Obama wants all kids to speak Spanish!?

D

Dixie

Guest
mominsmc said:
This is what Obama thinks is the most important thing for our kids to learn? Be afraid be very afraid.





YouTube - Barack Obama: Your Children Should Learn To Speak Spanish
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I can't get youtube at work. What's he saying? What's making you afraid? What's wrong with kids learning a foreign language? Spanish is probably the second most spoken language in this country right now and from what my brother tells me (he teaches Spanish) one of the easier languages to learn. He has been able to get side jobs tutoring in Spanish, has assisted lawyers in translating etc. Please tell me - I don't know what's wrong with it and I want to be afraid too.
 
foodcritic

foodcritic

New Member
Dixie said:
I can't get youtube at work. What's he saying? What's making you afraid? What's wrong with kids learning a foreign language? Spanish is probably the second most spoken language in this country right now and from what my brother tells me (he teaches Spanish) one of the easier languages to learn. He has been able to get side jobs tutoring in Spanish, has assisted lawyers in translating etc. Please tell me - I don't know what's wrong with it and I want to be afraid too.
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He stated in the clip that instead of us worrying if immigrants can speak English we need to worry if our children can speak Spanish. He was saying that he doesn't agree with all the commotion about people talking about English only. If you go to live in any foreign country you need to learn the language. I know because my sister lives in Italy. She had to learn the language or she could not survive. They don't cater to other languages. Sure if you go to a big tourist area they speak what "English". They all want to learn English. When I went to visit her people were speaking Italian and English. I didn't here to much spanish. And that is exactly what he said and then he went on to talking about kids being bilingual. Which is fine. My kids are going to learn Italian but I certainly don't want my president telling me they have to or should to be able to survive in AMERICA. The founding fathers spoke English. We were not founded on a foreign language.
 
This_person

This_person

Well-Known Member
Dixie said:
I can't get youtube at work. What's he saying? What's making you afraid? What's wrong with kids learning a foreign language? Spanish is probably the second most spoken language in this country right now and from what my brother tells me (he teaches Spanish) one of the easier languages to learn. He has been able to get side jobs tutoring in Spanish, has assisted lawyers in translating etc. Please tell me - I don't know what's wrong with it and I want to be afraid too.
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It's in the context. He's speaking in terms of English as a national language (something he scoffed at in this video), and for immigrants learning English. "Don't worry about the immigrants learning English - they'll learn it. You should be more interested in teaching YOUR child Spanish." He says he's embarrassed for America when Europeans come here and speak both English and their native tongue (or others), and we go there and all we can say is "merci".

Personally, I'm not afraid to speak a second language, nor have my kids learn (they take second languages in school). I see nothing to fear but the potential that this man could get elected with his principles. He thinks it's more important that we conform to other people's ways within our own country than that we have a standard within our country that makes sense for us. He feels it's more important to point out what some Europeans can do than to consider what is actually right for most Americans. He states his concern is Americans' inability to speak foreign languages much more than establishing standards for what immigrants need to do while here.

Again, it's a personal choice thing. The worry isn't speaking Spanish. The worry is the mindset, the context in which he makes this comment.
 
Xaquin44

Xaquin44

New Member
mominsmc said:
We were not founded on a foreign language.
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Even though I really don't care about this debate (as I personally think everyone entering a country where the majority speak one language should learn that language), this is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever read.

Nothing has ever been 'founded on a foreign language' as that makes no sense. It's not like all of a sudden early settlers (of anywhere) spontaneously start speaking in a brand new language.

However, to all the natives we killed, we had a foreign language .... so I guess that statement could be false in a number of ways.
 
cwo_ghwebb

cwo_ghwebb

No Use for Donk Twits
Studying a second language is a requirement to graduate in Charles County.

Obama is not a smooth speaker at all without a teleprompter. His off-the-cuff remarks make him sound worse than Bush, if that's possible.

His remark about immigrants learning English is factually incorrect. They DON'T all learn English. Guess Obama has never picked up the phone and gotten 'Press one for English' or hit an ATM lately.

His comment putting down Americans for not knowing French or German is elitist (again). Sorry Obama, but Europeans NEED to learn more than one language. When you live on a continent just a hair bigger than the U.S. with about as many countries as we have states (I think just a few less), you have to learn quite a few languages just to get around. In Chicago you only have to learn English and Ebonics to get around. In Hawaii, English and Pidgin. That's their problem, not ours. I'm tired of being labeled a dope by this elitist idiot of a candidate.

You think if he wants to criticize our population, he'd nail the education system for teaching fuzzy math and science. Our students rank far lower than other countries in those subjects. Science and math will serve a person far better than learning how to order off a menu in French or German.

