[–] twentyfive 3 points -2 points 1 point (+1|-3) ago
to thier credit every school in US has spanish as a course, but youre not forced
[–] Reconn 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
True, but there's a huge difference between Latin and South Americans vs Arabs. Latin and South Americans have European history and European cultural values. The average Mexican household is almost indistinguishable from an American or Canadian one except for the language. That is not at all the case for Arabs and Central Asians.
Europe is importing migrants for the same reason the U.S. and Canada did-- it pushes wages down and profits up. But the difference between Mexicans and Arabs is night and day. Latin Americans and South Americans are lightyears ahead of Arabs culturally that theres no contest between the two if you had to pick one.
There's also a stark difference in how "integration" is handled in North America vs Europe. If I move pretty much anywhere in Europe, I will never "be" Norwegian or German or whatever. Because being one of those is a matter of heritage culturally. In North America its a matter of ideals for the most part. If you see a Filipino in the U.S./Canada and he speaks english/french, theres going to be almost no question at all that he's an American/Canadian.
American/Canadian cultural values are so overwhelming in North America, that within a generation the entire family is basically fully integrated doubly so for Mexican families since they share the cultural values already. If they're born here, its basically a given that any "old" country values that their immigrant parents have are thrown out the window. That's not something that's as prominent in Europe.
[–] twentyfive 1 point -1 points 0 points (+0|-1) ago (edited ago)
i disagree with pretty much everything you wrote
[–] Doomking_Grimlock ago
I can still kind of read Spanish, but speaking it is nearly impossible. I don't really remember the vocabulary or conjugation, but when I see the words I get a vague idea of their definition.
[–] Taka 0 points 31 points 31 points (+31|-0) ago
I remember when I moved to south Florida in second grade (from Indiana). They told me I had to take Spanish classes. They told me it was because there were so many Cuban immigrants to south Florida and it helps them integrate into our society if we know their language. I told them no. I wasn't going to learn Spanish. The Cubans should learn English instead. This is America, and our primary language is English, not Spanish, so I should not be required to learn it. If I wanted to learn it, as an elective or something, then that was another story, but I shouldn't be forced to take classes for a language that isn't my country's native language.
So when it came time for Spanish class, I would put my head down and ignore the teacher, out of personal protest. My main teacher (English, Math, etc) organized a parent-teacher meeting to try and get my mom to make me participate in Spanish class because I was getting zeroes in every lesson and failing the class (all my other grades were As and Bs). My mom tried to convince me, but I still refused to participate in Spanish class.
Eventually, it was decided that they would waive my need to participate in the class, citing cultural differences or some shit because I was raised in another state that didn't have any Spanish-speakers, and I got to sit in Spanish class for the rest of the school year and do nothing and still pass.
And I still hold the same belief - Immigrants should learn the primary language of a given country, not the other way around. I would give another country the same respect if it were me immigrating to their country - I'd learn their language instead of trying to force them to learn mine.
So when anyone asks me if I ever learned a single thing in Spanish class, I get to tell them "No."
[–] GoofyGrape 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
You tell them "No", which is Spanish for "No". See OP, you did learn something.
Anyhow, good for you for standing up for your beliefs, even through all of that.
[–] Taka ago
thatsthejoke.jpg
[–] eldorann 3 points 0 points 3 points (+3|-3) ago (edited ago)
Spanish is an easy language. Add on "O" to every word and you'll be passable.
Canadian French is easy. Be sure to add "Eh?" to the end of every sentence.
German is extra easy. Pronounce words with a deeper voice and add "-en" to every word. Be sure to end the sentence with "Ja?"
Russian? After one learns the alphabet (based on Greek not Latin alphabet) the process is the same. Pronounce the words with harsh consonents.
Etc. for all languages.
People will understand the general meaning of your words. Ask them to help you with the words you missed. That endears to you because you showed an interest.
This doesn't work for the African click-click language. As this is Voat, I doubt anyone wants to visit Nigger Homeland.
I'm going to hell for being so dismissive of other cultures and especially the last comment about a homeland. I'm not racist but enjoy being the KKK Grand Dragon while on the keyboard.
[–] Plant_Boy 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
German:
I see what you mean!
[–] drunk_at_10am 6 points -2 points 4 points (+4|-6) ago
Of course immigrants should learn the language of their host country. However, you accomplish nothing by refusing to learn their language especially when their is such a vast influx of immigrants.
If you learn their language, you are quite effectively the better person and ahead of your fellow citizens. You give immigrants the ability to integrate through cooperative speech. You can help to fill in the blanks in the language gap, prove that you care about their struggle.
When you refuse to understand anything about these people, you only enforce the idea that their culture and their very lively hoods are meaningless to people outside of their home country (especially in the cases of people seeking refuge), creating divisions between naturalized citizens and newcomers. This in turn creates negative feelings and perceptions, resulting in violent outbursts from either side. By learning their language you earn their respect and their trust setting the scene for a more peaceful assimilation on both sides.
I hope you don't think you're some champion of freedom by choosing to be ignorant, because you are not.
[–] poodog 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The only thing he should have learned to say in Spanish was "learn german, faggot."
[–] Somali 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago (edited ago)
Learning a language doesn't automatically better you. It takes thousands of hours which could be spent more productively. You effectively want the citizens of the most productive nation in the world to spend millions of man hours so they know how to say "please rape my daughters allahu akbar" in a desert nomad tongue
[–] [deleted] 0 points 15 points 15 points (+15|-0) ago (edited ago)
[–] epsilona01 ago
I would've taken German if it was available, it was what my parents took when they were in high school.
[–] Slyboots ago
See I took German in highschool because I thought the language was cooler than Spanish and I already did French in middle school. Everyone told me it was stupid because more people knew Spanish than German. Still dont regret it and now if I go to Germany I can pick up sexy German girls by impressing them with their own language.
[–] eldorann ago (edited ago)
Floridian Space-Coast here. The "Space Coast" is the mainland next to Kennedy Space Center NASA, hence "coast".
Who'da thunk it? French-Creole for Florida.
Oddly enough, I have never met a speaker of French-Creole in my 46 years of life, outside of my maternal grandfather who was born in the Bayou area of Louisiana.
The only French I might have to learn is when I move to Toronto. Probably not as only east Canada speaks French to any degree.
[–] Mr_YUP 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
That is most likely from the immigrants we had come over pre-world war 2 and we don't require German to be learned also because of WW2. There was a large German population on the east coast especially with the PA Dutch being one of them. When the war was going on there was a large push in the nation to stop everyone from speaking German because it was seen as a traitor language.