2 Languages Better Than 1, Kids Say

Sacramento Bee ^ | February 19, 2004 | Erika Chavez

[jackibutterfly]

In Colorado, too (Denver/Boulder area)

[marron]

Exactly. Its a real eye-opener to look back at the curriculum that was normal in the 19th century. A modern kid's eyes would catch fire just looking at the kinds of things his great-great grandfather had to know...

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

South Carolina banks have had the English/Spanish choice for years. Someone posted that their bank has your language choice encoded on their magnetic strip so they don't have to mess with that crap.

[Who dat?]

A lot of Americans spoke French in the home, and some still do in New England and, of course, new Orleans.

That explains a few things…

My wife grew up in New York. She took two years of French in junior high, four years of French in high school, and two more years in college IIRC.

She’ll tell you it was time wasted, in her opinion. She’d much rather (now) have taken Spanish as it would be infinitely more useful.

I don’t know about New Orleans… a lot of the Cajuns in the southwestern part of the state speak something but it ain’t French, according to my wife. After 8 years of French she can’t pick out anything they’re saying except for an occasional number or something. I think it’s a regional/slangy version of French rather than “proper” French, but then I wouldn't know either way.

[visualops]

Aw heck they have that at some here too (SC).
I realize businesses don't want to lose the business of foreign speakers, but what they are doing will only make the problem worse. They keep removing more and more of the incentives to learn English.
Plus, they are creating an inflated demand for Spanish speakers by not encouraging immigrants to learn English.