by far more access to more Spanish media and material than any other language, thereby making Spanish a more useful language to learn.

[The Spanish language is highly important in America because there is a significant minority of people who speak it.]


I agree that the other languages you have listen (with the exception of Dutch) are very useful, however most Americans would have far more of a reason to speak Spanish.


Thats only if you live in areas that already have a large spanish speaking population, and if thats the case there is no reason for you to learn spanish in school, because you can easily pick it up around you and from your exposure to those media you've just mentioned. Just as i picked up many hungarian words when I moved to this area, without making the slightest effort to do so. I was surrounded by them, and people using them, so how could I have not learned them?

There are no hispanics where I live (or where I'll be moving too). In fact, in the town I'll be moving to the only foreignors are from French guyana. I will however be able to enter into a largley french speaking area in a a few hours drive, spend time there and come back home that same day. So children in that area will have plenty of opportunities to interact with french speakers.

What they won't have is any opportunity to interact with a native spanish speaker. its no surprise the students studying french in our high school were able to become much more fluent than the students who studied spanish. After all the french students could actually use what they learned and practice it in the real world amongst native french speakers. The spanish students couldn't and had no one to practice their spanish on other than the students who were also studying/had studied spanish.

One must take into consideration that the US takes up almost half a continent. It would be ridiculous to even consider that whats the most useful language for those in suthwestern California must also be the most useful language to know for those in north eastern maine. In the south it is reasonable to consider learning spanish useful because of the large hispanic and spanish speaking immigrant population located in various areas there. But its ridiculous to consider it more useful than learning french in areas of the US where there is nothing resembling a spanish speaking population within thousands of miles, but there is a significant french speaking population right next door

Fact is, the moment you make a "this language is best for everyone" claim you shoot your argument in the foot. Remember one of the most important things taught in school is to look at the big picture, not just one small part. Otherwise your going to begin doing something you think is great only to find it not only doesn't work, but even causes problems, all of which could have been avoided had you only been willing to consider everyone affected by your mandates, rather than just a select few.