OT – Bilingual Education

[weberlin]

[quote=briansd1][quote=deadzone]Again, why is being English centric a detriment? Like it or not English is the most important language in the world and is the only language necessary to be live and do business in the U.S. If Americans want to learn other languages that is great, but it is nothing but a hobby or intellectual pursuit for most.[/quote]

It’s a detriment because a foreign language is what makes a well-rounded person with an open perspective on the world.

Music, arts, literature, history, and sports also make for a well-rounded education.

I find that people who speak a foreign language are much more comfortable with themselves and don’t feel “threatened” when they hear a foreign language they don’t understand.[/quote]

IMHO, there are two mutually exclusive issues here.

First, if everyone in the US speaks English, the government has an easier(and cheaper) time communicating with the population.

Secondly, individuals are benefited from knowledge. Knowledge of language, arts, sports etc.

Put them together according to my logic and: people in the US should speak English first, and pursue a foreign language to enrich their lives.

[weberlin]

Briansd1,

We have visas for students and workers that you are talking about. The people looking for an academic/work experience who don’t want to live in the US, were probably required to take English language courses in their native country.

My use of the term ‘immigrant’ was a specific reference to people who are trying to obtain citizenship. In the intro clip to the PBS documentary, there were two immigrant parents who argued for more English language instruction for their children. These parents realize that their kids’ command of the English language is directly related to their ability to succeed here.

Of the millions of Americans working abroad, I am confident that a significant percentage of this population made some effort to learn the language of the country they planned to work in.

To me, it’s pretty simple: if you’re going to a foreign country for an extended period of time, learn the native language.

[weberlin]

Briansd1,

We have visas for students and workers that you are talking about. The people looking for an academic/work experience who don’t want to live in the US, were probably required to take English language courses in their native country.

My use of the term ‘immigrant’ was a specific reference to people who are trying to obtain citizenship. In the intro clip to the PBS documentary, there were two immigrant parents who argued for more English language instruction for their children. These parents realize that their kids’ command of the English language is directly related to their ability to succeed here.

Of the millions of Americans working abroad, I am confident that a significant percentage of this population made some effort to learn the language of the country they planned to work in.

To me, it’s pretty simple: if you’re going to a foreign country for an extended period of time, learn the native language.

[weberlin]

Briansd1,

We have visas for students and workers that you are talking about. The people looking for an academic/work experience who don’t want to live in the US, were probably required to take English language courses in their native country.

My use of the term ‘immigrant’ was a specific reference to people who are trying to obtain citizenship. In the intro clip to the PBS documentary, there were two immigrant parents who argued for more English language instruction for their children. These parents realize that their kids’ command of the English language is directly related to their ability to succeed here.

Of the millions of Americans working abroad, I am confident that a significant percentage of this population made some effort to learn the language of the country they planned to work in.

To me, it’s pretty simple: if you’re going to a foreign country for an extended period of time, learn the native language.

[weberlin]

Briansd1,

We have visas for students and workers that you are talking about. The people looking for an academic/work experience who don’t want to live in the US, were probably required to take English language courses in their native country.

My use of the term ‘immigrant’ was a specific reference to people who are trying to obtain citizenship. In the intro clip to the PBS documentary, there were two immigrant parents who argued for more English language instruction for their children. These parents realize that their kids’ command of the English language is directly related to their ability to succeed here.

Of the millions of Americans working abroad, I am confident that a significant percentage of this population made some effort to learn the language of the country they planned to work in.

To me, it’s pretty simple: if you’re going to a foreign country for an extended period of time, learn the native language.

[weberlin]

Briansd1,

We have visas for students and workers that you are talking about. The people looking for an academic/work experience who don’t want to live in the US, were probably required to take English language courses in their native country.

My use of the term ‘immigrant’ was a specific reference to people who are trying to obtain citizenship. In the intro clip to the PBS documentary, there were two immigrant parents who argued for more English language instruction for their children. These parents realize that their kids’ command of the English language is directly related to their ability to succeed here.

Of the millions of Americans working abroad, I am confident that a significant percentage of this population made some effort to learn the language of the country they planned to work in.

To me, it’s pretty simple: if you’re going to a foreign country for an extended period of time, learn the native language.

[Anonymous]

Brian, your statements are pure opinions that multi-lingual people have a more open perspective.

In fact I disagree that it is about the language per se. You could argut that people who travel the world and meet people from various cultures chave a more open perspective. But, just speaking another language itself only benefits you if you happen to be travelling to a particular country that speaks that language.

Bigger picture, learing additonal languages here in U.S. is totally worthless if you don’t actually spend significant amount of time overseas actually using the language.

[Anonymous]

Brian, your statements are pure opinions that multi-lingual people have a more open perspective.

In fact I disagree that it is about the language per se. You could argut that people who travel the world and meet people from various cultures chave a more open perspective. But, just speaking another language itself only benefits you if you happen to be travelling to a particular country that speaks that language.

Bigger picture, learing additonal languages here in U.S. is totally worthless if you don’t actually spend significant amount of time overseas actually using the language.

[Anonymous]

Brian, your statements are pure opinions that multi-lingual people have a more open perspective.

In fact I disagree that it is about the language per se. You could argut that people who travel the world and meet people from various cultures chave a more open perspective. But, just speaking another language itself only benefits you if you happen to be travelling to a particular country that speaks that language.

Bigger picture, learing additonal languages here in U.S. is totally worthless if you don’t actually spend significant amount of time overseas actually using the language.

[Anonymous]

Brian, your statements are pure opinions that multi-lingual people have a more open perspective.

In fact I disagree that it is about the language per se. You could argut that people who travel the world and meet people from various cultures chave a more open perspective. But, just speaking another language itself only benefits you if you happen to be travelling to a particular country that speaks that language.

Bigger picture, learing additonal languages here in U.S. is totally worthless if you don’t actually spend significant amount of time overseas actually using the language.

[Anonymous]

Brian, your statements are pure opinions that multi-lingual people have a more open perspective.

In fact I disagree that it is about the language per se. You could argut that people who travel the world and meet people from various cultures chave a more open perspective. But, just speaking another language itself only benefits you if you happen to be travelling to a particular country that speaks that language.

Bigger picture, learing additonal languages here in U.S. is totally worthless if you don’t actually spend significant amount of time overseas actually using the language.

[Anonymous]

[quote=davelj]I could make the argument that it’s beneficial to a large segment of the population for a certain portion of the population NOT to be literate in English, as it largely relegates the latter to menial work that no one else wants to do.[/quote]

Well as Ted Knight famously said in Caddyshack: “The World needs ditch diggers too”

[Anonymous]

[quote=davelj]I could make the argument that it’s beneficial to a large segment of the population for a certain portion of the population NOT to be literate in English, as it largely relegates the latter to menial work that no one else wants to do.[/quote]

Well as Ted Knight famously said in Caddyshack: “The World needs ditch diggers too”

[Anonymous]

[quote=davelj]I could make the argument that it’s beneficial to a large segment of the population for a certain portion of the population NOT to be literate in English, as it largely relegates the latter to menial work that no one else wants to do.[/quote]

Well as Ted Knight famously said in Caddyshack: “The World needs ditch diggers too”

[Anonymous]

[quote=davelj]I could make the argument that it’s beneficial to a large segment of the population for a certain portion of the population NOT to be literate in English, as it largely relegates the latter to menial work that no one else wants to do.[/quote]

Well as Ted Knight famously said in Caddyshack: “The World needs ditch diggers too”

[Author]

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