Posted on 08/18/2017 4:51:37 AM PDT by Mechanicos
I agree with you. If the Irish are putting up a fuss before they even get through the door, I’d rethink inviting them in. I don’t know what it is about the Irish these days but they have gone from being a wonderfully religious people to being radical creeps.
It’s silly to complain about such a simple test and the expense is fairly minor. Government run education has declined in quality in all the English speaking countries. So having a test for English proficiency is not without merit.
I suppose these immigrants to Canada should be relieved that they are not also subjected to a test in their degree of fluency in Quebecois French, as well.
People who are native French scarcely understand it.
Has their use of Gaelic affected their use of English? I ask because I used to have a job that occasionally required me to take customer calls from Canada. On a number of occasions I got calls from French speakers from Quebec and they couldn’t speak English to me. They also appeared not to understand me at all.
Could be amharic or urdu if from some towns.
No, it doesn’t although because of the Gaelic, the Irish have trouble with the “th” sound which doesn’t exist in their own language. It’s why they’ll say “tink” instead of “think.” (Of course, I’m sure many Irish take pains to pronounce English words correctly.) But they’re all fluent in English.
my kids went to school in Ireland ( 1990) and they had to take Gaelic classes.
They don't learn Gaelic anymore?
Well, we learn English in our homes but still take lessons in it at school, don’t we?
Ah, the bad old “th” sound! I teach ESL and I know that is a problem for a lot of people. It is a problem for some Chicagoans, too. Da Bulls!
Considering EU immigration policies, you can’t count on anyone from any European country to be able to speak the native language. Just take the test and be done with it. It’s not difficult like a Scotsman trying to speak English. :-)
Finnegan’s Wake
Why is it when I visit Toronto I encounter numerous Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Africans, etc., who don’t speak either French or English? Try to order in English in a ChinaTown restaurant. Our immigration standards are a farce.
That’s really racist!
Do the Canutes apply the same strict standards to Scots, people from Wales or any of the 29 dialects of Britain?
“They should test the Scots!”
Hey Laddie, that is really racist!
No one has been able to understand us when we talk and rant for centuries. Why do it now!
A lot of the old city regional accents were based on the Irish accent. “Da,” (The) “Tirty Tird and Tird” (Thirty Third and Third Street). Alas, it’s being displaced by other accents.
Tell them to get over. They will ace it, I would assume.
Amen.
My senior year, I had a great English Teacher here in heartland America.
One of her favorite comments was: The English, Canadians, Scots, Irish, Australians, New Zealanders and Americans, a common people separated by an uncommon language, English!
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