Aren't Americans kinda elitist when it comes to speaking other languages?

Question

The news has been bashing Obama about how we should teach our kids English and how its embarrassing to be abroad and can't speak the local language. I felt he was right. Whether you like it or not Spanish would be an advantage for us to relate and be successful due to the abundance of Spanish speaking Latinos. I am military and had close relationships with foreigners, they feel we Americans act like we are above learning another language. This election is bringing out our true colors and how ignorant we are to the whole world perspective.

Answer 1

I am A citizen of the USA and always have been, and i do just fine with the English language, why do i need to learn Spanish to talk in my Country? if i want to travel abroad and learn the language of the countries i visit then good for me.

Answer 2

Most American High Schools require at least 2 years of a foreign language.  Most people in the U.S. do at least learn some of a language.  However, its like anything else - if you don't use it, you lose some of it.  My school required 4 years, honor students could start as early as 8th grade and get a 5th year in.  

As to travel, I think that anyone, from any country, should try to at least learn a little of the language(s) of the countries that they plan on visiting.  No one can perfect a language overnight, but as long as people make an effort, people are willing to work with them.  That applies to pretty much any country.  If a person is planning on moving to a new country, then they should try to learn as much of the language(s) as possible before arriving... but it can only be perfected through immersion.

Answer 3

Given the fact that America takes in more immigrants than any other country and that a great many of those immigrants have legally become Americans I can say with a great deal of certainty that there are more languages spoken in America, by Americans on any given day than in any country. Please don't forget that a legal Korean immigrant more than likely speaks Korean AND english and is just as American as I am.

Answer 4

The reason for this is that we're so isolated on our own little continent over here. We rarely need to speak another language. I was talking to these exchange students, and they said they spoke three or four languages and acted like it was no big deal. I can almost order a hamburger and buy a T-shirt in Spanish, and I wish I knew more, but my school's language stuff moves slow.

Answer 5

Whether YOU like it or not Spanish would be an advantage for us to relate and be successful due to the abundance of Spanish speaking Criminals. This kind of thinking is what's wrong in the US. Instead of having these people learn English you want us to learn Spanish? How about if you can not speak English you get deported. That would solve the whole problem! Go to another country and tell them that they HAVE to learn English in order to accommodate you and see what happens.  If Obama wants to learn Spanish we could send him and McCain to Panama to live! We HAVE to have better canidates than those two!

Answer 6

the only way an American will learn a second language

is to get a better job..

so if you ask an American to learn another language

for cultural reason you can forget that

Answer 7

many Americans never travel outside the US, never learn another language, or even attempt to learn of a different culture or religion than their own---and this is what makes so many Americans ignorant and pompous

Answer 8

I don't feel like I'm above any foreigners in any way, but I do feel like we should be learning other languages from an early age like so many other countries do.

I've been to parts of Europe before, and I always felt like they had the same thing going on....as if they saw themselves as above the foreigners. Especially in England.

Sometimes people mistake that just simply from differences in personalities/attitudes between different cultures and places.

Most Americans have a much more outgoing/confident/loud/"in-your-face" kind of personality which can be easily mistaken for us thinking we're better in some way, when in reality, it's not true.

Most people who have visited here from other countries could tell you that we are actually much nicer and easy to get along with than they had previously thought.

The media, and Hollywood tend make people think that we're much different people than they really know. This is especially true in parts of western Europe, where American-bashing is commonplace in thier media, but they tend to justify it by saying it's just in a joking manner........well I guarantee that if the U.S. media talked half the trash about them as they do about us, we would hear non stop complaining from them.

S**t, Canada got all mad when South Park made fun of them....funny thing about it is that one of the creators of the show is from Canada.

Oh well.

Answer 9

Their really is no black and white answer to this. In what case scenario were these foreigners referring to while projecting this harangue of American elitism? Where we in their country, or were they here? That's ultimately what it boils down to and where the justifications can be made. If I'm going to be spending some time in Germany, d**n right I'm going to study the language and get to know it the best I can before arrival. Why? Because I have respect.  In addition, I'm really not leeching on to this sense of entitlement that we Americans are supposed to  suddenly drop everything and start picking up the books and learning  Spanish overnight for a bunch of people who are here illegially and have no right being here under the pretense.

Without further ado, I'm all for learning different languages, in fact, most American high schools make it MANDATORY you have at least two years of a foreign language. Heck, In the school district I was attending, We had to START taking a semester of French, a semester of Spanish, and a semester of German, in the 7TH GRADE, then choose one to learn permanently and continue through h.s. Pretty young wouldn't you say?  

