I don't have a problem with multiple languages in the US however knowing English will lead to more economic opportunities.

breaking.

So sure, they've got the time and stamina to sit through a one hour class 3 nights a week, fit in lab, and do homework.

And this says nothing about the opportunity to practice language skills… Who are they going to converse with? The foreman and all their co-workers speak Spanish, as does their family.

It is a ridiculous burden and reveals Hillary's white privilege.

My husband's family immigrated from Poland. Not one of the adults learned how to speak English and his mom did not learn until she went to school. But with her parents and her aunties and uncles? It was all Polish all the time because none of them learned English. And they had a thriving community, economically, politically, and personally in Schenectady, NY.

Last edited Tue Mar 22, 2016, 10:03 AM - Edit history (1)

Went there for a few weeks on a trip for work. Absolutely beautiful country and culture. Out of respect for both however I insist on learning German fluently before I do so. Even though most of them know passable English, it would make it easier for me to assimilate if I spoke the native tongue. I would have absolutely no issue with any country deciding that an immigrant needs to learn the local language before entering.

My husband's mom's family came here as WW II refugees. They did not have the luxury of learning the language before they came here.

I'd imagine some of the one's coming here are in the same boat.

FYI, I do agree with you tho. Germany is a beautiful country.

and in order to work in Germany you must know the language.

I actually speak the language and visit from time to time. But go to some of the Turkish sections and you won't hear a link of German.

generally people default to their own language, no different than here say in Brownsville, Texas

I lived there as I was married to a German.
You'll have to enroll in Volkschule and learn the language and you can't work before you do.
Duolingo is your friend. https://www.duolingo.com/ It's also free.

The largest percentage of immigrants are white so race has nothing to do with her opinion whether you agree with it or not..

Sanders' immigration reform plan is vastly better than what Clinton supports. She even favors fining people for having illegally crossed a border. Punishing people for doing what any decent person who needs to feed their family would do is wrong.

And as for the immigration reform package that she voted for in 2007, it would have allowed families to be torn apart by deportations, and it would have meant semi-slavery for more guest workers. I can understand tolerating those really bad features for the sake of a path--any path--to citizenship. But I can certainly also understand voting against it as Sanders did.

so that their child can take care of them, what's the point of them learning English? Why do they "have" to?

Just surrender, Winston, and say "I love Big Brother."

En ingles, por favor.

You won't believe how much easier that will make things for you, even in your own heart and mind.

She would no doubt get the difference there.

There's no context to that statement. And no ground to prove mean old Hillary wants old immigrants to learn English or get kicked out.

interests, too. Exercising at least a half hour per day. Cutting down on salt and sweets. No smoking (goes without saying). How many times a week would you say would be optimal for sex?

If Bush had done this, would DU have been that sanguine about it?

You know that, until this, only the right was pushing for English only, right?

The amount of things DU's supporter of Hillary can blithely rationalize away as soon as Hillary's name attaches to it is beginning to pass from mock-worthy amusing to slightly scary. This thread may be the tipping point.

The more one knows, the better.

But not so much about the "must learn" part that HRC says. The USA is a melting pot, our demographics
have changed very much over the years, much more in the last 20-30 years.
I would like to speak the Crow language, as I am one eighth Crow, but I don't know it.
English, a language that I love (I was an English major before I dropped out, and my mother
taught English for 40 plus years), is not the only way to communicate.

another All Lives Matter moment

Thank you for the reminder.

I'm confused.

Americans born here should learn another language.

Knowledge is power.

which is easy to learn in pre-school, kindergarten and early education.

It should all be co-ordinated...be it Spanish or Mandarin. From pre school through high school

Studies show that's the best time to learn a new language instead of waiting until high school or college. I'd love to learn Japanese, but I'm not sure I can now.

I'm teaching my kids Japanese and German.

in the 30's or 40's

I am sure each immigrant WANTED to learn English...but the opportunity was limited...do we now have FREE school for others to learn English?

I have taught ESL for Literacy Volunteers of America since I retired. The students range from doctors snd engineers who needed to pass licensing exams to housewives who wanted to be able to help their children with
schoolwork to day laborers. The clases are free.

English is the most commonly spoken language in America, and knowing it will open more job opportunities and help them out.

I think the second language in the USA should be Spanish

It is the second most spoken language spoken in the US, followed by...can you guess? Chinese!

And of course the OP provides zero evidence for the claims.

