This is the U.S.A. - English, please

• 07-05-2008 10:47 AM

  In reply to lorib

  Calinisima Joined on 12-05-2007 AB-Canada Posts 1,594 Points 360

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact This is so interesting to read... I have lived in Venezuela since I was a baby, so: I speak spanish. I was born in Brazil and my father, brazilian too, never learned to speak spanish properly. So: I speak portuguese... My godmother was a very nice french lady and she only spoke to me in french, so I learned a little french too. Most of the TV, movies and music I have enjoyed, is in english and I have made the effort to learn english... and even though I know I understand and read better than I write or speak english, I feel very confident about the way I communicate... of course, I will continue learning and make my best to not offend other people with my english and my accent, because that's not my intention. I always had faith in good relationships, though... thanks to Disney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtfzDKE8-58    I ♥ SWAPS

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• 07-05-2008 10:55 AM

  In reply to lorib

  stardog85 Joined on 09-10-2007 South Carolina, USA Posts 1,591 Points 105

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact The only thing I find annoying about language issues is calling customer service for something (like my cellphone or router) and getting people I can't understand and who are clearly working from a script.  I spent a horrible time on the phone with someone trying to trouble shoot my router issues and the person just couldn't help when I said something that didn't mesh with his script and because of the language barrier I couldn't help him understand the difference at all - it was incredibly frustrating for both of us I'm sure.  I'd like to see kids learn other languages early on, but please let's not limit it to Spanish.  I had spanish classes in elementary school and I *hated* them with a passion, partly because we went at a snail's pace and also because I had no choice in the matter when it came to which language I studied.  I took Latin in high school, American Sign Language via community program in high school and during my first two years of college, and then some Spanish in college as well because it fulfilled a requirement (International Understanding) and I thought it might help in the real world.  ASL was incredibly fun and relatively easy to learn.  I still retain a fair amount of it, even 3 years later.  Spanish was very difficult for me, despite some learning in elementary, and though I passed it with A's (thank goodness for partial credit on the oral section), I have retained very little of it after only a year and a half.  Erin, the Amazing Maggie Mae, and Super Puppy Ziva

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• 07-05-2008 11:40 AM

  In reply to stardog85

  Dog_ma Joined on 06-25-2007 San Diego County, California Posts 1,357 Points 795

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact I live in Alta California. I think English-only speakers are foolish not to learn any Spanish. This may be the U.S. now, but historically my area has been inhabited by Spanish speaking people just as much as English speaking people. I think immigrants should learn the language of their new area for their own sake, but I don't feel annoyed at them if they don't. I don't feel someone's bad English is any worse a crime than my bad Spanish. (Which I have tried very hard to master - took a billion years of it in school but my brain does not absorb new languages well. Grrrrr.) My father was a non-English speaking immigrant from a European country. He worked hard to teach himself English, but sadly never taught me his native language. "Are you a dog trainer?" "No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night."

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• 07-05-2008 12:05 PM

  In reply to Dog_ma

  Aina Joined on 07-19-2006 Posts 660 Points 100

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact  I don't really care.   If I don't know a person it takes me a few minutes to be able to understand them if they have an accent, even just a southern one, so I am always watching body language anyways.  I know a little Spanish, enough to get around hopefully, but not much.  Normally I just speak in clear English, use gestures, and hope they understand me.  It works out well enough since I don't run into too many non-English speakers, but if I lived in a place with a lot of non-English speaking people I would have to learn more.   I think it is wise for people to learn English.  English is the language of business.  The language of money.  They don't *have* to learn it, but it would make their lives a lot easier. Owner of Maggie - 4 year old Lhasa apso -I am a slave to my ambition to be free-

