Dallas police chief: Dozens of tickets issued for not speaking English

[lalala]

It happens everywhere, many low-skilled migrants are hardly literate in their own language, they don't think they have the capacity to learn

[AliceInWonderland]

all this racism& small-mindedness is so boring and beneath me

its also embarrassing to try and speak a 2nd language in a place where its the main one. thats what holds me back personally from being able to speak conversational spanish, embarrassment of how i sound whether its here in l.a., new york, puerto rico, spain or mexico. i dont even want to try, then when i do i shrivel up and just back away....

[msdeb]

Originally Posted by caramel

Well I live in Finland. If you ever come to have a holiday here and don't speak finnish I hope you get a ticket.

wow, you dont have to be such a shit. (um, caca)

[Novice]

Originally Posted by january

Exactly. When I moved overseas I learned the language within a span of two years...even though it was tough, I quickly grasped at least the basics so I could get around, get groceries, ask for help, etc. Nobody expects you to learn how to speak quantum physics and religious doctrine - but at least learn the basics, instead of having the expectation that everyone else will learn YOUR language so you don't have to be inconvenienced. I would never dream of not learning and hoping that other people would just bend over backwards to accommodate me - its so fucking rude and lazy. I have a Mexican friend who admits the same - she gets pissed when her mother, who has lived here for forty years, doesn't understand what is going on in a basic English conversation. She told me, "plain and simple, my mom is lazy and expects other people to do her shit for her, she never even tried." Tourists are totally and completely different. But when you live here, speak English. There is no excuse. I learned a language I had NEVER been exposed to prior to living there. You can learn a language that is very, very prevalent like English. It bugs the shit out of me, sorry - this is my pet peeve. And where I live there is a huge influx of Asians, and they ALL have managed to learn English while keeping their native tongue as well. Its called assimilation.

Jan - I LOVE your post. My Grandparents were immigrents to the UK and my Opa spoke:- Czech, Polish, German, a smattering of french and learnt english when he got here.
My Oma - who left school at around 12 (if that - she missed so much when she was younger) learnt english and then taught herself to read & write in english.

When I went to the Czech Republic recently I tried to learn at least learn Please Thank You & Hello - Yeah a lot of people speak english (more speak russian), but to me, its only polite. Any number of people expected me to speak czech since I'm part czech - so embarassing not to!
(Speaking another lauguage in post-war Britian was not done, so we all learnt our languages in school).

Anyhow.... my friend speaks Punjabi with her family & when I visit her its fairly easy to follow what is being said.The meaning is in the inflection, the gesticulation as much as the words.


We have a large muslim community where I grew up - there is this argument there, but my experience was that they speak english. Even my friend's Grandpa (Sikh not Muslim) who came to the UK very late in life could speak english... Didn't speak it much & always addressed me in Punjabi, but heck, he was my friend's Grandpa, it didn't matter to me.

[lalala]

Originally Posted by msdeb

wow, you dont have to be such a shit. (um, caca)

She was just giving you a taste of your own medecine

[MontanaMama]

If I understand the article, the entire ticket was dimissed because of this? Despite the fact that she DID commit an unlawful U-turn and she DID drive without a license?

[Kathie_Moffett]

^^Um, hardly, Lalala. As has been discussed, tourism and longterm residency are hardly the same thing.

Originally Posted by bellini

I've found that their is a huge amount of hostility from people who have learned the language for those who won't. I agree with you, it's kind of arrogant to refuse to learn the language.

I believe it's a prerequisite to speak Spanish here in California if you want to be a 911 operator.

No, it isn't. Not around here, anyway. Weird, eh?

Originally Posted by AliceInWonderland

all this racism& small-mindedness is so boring and beneath me

its also embarrassing to try and speak a 2nd language in a place where its the main one. thats what holds me back personally from being able to speak conversational spanish, embarrassment of how i sound whether its here in l.a., new york, puerto rico, spain or mexico. i dont even want to try, then when i do i shrivel up and just back away....

I try to push my way through that all the time. What helps is that most people are so flattered if you try and speak their language. The Spanish-speaking ladies at our local thrift store think it's cute as hell when I try to talk to them in Spanish. They're actually very supportive and it's great practice, although the fact that it encourages my thrifting addiction is not-so-good.

[caramel]

Originally Posted by msdeb

wow, you dont have to be such a shit. (um, caca)

I'm shit.

It is just that English speakers and mostly americans think they are the center of the world and everyone else should learn their language and then to them to learn something is so damn hard. But then again the education in US is shit so I understand a little. It is not like in Europe when you usually have to have awarness of other cultures.

[lalala]

Originally Posted by Kathie_Moffett

^^Um, hardly, Lalala. As has been discussed, tourism and longterm residency are hardly the same thing.

That distinction wasn't made by that particular poster, and those blanket statements are tediously assinine anyway, there are many situations where people aren't able to learn

[msdeb]

Originally Posted by caramel

It is just that English speakers and mostly americans think they are the center of the world and everyone else should learn their language and then to them to learn something is so damn hard. But then again the education in US is shit so I understand a little. It is not like in Europe when you usually have to have awarness of other cultures.

i live close to the Mexican/American border in CA. i see the issue of people NOT speaking English daily. When i was younger, all you needed was experience to apply for a job. now? you have to be Spanish bilingual. I"m 53, and know bits and pieces of Spanish, probably enough to get me a beer, or directions to the bathroom. i'm just lucky i dont have to look for work anymore, or i'd be screwed.

I'm tired of catering to people that dont speak the language. Sure, i get it, that its a business point for employees to speak spanish, but its still not fair.

[lalala]

Bilinguism is a basic requirement in border towns everywhere

[msdeb]

Originally Posted by lalala

Bilinguism is a basic requirement in border towns everywhere

yep it is now, but it wasnt always like that.

[lalala]

In most cases if they require bilingual workers it's not so much because immigrants don't speak english but on the contrary because there is an available bilingual workforce

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by caramel

I'm shit.

It is just that English speakers and mostly americans think they are the center of the world and everyone else should learn their language and then to them to learn something is so damn hard. But then again the education in US is shit so I understand a little. It is not like in Europe when you usually have to have awarness of other cultures.

You've just completely twisted what was going on in this thread. No one was saying that people should learn English because the U.S. is the center of the world. People were saying that if you move to America you should learn to speak the language. And the same would be true if an American moved to a non-English speaking country. The people in that country would expect the American to learn their language.

And your attempt to make Europe into some great cultural center of diversity in comparison to America is funny, considering that both countries have issues with racism and immigrants.

[C_is_for_Cookie]

I'm happy that I know enough English to be able to tell my doctor or dentist what's wrong with me.