Language of choice: As US changes, many trying to learn Spanish

The Boston Globe ^ | 1/27/2003 | Cindy Rodriquez

[Prolixus]

Bill Pyron may not understand the sexual innuendos, or the rantings of the jilted lover who vows revenge at a rapid-fire pace. But it doesn't matter. These nights, after work, Pyron plops himself in front of his television, absorbing whatever he can from the Spanish soap operas flashing before him.

[Prolixus]

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages states that more than 4 million of the 6 million high school students who studied a foreign language in 2000 took Spanish.

What is the benefit of U.S. students learning Spanish rather than any other language? Yes, that is a rhetorical question. How can we have multiculturalism if 2/3 of children who are studying a second language are studying one language? Yes, that is another rhetorical question with a hint of irony.

I'm sure we're paying big bucks for this language instruction. I'd rather see my money go towards teaching languages such as:

• Mandarin Chinese for which there are potential economic and national security benefits.
• Latin - if we're going to teach our children a Latin language then let us teach them Latin - the language of educated persons for thousands of years.
• Any Native American language - if our educators want to have multiculturalism shouldn't they be teaching languages that are being displaced by colonialist languages such as Spanish?
• Arabic for its potential benefit to national security.

[WaveThatFlag]

If I understood Spanish, I would watch a lot of Telemundo. The women on those shows are dynamite.

[KC_Conspirator]

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, if we are conducting business in the USA and Spanish speaking people want to do business here, then they should learn English like everybody else.

Sure, learning another language can benefit you, but frankly, this article is as if it was written by a college freshmen who has no idea about the way things work.

[End Times Sentinel]

Wouldn't it be more useful to waste our money on teaching spanish speakers English?

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[Prolixus]

If I understood Spanish, I would watch a lot of Telemundo. The women on those shows are dynamite.

Yeah, I watch Telemundo from time to time. Mostly 'cause I'm too cheap/prudish to buy a porn channel subscription. Anyhow, I'm perfectly happy just to watch and I'm probably happier that I don't understand (most) of what they're saying.

[netmilsmom]

My daughter is learning both Spanish and Latin in a charter school in Michigan. Those children that learn Latin have a basis for decoding most medical and biological terms. I agree with you that this is important.

[Prolixus]

... if we are conducting business in the USA and Spanish speaking people want to do business here, then they should learn English like everybody else.

Hey, if you're conducting business internationally - never mind just in English speaking countries - you're probably doing it in English. English is the current Lingua Franca of the World. All First World countries are teaching English to their children. Upwardly mobile Second World countries, such as China, are trending towards English also. Why the U.S. should be trending away from English is beyond me.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I don't let my poor grasp of Spanish get in the way of my telemundo-ogling :)

[onedoug]

Me gusta la lengua tambien.

[.45MAN]

Have you been to a McDonalds or Burger King lately where they do not speak English? You will be seeing them soon....

[WaveThatFlag]

Hey, it could be worse: I live in Larchomnt, NY, home of The French American School. Any frog who works for their embassy or a French corporation, and has small kids lives in or near my town so that their kids can be educated in French. As a result, there are a couple of stores in my town that have signs in French instead of English.

[KC_Conspirator]

I have been in a McDonald's actually in Mexico and they spoke English there. I just wish they would do the same in east LA....

[WaveThatFlag]

My goodness!!!


(more please)

[cdefreese]

I live here in North Atlanta in a little place I have dubbed 'Little Havana'. It is sad...very sad. It is to the point where all the announcements over the speakers in department stores is all spanish and all the drive thrus place their best english speakers to take orders and their english is broken at best.

It is sad that the left is so concentrated on being diverse and multi-cultural, that they want everyone to learn Spanish then to make those who speak spanish to learn english.

Kinda reminds me of when I lived in Nashville, I had some state paperwork sent to me. The instructions were written in at least 15 different languages.

[nutmeg]

FYI

[Kenny Bunk]

When I lived in Germany, I discovered that many Americans think ALL foreigners are Mexicans. My boss was a Texan, who called all waiters "Muchacho."

[RayChuang88]

Actually, there are a couple of things I like about Spanish:

1. The languange is a fairly phonetic language, which means what you write down on paper is close to what you pronounce in the language. This is definitely NOT true of French.

2. Much of Spanish grammar is not impossible to understand to English speakers, thanks to that Norman invasion in 1066 that infused English with a strong Romance (French/Spanish/Italian) language influence.

Now, if we can just convince those illegal Mexican immigrants to actually LEARN Spanish to at least 10th grade level; a lot of those illegals can't even READ a Spanish-language newspaper or periodical!

[BlackTriangle]

Multiculturalism is a Canadian word that originated when it was realized that the word biculturalism excluded Native Americans, etc.

[BlackTriangle]

I'm sure your world will crumble apart if there is french on shop signs. Let me guess, it's not "french instead of English," it's "french and English" on those shop signs.

[WaveThatFlag]

Nope, it's French instead of English.