Someone who grew up learning several languages might be able to do it, but if you take the average adult who only speaks their native language and expect any level of fluency to emerge you're going to be disappointed most of the time. They can learn to communicate with a vocal of about 800 words, but fluency such as is required to really enter the english language workforce is a tall order.

"...speak American."

and I'm not a Hillary supporter. Lacking English in the U.S. sets people up to be taken advantage of, to miss job opportunities, to not be able to help your children with their homework, and a whole lot of other negative things.

"They have to learn English". I take that as "they really have to learn English to get along in the U.S."

I don't support any sort of test or requirement, I just believe that anyone who does not learn English is handicapped in dealing with American culture and life.

but could potentially get a path to citizenship.

I think it's only fair. It took over 10 years for my mom's family of 7 to all get into the United States legally. Are you suggesting that there should be no rules whatsoever when it comes to people who came in illegally? Have you ever heard of limited resources?

I don't see how you enforce people having to learn a language.

For that matter I don't really care if people don't speak English. People should be able to speak whatever language they want.

If you come illegally, yeah, learning the language is potentially a small price to pay to become legal and enjoy all the benefits that come with U.S. citizenship.

Don't like it, don't come here illegally. Get in line and wait your turn, like my family did. No forced English required in that scenario. It's quite simple.

Lots of undocumented folks overstayed their visas.

But you don't seem as concerned about them.

The OP didn't provide any context. You have no idea what I'm concerned about, nice try though.

She wasn't making any exceptions

Not hurt.

We had a number of Turkish people coming into an area nearby. As a result we have two marvelous Turkish restaurants near us. They have great food. Beautifully arranged, nutritious and marvelous tasting. I used to get their great soups as a takeout...

thing. Looky there! Hillary IS bringing the 2 parties together. I'm just not too sure if we are really ready for the rest of the right wing ideas she's gonna drag in the door.

LOL! I prefer reply 89!

"Shoulding on people is not nice."

We're divided about 70% English and 30% French speaking people. It's fun, we learn from each other and it makes conversation interesting. I don't believe people who've spoken another language all their life should be forced to speak another language. If they choose to learn English to make life easier for themselves, that's great. If not, I'm sure they will have help from those who do.

I totally agree people shouldn't be forced to learn a language. Especially older people who might find it really hard.

listening to the French people and trying to figure out what they were saying. French was a mandatory class in elementary school, but I learned so much more down at the rink! Plus, two (twins) of my best friends were French and rarely spoke English when they moved from the convent to our school, so it was always funny when we misunderstood each other. I absolutely loved staying at their house - 15 kids plus parents who spoke nothing but French.

Not quite the same as contemporary French-French, French friends tell me. Canada sounds very cool.

I have only travelled across the Atlantic once, to visit Cuba. Must go again... Something pending. And I want to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. And Canada. As regards the USA, the Cascadian (Salish) region seems most attractive.

I was taught some French in my (free, state-run) English grammar school in the '60s. When I first went to France I found that wasn't much use in the real world. Learned some more with French girlfriends, more time in France. When I came to Spain (and Catalonia) I had no Spanish, nor Catalan, but a basic grasp of French grammar helped me learn Castillian Spanish (and a smattering of Catalan) as I went along, sobre la marcha. I took no classes, but living with a Spanish partner, whose family all spoke first Catalan, then Castillian but who advised me to concentrate on Spanish because that's a much more useful, widely-spoken language, helped.

Of course speaking Spanish has allowed me to integrate myself, and has opened up this culture and the cultures of Latin America to me, filling my head with ideas. I think it helps me to think more clearly, in both languages - having some ability to compare and contrast. So many single-language speakers seem to speak without thinking too much about what they're saying. Straight from unspoken thought to tongue without, often, much reflection. I still have a kind of 'loop' in my head where I sometimes need to think about how to phrase what I need to say in Spanish before saying it, although often now, 30 years later, it's as fluent as my English.

There are many Brit expats living in (with apologies, but we do use this term in this way) English-speaking 'ghettoes' on the Spanish coasts and islands (with whom for a long time I rarely mixed). That looks and sounds a bit pathetic. British TV. Closed minds.

I recommend to all: Learn, learn, teach as much as you can. But preferably not through the use of obligation or force.

context is wrong and purposefully divisive and meant to be flame-bait. Shameful

You do realize there are several ways to legally live in the US without being a citizen, right?

What, you just want them to whither away on the couch?

Old people don't have to learn English and even can be exempt from the English test for Naturalization. Is Hillary advocating changing the statutes or repealing that?

citizenship.

She didn't make any exceptions for old people.

I'm totally against the idea of forced English classes for the elderly. Hopefully this is something we can all agree on.

