Wednesday, August 21, 2002
One-Way Language Learning
Page one of the Washington Post reports on how more Americans are learning Spanish ("Learning the New Language of Labor", August 20th). But are immigrants as eager to learn English? You decide:
Luis Ramirez, a Guatemalan immigrant behind the wheel of a garbage truck, said his conversations with English-speaking co-workers were mainly "Hola, como estás" -- hello, how are you. But he applauded their efforts. "If they learn a bit, we'll learn [English] too, and we'll communicate more," he said.
Is that how things work in Guatemala or are immigrants to that nation expected to learn Spanish, Guatemala's national language, even if Guatemalan natives never bother to learn a word of English?
It seems that immigrants to the United States today arrive more and more with a sense of linguistic entitlement. Policies like Clinton Executive Order 13166 and political correctness will ensure such attitudes flourish. Given that over 200 languages are spoken here, then what will we do?
|posted by Jim on 12:30 AM|
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