Press ONE for English? (Full Version)

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Press ONE for English?

  

Dennis -> Press ONE for English? (6/23/2007 10:59:01 AM)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0

  
Trayderjoe -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/23/2007 12:24:38 PM)

Bravo!      [sm=patriot.gif]

HummBob -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/23/2007 1:39:07 PM)

ABSOLUTELY!!!![sm=americanasmiley.gif]

I don't know if anyone has seen that Morgan Spurlock show "30 DAYS", but they did one episode of an American who lost his job to a tech/call center in India. The guy who lost his job went ther for 30 days to work. They have ENGLISH classes for the Indians so WE don't know we're not talking to someone LOCALLY....YEAH RIGHT!!! I'm NOT RACIST, but I FRIKEN hate having to call ANY TECH SUPPORT as I ALWAYS have some Indian who CANNOT SPEAK properly, and it's more FRUSTRATING talking to them then it is whatever problem I was calling for in the 1st place!![sm=headbang.gif][sm=rant.gif] [sm=icon_flaming.gif]

H34 pleasure -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/23/2007 4:57:01 PM)

WTG..BRAVO..[image]http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s153/BrindleBoxer315/ththUSA1.gif[/image]

ericstanley -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/24/2007 9:40:44 PM)



Although I agree that unity is better than diversity (in every sense of the idea) and just because I love being the voice of descent, here are some things to ponder:


1. This country has no official language. Look it up, I'm not kidding.
2. You're asking people to learn a new language when they come here - the supposed language of this land. Why didn't we ("we" = English settlers that are generally regarded as our Founding Fathers) learn a new language when we got here? We came from England to invade this land, and the people here before us weren't speaking English.
3. Most of the people to whom you are making this demand (Spanish speakers, for example) don't even read their own language, let alone ours.
4. If mastery of the English language is a big concern, let's focus first on illiterate English language speakers. Illiteracy is a bigger problem than the lack of a National Language.
5. Most, if not all, public education systems in this country have programs like ELD (English Language Development), ESL (English as a Second Language), ELL (English Language Learners) in secondary education environments (High Schools) to support to the students who do not speak English fluently. One could be lead to believe that these programs are designed to develop a student's English skills. Unfortunately, however, they mostly cater to the students unwillingness or inabilities.


So, why do we point the finger at the people coming here? We give them no reason to change. I know people that grew up here but speak Spanish as their primary language and would not pass English reading and comprehension tests given to 3rd graders. The Mayor of L.A.recently held a press conference where he didn't speak a single word of English. That's right folks, our own government officials support the widespread use of Spanish so vehimently they hold entire press conferences in Spanish.


This problem needs to be handled on a scale that is far and away bigger than some (excuse me, but) redneck, uneducated, back-woods bar skank and her boyfriend with his Wal-Mart guitar on YouTube.





Dennis -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 5:19:46 AM)

Fortunately Eric..your voice of decent is in the minority...Although I agree with you that our education system needs to be focused on bringing the literacy level up to par, while we enforce others to adopt our language of this land, which by the way, has been the main language since this country started officially since 1776....when the English colonist left the English oppression to settle and develop this land, the so-called Native people were in fact immigrants themselves (look it up). There was no one unified language and therefore, there was no unified country, sorta like how Europe still is today..Since this country's beginning, what other country can boast the crown of American like life style, that only has been in existence for a little over 200 years?...Like it or leave it, we speak English NOW in these United States!


Just because someone sings with a little country music twang with a down south country accent, makes them a back-woods bar skank?  WTF, are you on the big city crack habit too? !!!....Besides, I thought the bar skank was hot![8D]

Trayderjoe -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 5:53:56 AM)

quote:





ericstanley

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Although I agree that unity is better than diversity (in every sense of the idea) and just because I love being the voice of descent, here are some things to ponder:


1. This country has no official language. Look it up, I'm not kidding.
2. You're asking people to learn a new language when they come here - the supposed language of this land. Why didn't we ("we" = English settlers that are generally regarded as our Founding Fathers) learn a new language when we got here? We came from England to invade this land, and the people here before us weren't speaking English.
3. Most of the people to whom you are making this demand (Spanish speakers, for example) don't even read their own language, let alone ours.
4. If mastery of the English language is a big concern, let's focus first on illiterate English language speakers. Illiteracy is a bigger problem than the lack of a National Language.
5. Most, if not all, public education systems in this country have programs like ELD (English Language Development), ESL (English as a Second Language), ELL (English Language Learners) in secondary education environments (High Schools) to support to the students who do not speak English fluently. One could be lead to believe that these programs are designed to develop a student's English skills. Unfortunately, however, they mostly cater to the students unwillingness or inabilities.