BTW, I do speak three languages and studied a fourth. Latin is a dead language and the other two, besides English, aren't European. Next thing you know, Obama will mandate we all learn Chinese as that's the language spoken by the most folks.
 
chernmax

chernmax

NOT Politically Correct!!
Sh!t I've traveled to so many countries while in the Navy that no way I could have learned that many languages, actually if it wasn't for English about 2/3rds of those countries would not be able to communicate with other nations. The countries that didn't understand English spoke MONEY!!! :coffee:
 
D

Dixie

Guest
mominsmc said:
He stated in the clip that instead of us worrying if immigrants can speak English we need to worry if our children can speak Spanish. He was saying that he doesn't agree with all the commotion about people talking about English only. If you go to live in any foreign country you need to learn the language. I know because my sister lives in Italy. She had to learn the language or she could not survive. They don't cater to other languages. Sure if you go to a big tourist area they speak what "English". They all want to learn English. When I went to visit her people were speaking Italian and English. I didn't here to much spanish. And that is exactly what he said and then he went on to talking about kids being bilingual. Which is fine. My kids are going to learn Italian but I certainly don't want my president telling me they have to or should to be able to survive in AMERICA. The founding fathers spoke English. We were not founded on a foreign language.
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OMG NOW I am frightened!

Our founding fathers may have spoken English but the people who helped settle and build this country came from all over God's creation. The person credited with finding this country was Italian - doubt seriously if English was his first language. The Spanish that settled in Florida probably had Spanish as a first language. The people who built the railroad were more than likely Irish, Swedish, Scottish and probably not English speaking. Who have I forgotten? The point is that we are a very diverse country found by very diverse people. Spanish is the second most common language spoken in America - I see absolutely nothing wrong with learning it.
 
foodcritic

foodcritic

New Member
Xaquin44 said:
Even though I really don't care about this debate (as I personally think everyone entering a country where the majority speak one language should learn that language), this is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever read.

Nothing has ever been 'founded on a foreign language' as that makes no sense. It's not like all of a sudden early settlers (of anywhere) spontaneously start speaking in a brand new language.

However, to all the natives we killed, we had a foreign language .... so I guess that statement could be false in a number of ways.
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I am so sorry I did not explain this thought clearly enough. Then again why bother because you already think it is the dumbest thing you have ever read.
My point was the people who came here and established this wonderful nation spoke English not Spanish. Our Constitution was written in English not some other foreign laguage. Immigrants who came here in the 1800's learned to speak English because they wanted to become Americans. But then again you don't really care about this debate - just enough to bash someone instead of asking them to explain more clearly.
 
foodcritic

foodcritic

New Member
Dixie said:
OMG NOW I am frightened!

Our founding fathers may have spoken English but the people who helped settle and build this country came from all over God's creation. The person credited with finding this country was Italian - doubt seriously if English was his first language. The Spanish that settled in Florida probably had Spanish as a first language. The people who built the railroad were more than likely Irish, Swedish, Scottish and probably not English speaking. Who have I forgotten? The point is that we are a very diverse country found by very diverse people. Spanish is the second most common language spoken in America - I see absolutely nothing wrong with learning it.
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Do you speak Spanish fluently?
 
outlawrc

outlawrc

Member
Dixie said:
OMG NOW I am frightened!

Our founding fathers may have spoken English but the people who helped settle and build this country came from all over God's creation. The person credited with finding this country was Italian - doubt seriously if English was his first language. The Spanish that settled in Florida probably had Spanish as a first language. The people who built the railroad were more than likely Irish, Swedish, Scottish and probably not English speaking. Who have I forgotten? The point is that we are a very diverse country found by very diverse people. Spanish is the second most common language spoken in America - I see absolutely nothing wrong with learning it.
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I thought the railroads were built by Chinese imigrants??:confused:
 
D

Dixie

Guest
outlawrc said:
I thought the railroads were built by Chinese imigrants??:confused:
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That's right they pitched in bunches I had forgotten (wasn't that on Bonanza?). (Are you old enough to remember Bonanza) I was taught in (Ancient) American History that everyone from all walks of life helped build the railroads AND this country.
 
D

Dixie

Guest
josieandmatt said:
I do not agree with this at all. Why should we teach our kids spanish? That means we as in adults will have to learn it. I don't have time to learn it and have better things to do!
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Why do you have to learn it?
 
SamSpade

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
I could give a crap if my children or I know a second language. There is very little likelihood I will need it unless I briefly travel abroad. I won't need it for my work and I won't need it to function in my community. I'll need a foreign language about as much as I'll need to play a woodwind instrument or dance ballet.

There's a reason why people in other nations know other languages - you can barely drive three hours in any direction before you're surrounded by people speaking another language. When I was in Russia, the signs in the towns near the Estonian and Latvian border were in two languages - oddly enough, Russian and English. It wasn't a policy driven by cultural awareness - it was expediency. When you live in a region heavily travelled by foreigners, it's good commerce to be able to TALK to them.

If everyone in Europe spoke English - or French - or Latin - there wouldn't be a serious need to learn anything else. By and large, huge portions of the world's population speak just the language they grew up with. It's not an indictment on their culture - they just don't need it.
 
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