Maybe Hillary should issue a statement to clarify because she said "they have to learn English".

you are really going out of your way now. If she had been asked about old people, she probably even knows that already. You're holding her to a standard you would never hold yourself to.

even if they can't or else they can't become a citizen?

oh wait. private "Universities" are looking forward to this windfall arent they?
well theres a platform issue she will stick with.
awesome.

She learned English before I met her by reading in front of a mirror. She tells her sister overseas the her kids should learn English before trying to come to the US.

in the world, this is for you...

or two to fill out .... in, wait for it, ENGLISH!!

from https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/immigration-reform/

"Enact comprehensive immigration reform to create a pathway to citizenship, keep families together, and enable millions of workers to come out of the shadows. "

and ...

" ... increase access to robust language programs to help people boost their English proficiency."

My immigrant grandparents had to.

I had a great-grandmother who never learned. Her kids, grands, great- and great great grands are all doing fine.

I don't think government forms should be made in multiple languages (unless online) due to cost.

But other than that, if they want to be limited, that's none of my business.

I'm not going to move to another country without knowing their language in a somewhat passable format.

Je suis Americain.

There are certain neural pathways formed with early childhood Ed that actually close as we age.

If you haven't been privileged enough to have had the opportunities to form those neural pathways in your primary developmental years, they are forever blocked and make learning a new language almost impossible. Things like blocks, coloring, musical instruments, math games etc - exposure to complex learning at an early age forges those crucial links for later progression.

I learned Spanish at 40 years old. It was damned hard even having had 10 years of French in HS, college, grad school.

I have a 65 yr old employee, been in the States 40 years and he still can't speak or understand English well even as I've paid for FIVE years of ESL lessons for him (I think he's illiterate but he's got such a phenomenal almost photographic memory, he can recite instructions back almost verbatim as long as I say them out loud - in Spanish lol).

Another employee, a 28 yr old Mexican, is almost conversant in 2 years (he was a phlebotomist in Mexico so would fall under the rubric of educated).

There's no way you can say a hard universal "They have to learn English" unless you're privileged and have never been exposed to real immigrants in RL.

That was the context. But I still think if people have been living here a long time there ought to be some exceptions. Especially for old people.

I didn't see what it required, but naturalization can occur without the language test.

I speak quite a bit of Spanish, picked up because I am often in Mexico and I live in San Diego. I also know a little of French. I think learning the common language of where you are is a good thing, and knowing more than one language is a critical life skill.

Doesn't make any sense..

And I believe you have to take a test, in English (or 'American' for republicans), in order to become a
citizen of the USA.

smdh

That totally baseless attack drummed up to scare Latino voters away from El Viejto.

Learning English does not mean you NEVER use your prior language. And there is room for those still learning.

until someone pointed out that many of the first generations of immigrants continued to speak their native tongues. I remembered my grandfather using German more often than English and all the old timers playing sheepshead in the bar and realized it's just part of America and who we are.

Same story with my family

When a forklift carrying a pot of molten metal is bearing down on you, it's good to know phrases like "Hot Stuff!!", "Heads Up!!!" etc.

Your grandfather may have used German at home and at the bar with his friends. But I bet he learned English, and was probably pretty good at it.

Sad to see Hillary is moving in that direction.

The outrage would be intense and probably there would be at least 20 threads on it for 3 days.

bill. But let's pretend that didn't happen.

How would Huerta have felt if someone had actually said that when she claimed they had?

If you are going to live in another country, one should learn the language. I don't know it is necessary to become fluent, but knowing the language of the country is important. However, if we are expecting it to become a citizen, then I think classes should be provided. Learning another language becomes more difficult with age for the vast majority of people, so those who are older will have a harder time, but it really comes down to how it is taught.

FTR, I speak multiple languages.

And just what do you think happens to immigrants in this country that cannot speak English? Oh you poor, innocent dear, you're trying to make this an attack against spanish speakers, aren't you? Awww!

Yes, immigrants to the US have to learn English, it's how they do things like get jobs, and live in society and do stuff every day.

I guess you have not spent time with anyone who doesn't speak English in this country, but one of the thousands of other languages, which keep them very limited in their ability to do very much on their own. Even those who speak Spanish are very limited in the scope available to them. Immigrants are stupid enough to fall for this nonsense, I hope you realize that.

Also, the rest of the world, most of which speaks English, is paying close attention to the stuff Bernie is saying about immigrants, and they don't see much difference from Trump, since they're both attacking their relatives in the US.