The legal way to do things. Enter your neighbor’s country, legally.

Then learn their language, which here, happens to be English.

Suzie, in Ohio

Of course not. You’re making more specific when we already agreed that the general is good. Of course every specific item within the general is good. Its always good to know more languages.

There is nothing positive about being unable to speak and write English in America, where English is the standard language. There is nothing positive about being unable to speak and write Spanish in Mexico, where Spanish is the standard language. There is nothing positive about being unable to speak and write German in Germany, where German is the standard language. There is……

That goes for just about any language.

Anom, if I failed to make myself clear, I apologize. Nothing whatever is wrong with anyone speaking as many languages as possible; quite the contrary. Maintaining fluency in one’s original tongue can be a wonderful thing, and I see no problem there whatever.

The problem revolves around those who come to this country and refuse to learn the prevailing language as well as their native language. This refusal costs taxpayers a fortune, causes untold problems in education, and prevents the newcomers from becoming fully-functioning members of this society. There is nothing positive about being unable to speak and write English.

So let me get this straight. Someone came into the capital building and admitted he was in this country illegally and nobody arrested him? The Capital Police weren’t called to hold him while the INS was contacted? Was nobody actually doing their job?…

I have traveled as a tourist to various countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Central America. While in these countries, I made an effort to speak a little of the local language with the people who lived there. But I spoke English with the people I traveled with.

Obviously, permanent residents need a higher level of local language ability than I had as a mere tourist. And most of them have it! But that doesn’t oblige them to use English when speaking among themselves.

If you had the opportunity take your family to Spain for a year, very likely you would speak English with them at least part of the time.

So please don’t disparage others for speaking their language among themselves in your country.

(I agree completely with you and others who emphasize the importance of immigrants learning English. My point is that we should not infer inability to speak English from the mere fact that we hear them speaking something else. We should also not infer immigration status or citizenship status from hearing them speak a foreign language.)

I don’t think its as vague as it is codified, no.

And what about respect for the host country, its citizens, its prevailing language and its culture?

The “principle of free expression” is a vague liberal feel-good term and can be taken to extremes. This is one of those cases.

I think the principle of free expression counsels against regulating language in this way.

I’d rather talk about the emotional effects on our kids who must endure the bilingual beast. I’d rather talk about the emotional effects on our kids who must endure the bilingual beast.

One-language students must listen to foreign gibberish, the equivalent of Charlie Brown’s teacher, half of the day, while the other half of class receives their version of the same instructions. This equates to a 100% reduction in classroom efficiency. One-language students must listen to foreign gibberish, the equivalent of Charlie Brown’s teacher, half of the day, while the other half of class received their version of the same instructions. This equates to a 100% reduction in classroom efficiency

Worst of all, can you imagine how annoying it must be for those students, lucky enough to know both English and Spanish, to have to listen to instructions twice? Worst of all, can you imagine how annoying it must be for those students, lucky enough to know both English and Spanish, to have to listen to instructions twice?

You can now!

Citizenship requires effort, for all of us. Why should newcomers be any different? As for legal resident aliens, they owe this country a big debt of gratitude for the opportunities offered, and learning the language should be the most basic part of their obligations.

Thank you for your reply. My previous comment was not intended to be sarcastic or condescending, and I’m sorry if it sounded that way.

The fact that someone does not appear to be Black, White, or Asian (and therefore, by implication, appears to be Hispanic), and also speaks in public a language other than English, and also approach vans when it appears that work opportunities might be available, does not prove that this individual is a non-citizen, or if this person is a non-citizen, that there is a lack of a visa permitting this person to work.

(I deliberately omitted the word “Muslim” from your list of races because a Muslim is a member of a religion, not a member of a race. There are Muslims and non-Muslims among all of the world’s major races of humanity.)

I once had a Chinese landlord whose wife spoke only a few words of English. I believe she was an American citizen, but if not, she was a permanent legal resident. Not speaking English in your presence does not prove inability to speak English. Inability to speak English does not prove non-citizenship. Non-citizen is not the same as illegal alien.

Respectfully,

I hope they violate our culinary norms. I live right a by a plethora of yummy ethiopian restaurants.