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Learn english first

What about employers who won't hire people who don't know Spanish. Being bilingual is basically a necessity for some areas of business.
 
joko104 said:
What about employers who won't hire people who don't know Spanish. Being bilingual is basically a necessity for some areas of business.
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If that is a requirement for the job, then they should know it.

If I worked with an Import-Export business that did a lot of business in Russia, it would probably be a good idea to know Russian. If I worked for a French press outlet in the US, then it would probably be a good idea to know French.

Just like if you work for a company in Quebec and do a lot of business in the US, you had better know English.

The Company I work for has many technicians in Quebec and other areas of Canada. Since myself and the rest of the tech staff operates in English, those field techs must show English proficiency as part of their interview process.
 
specklebang said:
I do believe that English is the language of our nation and it annoys me that my neighbors, who are good folks, speak Spanish to their little kids.

Also, being bi-lingual adds value to the employee because, well, so many people come here and don't bother learning English and we have accommodated this to the point of absurdity. Now in some jobs, I suppose it doesn't matter but I would not likely hire a non-english speaking employee. But all it takes is one good amnesty and Spanish will become our primary language. I suppose this is continent appropriate but I still dread the day.

For English press 4.
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but they have the right to speak their mother language at home and teach it to their kids
 
Linguistic imperialism is a terrible idea. By the 2nd generation most immigrant groups have willingly incorporated themselves into the English world without the need for social intervention. The Polish, Germans and Chinese immigration waves in the early 20th century are proof of this. "Requiring" people to learn a language for any reason is incredibly naive as it doesn't take into account the very human need to hold on to cultural traits and values that can only be passed down through language. That said, languages should be treated with a free market spirit. A person who speaks 2-3 languages should be more valuable than a monoglot. As that already is the case, I see no reason for any further intervention.
 
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I think employees should communicate in a language that all can understand otherwise it will hinder work. Which language that should be is usually determined by the predominant culture.

If the majority speaks English there would be no point in the majority learning the language of the minority. Hence the minority should learn the language of the majority and this should be a pre-condition to jobs and other services.

Bilingualism could be an alternative solution. But then both the majority and the minority should choose to be bilinguals.
 
Yeah, absolutely. There are a ton of jobs where speaking English is a necessary part of your duties.
 
Phil_Osophy said:
The napalian speaks english well enough to talk politics with me
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Really? I'm a native speaker of English and I've no idea what you're talking about. What's napalian or samolian? If you mean Nepali or Somali you should say so. Those are English words; learn them.
 
specklebang said:
I certainly hope you are right. I don't know much about children. No doubt I was a child once but still....
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My brother is married to a Valencian. Their 3-year-old twins speak Spanish at home with Mum, English to Daddy and at playgroup. When they are with both parents they speak their own mixture of the two. Kids are amazing!
 
phil_osophy said:
yes. She is actually. There are others who speak spanish and others who speak napalian. But the others are able to communicate fairly well in english.
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where is Napalian spoken?

I have never heard of this language.

Maybe you could fill us in.
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specklebang said:
I do believe that English is the language of our nation and it annoys me that my neighbors, who are good folks, speak Spanish to their little kids.
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Also, being bi-lingual adds value to the employee because, well, so many people come here and don't bother learning English and we have accommodated this to the point of absurdity. Now in some jobs, I suppose it doesn't matter but I would not likely hire a non-english speaking employee. But all it takes is one good amnesty and Spanish will become our primary language. I suppose this is continent appropriate but I still dread the day.

For English press 4.
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If it bothers you that much why don't you talk to them about it?

I'm sure that they will be glad to discuss this with you.
 
Phil_Osophy said:
Yes. She is actually. There are others who speak spanish and others who speak napalian. But the others are able to communicate fairly well in english.
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Now we are making progress, maybe if some of the other workers understand this person they could translate for her.
 
my business is international in nature, so i do require some position to speak the language of the people they deal with( primarily South American countries)... and they must speak English as well.

for the employees that do not interact with foreign clientele, I require literacy in English.
for my foreign employees, I only require English literacy in management and customer service.. the other are free to speak the local language.

no habla ingles', no trabajo...Esa es la regla
 
Y si usted no trabaja, no come! And it's a reasonable rule that reduces liability.
 
Hatuey said:
A person who speaks 2-3 languages should be more valuable than a monoglot.
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Why must they be more valuable? I see no reason for that to be the case, only that they can be more valuable, depending on the other language.

Latin is not of much use, unless you need to talk to priests as part of your employment. And if you live and work in rural Alabama, guess how much use knowing Hebrew would be?

An additional language is only as valuable as the need for the language is. It is not valuable in and of itself.
 
Oozlefinch said:
Why must they be more valuable?
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For the same reason programmers who know C++, HTML5 and Python are more valuable than people who know how to use GeoCities.

Latin is not of much use
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Today. 1800 years ago, speaking Latin was a necessity. Speaking 1-2 languages in addition to Latin made you a valuable resource in commerce.

Hebrew in Alabama
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Depends, it seems as if Hebrews are indeed flocking to rural Alabama:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/u...-congregants-stretches-out-its-hand.html?_r=0

The redbrick synagogue now has religion classes full of children, and a temple bowling team is starting. Six new Jewish families with 18 people who used to live in Florida, New York and elsewhere now call Dothan their home. Their arrival helped double the size of worship services, and more families are applying for the assistance.

The businessman, Larry Blumberg, smiles when he talks about what has grown in the few years since he had the idea to pay moving expenses for families relocating to the area.

“The injection of this new blood has really been helpful and refreshing,” Mr. Blumberg said. “I think the program has created a lot of buzz and attention both in our local community and throughout the Jewish community at large.”


Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, who moved to Alabama from Connecticut to lead the reform Temple Emanu-El about a year before the program began, thinks Mr. Blumberg’s strategy could become a blueprint for other small-town Jewish congregations fighting to stay alive.
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However, why go to such an extreme case like Hebrew? Why not pick Spanish? Well.... because then the extreme examples would make no sense. In Alabama (or for that matter any state) today, it makes sense that a person who speaks Spanish and English would be move valuable to a company than someone who speaks only English. The country in general has RADICALLY changed - and whether legal or illegal immigration is to blame, there are still millions of hispanics in the country. So in about 15-20 years, learning Spanish will be a necessity for many looking to get hired.
 
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nota bene said:
Sounds as if taking a course in conversational or workplace Spanish will be very helpful to you.
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And , from a Conservative...
I disagree, in the USA, the people should speak English and it should be , for most, a condition of employment.
And , from a Progressive...
 
In a work place where the majority speaks english, you should be able to speak english.
 
Andalublue said:
Really? I'm a native speaker of English and I've no idea what you're talking about. What's napalian or samolian? If you mean Nepali or Somali you should say so. Those are English words; learn them.
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So i mispelled the names of foreign countries. Im sure you can spell the name of every country on earth
 
Gipper said:
A private employer should be able to deny employment for any damn reason he or she wants.

This is just another.
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Lets be reasonable...
I disagree...."any damn reason" is going too far...
 
Hatuey said:
For the same reason programmers who know C++, HTML5 and Python are more valuable than people who know how to use GeoCities.
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But only if the language is valuable.

Guess what? I happen to no Pascal, COBOL 1974 and FORTRAN 77.

Guess how valuable those skills are?

Hatuey said:
Depends, it seems as if Hebrews are indeed flocking to rural Alabama:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/u...-congregants-stretches-out-its-hand.html?_r=0

However, why go to such an extreme case like Hebrew? Why not pick Spanish? Well.... because then the extreme examples would make no sense. In Alabama (or for that matter any state) today, it makes sense that a person who speaks Spanish and English would be move valuable to a company than someone who speaks only English. The country in general has RADICALLY changed - and whether legal or illegal immigration is to blame, there are still millions of hispanics in the country. So in about 15-20 years, learning Spanish will be a necessity for many looking to get hired.
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And do you want to know why I said "rural Alabama"? I actually lived in Dothan for 5 years. But Dothan had a synagogue (actually well known in the area), and it is not really "rural". I was actually thinking more like Cowarts, Headland and Slocomb.

And knowing Hebrew is still pretty worthless there. I can't exactly see Dothan becoming the "New Fairfax District".

Oh, and no, knowing Spanish will not be a necessity.

My wife is Hispanic, and she conducts all her affairs in English when possible.

My son is Hispanic, and he knows about as much Spanish as I do (mostly for swearing, asking for another beer, and asking where the bathroom is). Most 3-4th Generation know little of their heritage languages, and this is accelerated when their predecessors are of mixed marriages.

In fact, my son does not even think of himself as "Hispanic", even though he is aware his mom is from South America, and her name is not one commonly found in the US outside of a bar.
 
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Oozlefinch said:
But only if the language is valuable.

Guess what? I happen to no Pascal, COBOL 1974 and FORTRAN 77.

Guess how valuable those skills are?
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Depends, what year are we in? Were they valuable in the 70s? If yes, then my comment stands. Historically and currently, more languages means more value.

And do you want to know why I said "rural Alabama"? I actually lived in Dothan for 5 years. But Dothan had a synagogue (actually well known in the area), and it is not really "rural". I was actually thinking more like Cowarts, Headland and Slocomb.

And knowing Hebrew is still pretty worthless there. I can't exactly see Dothan becoming the "New Fairfax District".
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The point is simple. Alabama does not live in a vacuum of its own. I'm sure even in "rural Alabama" you get products that can only be purchased, traded, or produced with the help of people who speak multiple languages. Actually, I can't think of a single thing in my household which could be produced, sold or purchased without there being a middleman who speaks multiple languages thus making the process simpler. The problem with globalization is that not everyone speaks the same language. So people who speak multiple languages (like myself) become a hot commodity. I honestly believe that in the future, there won't be a household where multiple languages aren't spoken. In my household alone we speak 4 different languages at any given time. Not out of necessity but simple pleasure. Once the rest of society in general transcends the fear of "losing" something culturally because of an added language, and sees value in them, knowing additional languages will be as common as eating a sandwich.

My wife is Hispanic, and she conducts all her affairs in English when possible.

My son is Hispanic, and he knows about as much Spanish as I do (mostly for swearing, asking for another beer, and asking where the bathroom is). Most 3-4th Generation know little of their heritage languages, and this is accelerated when their predecessors are of mixed marriages.

In fact, my son does not even think of himself as "Hispanic", even though he is aware his mom is from South America, and her name is not one commonly found in the US outside of a bar.
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That's excellent. Your wife has chosen to fully assimilate herself and her family into 1 language. All without the need for intervention. In the future, when most of society speaks multiple languages, your son will see a need to learn a second language. I doubt it will be Spanish but there are quite a few contenders for what it will: Cantonese, Mandarin, Dutch, German. All are incredibly valuable languages to know if he wants to work as an engineer, executive, lawyer in a world outside of the US. If he decides to stay in "rural Alabama", he can be happy with only having learned English. Again, there is absolutely no need for social intervention in this matter.
 
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I believe every human on the planet should speak the same language ... but thats just me.

Of course, multiple languahes are valuable in todays times. Im not denying that. But i dont think that people who cant understand english well enough to effectively communicate should be in a workplace with a mostly english speaking workforce. Its dangerous and it makes things harder for everyone else.

The way i see it, you are in our country. You should learn our language
 
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