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• 07-05-2008 4:12 PM

  In reply to BCMixs

  chelsea_b Joined on 09-10-2007 Costa Mesa, CA Posts 2,761 Points 280

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact BCMixs: I don't hear nearly as many people complaining about THAT (or questioning their status) as they do the hispanic population.  I think hispanics are unduly focused on because of the illegal immigration issue. That is a really interesting point. I tend to talk to kids more often than adults (sad fact..lol.. but going out with my niece and nephews, to playgrounds, etc., it's just who I end up talking to most), and I run into a heck of a lot more Asian kids who can't speak English than Hispanic kids who can't. A lot of times Hispanic kids run up to my niece (who's part Mexican..so I guess they assume) and speak to her in Spanish, and when she says "I'm sorry, I don't understand you!" (and no, no one taught her to say that.. hehe), they immediately switch to English and then have no issues. Asian kids however? A lot of times, if they speak at all (which breaks my heart..I know they WANT to speak, but they know we won't understand them), it's in their native language. Clearly that's not true for all of them, and I'm really not trying to generalize, but IME it's true. I see SO many Hispanic kids translating for their parents.. You think those parents aren't frustrated, don't want to learn English? It's hard! Chelsea &

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• 07-05-2008 5:11 PM

  In reply to lorib

  Bonita of Bwana Joined on 09-14-2007 Foley , Alabama Posts 1,889 Points 4,850

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact lorib: I do my own nails, so I guess I can chatter away at whatever language I wish! That cracked me up !! I have the weakest nails in the world and for special occasions will have a set put on.  I rarely keep them on very long because with the dogs I end up Popping them off  !  Something I thought of when reading everyone's views was when I was 16 I was part of a volunteer group that sent me to Nicaraugua to give vacinations, and rudementary health care. I had to learn enough Spanish in the correct dialect for the very rural areas we were sent to. My first base station was a Doctor's home and it was lovely. They spoke English to us and we spoke Spanish to them.  Later one of the other volunteers  turned out to be a very spoiled brat who had not made a very sincere effort at learning enough Spanish to converse beyond simple instructions. So I swapped places with her and took her posting. Once there my Spanish improved greatly.  We traveled with a guide to small out posts on horseback, it was an amazing adventure.  Because I never stopped trying to chat with every one I quickly became the village "pet", they were amazed at 16 I was unmarried and decided my partner and I had to learn some important things to make sure we could support ourselves. I learned to bake sweet bread ( pan dulce) and make paper flowers for funerals.   The people of the villages that we had a chance to live in were so very kind and friendly to us.  We lived in Their country so we learned their language, we did not expect them to speak ours and when we hit a situation that we could not manage pantamime, charades and body language helped very much !!  Funny until this topic came up I had not thought about that time in my life for a long while. It was a tremendous growing opportunity.  When we went to France, to Toulouse  I would try my very poor school girl French and the folks we met would respond in far superior English which I found so very kind!  My best phrase by far was I am sorry I speak French so badly!  However we went to a vineyard and after knocking on a door were greeted by a man who spoke no English.  My Husband and I sat and tried glass after glass of wine with him chatting away , he in French , Me in kind of French and English.  We speant hours with him and when we tried to buy wine he waived us off gifting us with several bottles.  I thanked him and he teased me mercilessly about my crummy accent. But  as we were saying Good Bye ,  he wrote a note and gave it to us. I asked friends to translate it later and he had written,  " It was so very nice to meet people who were not afraid to try and felt it so important that we had made an honest attempt at being friends.  That we were always welcomed to return to his vineyard"   Our friends made on our trip to France later visited us in Alabama and it was with great joy we showed them the area and took them shopping.  all and all I have never been afraid to try to communicate in any language. Weather I am in their country or they in "mine"  but I still resent having a person in the service industry not at least trying to establish a dialogue with me .  Be it the Nail ladies or  a server at a favorite restaurant.  Being Friendly makes up for poor English tremendously in my view. ... and rude is rude regardless the launguage or culture .... Bonita of Bwana dreading having my nails done for the Nationals in September.....!! Bonita of Bwana AKC Rhodesian Ridgebacks Champions, Therapy Dogs and Awesome Companions

