Spanish as U.S main language?

[Fatal Dawn]

Given that Spanish is the second most popular language in the U.S after English and that Spanish-speaking people are becoming the fastest growing demographic in the United States, Spanish is quickly becoming more and more popular in the U.S.Spanish, being one of the main languages in the world.



Given the circumstances, the chances of encountering a Spanish-speaking person is very high. The chances of working with a Spanish-speaking person on a daily basis is also very high. The chances of having a classroom full of Spanish-speaking students is entirely probable (not just ESL). People who work in the service industry are even more obligated to learn Spanish to communicate with clients.



Almost everything at the local level is translated into Spanish. In fact in some parts of the U.S many citizens don't speak English as their first language and some exclusively speak Spanish. Cops, for example, now have to be able to speak Spanish in order to communicate with Spanish-speaking persons who have been detained or need to be read their rights in their native tongue.



So with all these reasons do you personally think Spanish will overtake English as the unofficial, official language (per se). In the near future, should schools be required to teach Spanish as part of the curriculum?

 

[DrLeftover]

Whatever happened to Ebonic?



I thought that was supposed to be the 'next big thing' that way.

 

[El Churro]

I doubt it will become an official language, but, as it is already, will be implemented more and more into society. After a few generations the children of the native spanish-speaking Americans should only speak English and at the most be bilingual. Hell my great grandmother only speaks spanish and I can barely understand a single word.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

America should have no official language - neither Spanish nor English, nor anything else for that matter. English has just been for generations the predominant language. The thing is that English is a much more complex language to learn, believe it or not. American English being even a bastardization of British English.



Nowadays they tell you learning Spanish is not a matter of if it will be needed but when. Some schools including mine now require students to take at least a year of Spanish. I had a friend who was applying for a job and was turned down for someone who had the exact same qualifications - the only difference was my friend was not multilingual. I have my own experience as I was recently in the Miami area - the Miami area having a heavy Spanish population. You would see signs where the language was in Spanish with English subtitles. You could be asking directions from a person who doesn't know a lick of English.

 

[Jazzy]

This is backwards. Spanish people need to learn to speak English not the other way around.

 

[Crusader]

There are a lot of Polish people here in England, will we be speaking Polish in the future? No.

 

[Evil Eye]

This is backwards. Spanish people need to learn to speak English not the other way around.

This. Though I'm all for learning extra languages, it should be a choice. (Mostly because I suck at learning new languages

Not like I'm the only one, though.)

 

[Temerit]

I disagree with Fatal Dawn in that I think having a national language can be positive in that it promotes solidarity and encourages people to value their country and do what they can to make it a better place.



Spanish will not become the official language of the United States. It's just not going to happen and I don't see why anyone would be led to believe that it would. Languages will always coexist and the amount of people speaking foreign languages in America on the side and even primarily will almost certainly increase in the future. I personally however do believe that anyone coming here should do all they can to learn english, just as if I emigrated to China I would do all I could to learn Mandarin or if I emigrated to Sweden I would do all I could to learn Swedish.

 

[chrisg2010]

Considering how many Spanish-speaking people got here illegally, I feel absolutely NO obligation to learn to speak Spanish. This is America. Speak English!!!!!

I must agree with this, I will only learn English and refuse to learn spanish.

 

[Evil Eye]

You think if you move and live in a country like Japan, is easy to get around and do things if you don't know the country's langauage?

You'd get away with it (for the most part anyway) here as long as you speak English.

 

[Angel]

I don't speak Spanish... and have no desire to learn the language. If you want to talk to me... I speak English... period!

 

[Lucky!]

This topic pushes everyone of my buttons. I work at Sears and I am a MCA, which means I do cashering and merchdising. So I do it all pretty much. Well, it seems like everytime I am at the register, I get a Spansih speaking couple that I can't talk with to do the transaction because they can't understand what I am saying to them because they can't speak English. I am sorry, if you come into our country, YOU NEED to know how to not only speak English, but write in English also. That is one thing that the Gov't is failing at is making sure those who need to be legal here know how to communicate with the natives.

 

[nocturnal]

ITT ignorant statements



This is 'merica, speak English



How about you become more international and learn more languages. Also, English isn't even an official language in the US. It's a de facto national language used by the majority.



In the Netherlands, the official language is Dutch, but we don't go around telling the non-Dutch to learn Dutch just because it's our language. We learn other languages in school so we don't become ignorant douchebags, and not to mention be able to communicate better with other people, aka being international.

 

[Lucky!]

ITT ignorant statements



This is 'merica, speak English



How about you become more international and learn more languages. Also, English isn't even an official language in the US. It's a de facto national language used by the majority.



In the Netherlands, the official language is Dutch, but we don't go around telling the non-Dutch to learn Dutch just because it's our language. We learn other languages in school so we don't become ignorant douchebags, and not to mention be able to communicate better with other people, aka being international.

You have to look at the whole population however. If the majority is speaking English, or in your case Dutch, then others should learn the language that the majority speaks. It is easier to teach the minorities than the majorities. It's like if I go to Mexico for Spring Break this year, I will learn some Spanish that way I respect their culture and their lanuage and be able to tlak with them. When they come over the border, that our country, not theirs. The least they can do is learn OUR langauge. It's shear respect for ones nation.

Source: Facebook

Credit: Unknown

 

[Fatal Dawn]

Learning a new language is never easy. From experience though, Americans have the greatest hesitancy to learn other languages. In France, for example, the best scholars are rigorously tested in their competence in speaking and writing English. English is arguably the hardest language to learn, but abroad they still force themselves to learn it. Oftentimes, they care more about learning, speaking, and writing proper English than we do.





It's better if you can learn to speak some other language than what you grew up with, because times change. It's not to make it easier on them, but to make it easier on you. English is not our language (ask your British friends). America is a cultural melting pot and most of the people here are not natives but descendants of immigrants. More immigrants will eventually come and change the cultural landscape.



That is you cannot compare a country like the U.S to a country like China or Germany or Norway. There is no single, nationalistic identity that you can say is truly American. China's identity is Chinese and the language is the same. Germany's is German, France is French, etc. There are populations from everywhere in the world to make up the American culture.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

Well, some people just don't have the time nor don't want to learn another/new language...

We have all the resources and freedoms here so what's our excuse?

Making a whole country learn a new language to help the new-comers ain't the answer...

No language will be the official language in U.S. But you speak as if you are not willing to even try. How far do you think you can go only knowing English? It can't hurt to broaden your horizon.



Something you should know about language is that it is a living creature. It changes, it adapts, or it dies. The language you grew up speaking with may not be the same one over time.

 

[Cranos]

In the Netherlands, the official language is Dutch, but we don't go around telling the non-Dutch to learn Dutch just because it's our language.

Yes you do. While it's true Dutch people generally learn more languages than Americans in school, you still need to learn Dutch if you want to live in The Netherlands. There's no way immigrants can get a job and lead a decent life without learning the language. In fact, if immigrants don't learn the official language of a country that makes it impossible for them to integrate in society, it alienates them. That causes more poverty, more crime and evidently also more racism.



And on a side note, one of the major winners in the last election in The Netherlands was PVV which has a lot of racist views, especially anti-Islam. Don't tell me they don't mind immigrants that can't speak Dutch.