So, why do we point the finger at the people coming here? We give them no reason to change. I know people that grew up here but speak Spanish as their primary language and would not pass English reading and comprehension tests given to 3rd graders. The Mayor of L.A.recently held a press conference where he didn't speak a single word of English. That's right folks, our own government officials support the widespread use of Spanish so vehimently they hold entire press conferences in Spanish.


This problem needs to be handled on a scale that is far and away bigger than some (excuse me, but) redneck, uneducated, back-woods bar skank and her boyfriend with his Wal-Mart guitar on YouTube.

Interesting post, but I don't believe that the video advocated people NOT utilizing their native language, nor did I hear it put down diversity.  In fact, I heard it encourage the influx of people and their cultures.

Let's play with history a little.  As to your point about the early settlers not speaking the Native American language, we could stop there,  but let me ask you, why would you choose that particular point in history to stop? How far back in time do you go?  And if we were to go back in time to the "first" language, would we not be moving towards less diversity?  Keeping up with history, when the immigrants were coming to this country, what language did they try to learn while seeking their citizenship?

Moving on to your points 3&4.  Point 3 is redundant to point 4.  The focus should be on addressing illiteracy regardles of a person's native language, and if they happen to reside in the US, why can't they learn English while becoming literate?  If they choose to also become literate in their native language, GREAT FOR THEM!

Your next to last paragraph is also interesting.  In point 5 above it you deride the school s

ZYNE -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 7:14:21 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: ericstanley

Although I agree that unity is better than diversity (in every sense of the idea) and just because I love being the voice of descent, here are some things to ponder:



My gawd, that is about the worst thing I've heard to date!!!!  So we should strip the diversity out from the equation and just start mass producing empty, like thinkin' shells so we're all the same!?  My gawd, wake up and take a recapp on that remark ... I saw some old news reels from the 1940's regarding this very thing but it was hard to understand because the narration was in GERMAN!

If ignorance was considered art you'd put any one of the great masters to shame with that remark!!!!!!! 

While I do agree with you regarding learning the language where you live the unity bit is a little too much eastern european for me if you get my drift.  I came over as an immigrant 10 years ago and have had ZERO issues adapting to living here.  That however does not mean I don't have my old traditions and all that good stuff too, yanno the stuff that makes up a part of that whole diversity thing .... unity ... HA!   If you are looking for unity and a common goal for all to work for, live in a kibutz, or if you need a bigger collective I'm sure there are daily flights to Moscow!!!  Here in the free world diversity is a given, because that's what we PRIDE ourselves in .. our FREEDOM!  Remove diversity and you remove the very freedoms we've come to expect as a part of daily life ... it may work for you but I'm one of those people who like to think for myself and make up my own mind, not have someone do it for me so I'll conform to the "collective" ....

</RANT>

Dennis -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 7:29:33 AM)

 

[image]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Atwater/canoworms.jpg[/image]

ZYNE -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 8:14:46 AM)

I don't think I opened that can Den ... I think I pretty much ripped it to pieces and shook all the worms out LOL!  Can't help it though ... that kind of crap just pi$$es me right the hell off .. just cuz someone ain't the same as you or speak the same language natively ... sheeeeesh ... learn the language lazy azzes but for the love of all that is holy leave the diversty crap out the equation ... it is not relevant to it!!!!! 

Dennis -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 8:45:14 AM)

I meant in retrospect to Post #5[:D]

HummerGuy -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 8:52:30 AM)

"English is the language of this land"

I find that ironic considering the Indians were the natives of our land until the British came to claim it for themselves [:D]

Dennis -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 8:54:40 AM)

Re-read my post above Mikey..I pretty much put that arguement to shame..

quote:

when the English colonist left the English oppression to settle and develop this land, the so-called Native people were in fact immigrants themselves (look it up). There was no one unified language and therefore, there was no unified country, sorta like how Europe still is today.. 

HummerGuy -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 9:09:37 AM)

I was just playing Devil's Advocate.   Ya know, when the British stole this land from the Indians, their plan was to create giant lakes of Tea and charge people to swim in it to prevent ageing.....................

Dennis -> RE: Press ONE for English? (6/25/2007 9:12:33 AM)

Ah, I see...you little devil[:D]

  

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