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• 07-05-2008 5:41 PM

  In reply to Bonita of Bwana

  BCMixs Joined on 01-10-2008 Virginia Posts 1,670 Points 30

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact That's a great story Bonita.  I continue to try and I continue to speak my god-awful pigeon spanish to waitstaff and I continue to get laughed at.  Yes, I can hear them repeating me and laughing in the kitchen!  I was an idiot for not learning German during my 5 years there.  The military should have required dependents to attend classes just as our parents had to, and I don't blame the old bitties at the stores and bakeries for being rude to me, it was rude to come to their country and expect to spend 5 years there saying "Sprechen sie english?" to get by.  The only time my attempts at spanish seem to have been welcomed is when I've found a hispanic person trying to communicate with a rude store clerk and I've offered to help.  Usually it's something very simple and I can stumble my way through it.  I had our court interpreter teach me a few simple question for domestic violence hearings, but with the emotions involved, the victim's response is usually rapid, emotion and jumbled and I end up saying Una Momenta and running for the interpreter!   LOL!  30 lbs. by Christmas, down 5.8 lbs., 24.2 to go!!!

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• 07-05-2008 9:40 PM

  In reply to BCMixs

  Cita Joined on 12-13-2006 CT Posts 4,675 Points 735

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact BCMixs: but with the emotions involved, the victim's response is usually rapid, emotion and jumbled and I end up saying Una Momenta and running for the interpreter!   LOL!  Oh gosh, I'm sure! "Mas despacio, por favor, mas despacio..." I've gotten laughed at for silly Spanish mistakes a few times, but heck, once I figured them out, I was laughing too! Most often I get greeted with huge, appreciative smiles. I always speak to people in English first, because IMO it's the polite and proper thing to do, but if they don't understand and I try a little Spanish they typically seem to be really happy about it. Especially if it's someone I'll see on a repeated basis (like an employee of mine or of somewhere I frequent), a habitual, "Hola! Como esta?" usually gets a big grin. When I was in France for about a week, I tried my hardest to get a crash course in tourist French from a phrasebook. About half the responses were, "Hey, that's not too bad!" and about half, "Ugh! I speak English [moron]!!!"

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• 07-06-2008 2:09 AM

  In reply to Cita

  janetmichel3009 Joined on 11-28-2006 Beijing, China Posts 2,675 Points 370

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact the only thing that annoys me here is when i speak to service people in perfect chinese (my chinese is VERY good!!) and the INSTIST on speaking to me in english, even though their english is so bad, i dont understand a word! i mean, i understand you want to practice your english or whatever, but i'm not your guinea pig, so if it doesnt work, can we please try something that DOES work... OR there are some really annoying taxi drivers that will talk to you in chinese, but with the tones all wrong. the tones in chinese are very important, but since it is a new concept to westeners, they often dont get it and get them wrong all the time. so these drivers think for some reason, because you speak *wrong* chinese, i (who is speaking to you in PERFECT chinese) will be able to understand you better? HUH??? ARGH!!!! Janet

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• 07-06-2008 2:45 AM

  In reply to IrishSetterGrl

  Golden Tails Joined on 03-09-2007 Central Cali Posts 481 Points 95	Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact I agree! my bf's mom bought a grill the other day. two instruction maules came with one. one in english and one in spanish. The Wal-mart we go to has spanish announcments before it's transelated to english. UGH! makes me angry some times ~Jessie~
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• 07-06-2008 3:13 PM

  In reply to Golden Tails

  Dog_ma Joined on 06-25-2007 San Diego County, California Posts 1,357 Points 795	Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact Haha, the nail salon comments reminded me of this comedy routine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o  It cracks me up because it is exactly the experience I have had at the nail salon closest to me.   "Are you a dog trainer?" "No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night."
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• 07-06-2008 3:47 PM

  In reply to Dog_ma

  kpwlee Joined on 06-17-2006 North Carolina Posts 4,413 Points 380

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact  it doesn't bother me at all - in fact the US must be one of the only western countries that is 'monolingual' Some county near St Louis has German as its primary language many areas of Louisiana speak 'cajun' (not the proper term for it sorry can't remember it right now) Really folks it's not that big of a deal - we have the fastest growing mexican comunity in the US here in NC and Spanish is everywhere.  I wish I had retained more of what I have learned. And I do think the resentment is related to the 'illegal' status and mass migration of Mexicans in particular to here. My father was born in Germany, I grew up in NY where a vast population was 1st or second generation - still is just different starting countries and am married to an Englishman.  He gets treated like royalty - because peple love his accent. I don't mind pressing 1 for English.  Or having signs in both Spanish and English lets me refresh my memory of Spanish. Overall I think we as a county need to start refreshing the concept that we are not the world we are only part of it  "I think Karen should get a BC next time because she deserves a more mellow laid back dog! Or a Maremma because she needs a more clingy, biddable, easily trained dog." Brookcove 2008

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• 07-06-2008 10:06 PM

  In reply to Dog_ma

  Cita Joined on 12-13-2006 CT Posts 4,675 Points 735	Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact Dog_ma: Haha, the nail salon comments reminded me of this comedy routine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o  It cracks me up because it is exactly the experience I have had at the nail salon closest to me.   That was awesome! Yeah, same experiences here... only less idle chatter, and more gossiping to coworkers!
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• 07-08-2008 2:54 AM

  In reply to Cita

  sandra_slayton Joined on 09-10-2007 Ingleside, Texas Posts 3,231 Points 0

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact My mom was Australian war bride.  Of course they speak English down there, but many words are pronounced differently.  My Mom  (and 1 year old me) arrived in the states in '46 and Mom was determind that since she opted to marry an American and come and live in America, she needed to be AMERICAN.  She practised on saying words the way they were said here.  The hardest word for her for aluminum.  Down there it was pronounced  al-u-mini -um where we say a-lum-mi-num.   She worked on saying the "hood" of a car  instead of the "bonnet", the "trunk" instead of the boot.  She worked on saying "cookies" instead of "biscuits, or bickies" , etc, etc.   It was her belief that if you wanted to live in America and enjoy the rights and freedoms, then you should become a citizen so you could vote and do jury duty and you needed to fit in and not expect others to cater to you. Years later Mom worked for Dillards Department Store and would get her hair done in the salon there.  All of the beautitians were Mexican.  many times Mom was the only non Mexican in there an they would jabber away in Spanish and it made my mom so uncomfortable as she felt they must be talking about her.  They all spoke English.  She felt they had every right to speakSpanish at home or in a group of just mexican,s but thought it very rude to do it on the job when there were non Spanish  speaking women in there having their hair done. Many of the drivers for the compnay my husband drives for are Mexican.  One that is a very good frined fo my huisband does not allow his children to speak Spanish in every day talk at his house.  His parents never larned to speak his English and he didn't until he got into school and his English is not that great.  He wants his kids to be able to "talk good English so they can do better in life than I did"They speak Spanish when grandparents are there and of curse at grandparents house.  But no just when it is  him, his wife and kids. We have a lot of Viet Namese and Cambodians down here and i have yet to meet one that didn't speak English.  Some do not speak it so well--especially the older ones--but they speak only English when in groups with us Anglos.  I will tell you one thing that burns me up is when i see 3 flags flying in front a shopping center or mall--the USA flag, the Texas flag AND the MEXICAN flag.

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• 07-08-2008 3:35 AM

  In reply to sandra_slayton

  rwbeagles Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW, TX Posts 15,470 Points 2,060

  Re: This is the U.S.A. - English, please Reply Contact sandra_slayton: will tell you one thing that burns me up is when i see 3 flags flying in front a shopping center or mall--the USA flag, the Texas flag AND the MEXICAN flag   why does that bother you, if I may ask? When I was in Germany many hotels and restaurants, tours and attractions had UK flags in front and a few even had American flags. Would it bother you if it were a UK flag? French? I admit to being slightly bothered, when I see a confederate flag flying. I can tell you also that I have no real reason for feeling that way, considering it stood/stands for much more to some folks..than a symbol for states who embraced and practiced, slavery. I don't think they should take them down...or are somehow being disloyal to the USA. I took some time one day to read up on it. It might still bother me...but not as much as it used to. Gina H. dog.community Moderator " Let's get it crunk upon, have fun upon...up in this dancery!"-Mary J. Blige

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