That being said, displays a prime example of the apocryphalness and bigotry of your last statement. If we were oh so elite and above any other language other then our native, would foreign language be made a PREREQUISITE for many h.s. as well as college requirements, much less JUNIOR HIGH? Please.

Answer 10

English should be spoken in the United States,after all that was what the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence,Bill of rights etc in.Second,yes Its a great asset if you go abroad to learn the language of the country your going to visit(even though we either saved them from n**i-ism there losing their country etc) its polite.As far as Obama's comment,that was pandering,and in your own statement,if they are coming here legally or illegally,under your question stated,shouldn't they know English if they come here,and speak it?

Answer 11

No, I speak another language but it's not spanish. What is elitist is the pushing of an alien language upon me which I have no interest in learning nor relate to.

Answer 12

So go learn another language.  Who's stopping you?

Answer 13

Americans are able to learn a foreign language if they choose--I was taught a foreign language in high school and continued it through college.

Personally, I think it is elitist of foreigners to come to USA and expect us to change our language!

Answer 14

Most Americans take a foreign language in high school and again in college. The problem is we live in a country that spans 3000 miles from coast to coast. Our neighbor to the North speaks English, while our southern neighbor speaks Spanish.

We don't have opportunity to cross borders where many languages are spoken like Europe. So we aren't able to practice the foreign language and as adults lose any proficiency we had.

I lived in Greece for a few years in my younger days and became fairly good speaking the language.

Americans don't really have a need to speak another language unless we leave the US.

Answer 15

Yes, as a people we are.

We are afraid, the past eight years have made us afraid.

But, Obama will lead us out of that fear. No longer will we look at a muslim and make a fist...

No longer will we hound Europeans for having their own beliefs...

No longer will we think of war as our only option to deal with extremism...

What Obama said made sense, common sense in fact...and that is what some of us lack...

that is what has been stolen...fear has invaded our minds and stolen our safety...and in doing so...we have become demented...

This election is one of the biggest in the history of not only this country, but the world.

We don't need war, we don't need xenophobia, we don't need hate....

what we need is unity and saftey...what this country was founded on...

Obama '08

Answer 16

I don't think it is elitist, more geography.  About 40 years ago (yes I'm getting old) I was stuck in the hallway on a crowded train and got into conversation with an Austrian.  He was one of these people who spoke 7 languages and asked me why Americans could only speak English.  I explained to him (and it was true at the time) that I had learned Spanish in high school, but it was 2000 miles from my home to where any degree of Spanish was spoken.  My travelling companion had taken French in college, but it was 1000 miles to where any French was spoken.

He was an educated man, but astonished.  In Europe and Asia they really cannot comprehend the vast sea of mostly one language that exists in North America.  It would wise of us to consider the vast sea of mostly another language that makes up South America (and Central and part of N. Amer.)

Answer 17

i think they should sent all spanish and english language back to their native land

Answer 18

Learning a different language is a good thing.  However, I refuse to learn spanish if the main purpose is to cater to spanish speaking people living in the US legally or illegally.  If I live in mexico I would definitely learn the languange.  Why? Becuase I am a respectful individual.  Anyone who wants to live in the U.S. should learn to speak English.

Answer 19

I agree with you completely.  I've felt this way for quite a long time.  Americans believe that English is our natural language, and if anybody is going to come here, they ought speak English.  English, however, isn't our national language -- we don't have a national language... it's just the language we're taught... because it's the language of the first historically documented settlers (the pilgrims).  

We're ignorant when it comes to other languages, and it irks me that because somebody thinks they can remember a few phrases, they can speak a language.  Speaking a language isn't about memorization -- it's about being able to shift your brain so that you can think in that language -- whether you know the directly translated word or not... you can find a way to express it... it's about the culture, the history... the society too.

I'm 25 years old, and I speak Spanish, French, and a little Latin.  It isn't very uncommon for me to begin speaking in a foreign language -- and because I am able to flip -- my brain doesn't think English -- so when somebody asks what I just said, I look like an idiot for a minute, because I have to stop and think about what I said and how it translates.

Americans are, in general, elitist when it comes to language, and that's a sentiment that will soon be our downfall.

Answer 20

because america is an english speaking nation.

so in americawe should only have to speak american english.

now if i went to france id learn french.

if i went to germany id learn german.

if i went to mexico id learn....oh yeah i already speak spanish.

Answer 21

Here in France, American tourists are unable to speak french. Manye of them make an effort, but it seems difficult for them to speak french !

Answer 22

no we aren't elitist. they should learn our language, not the other way around. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PRESS '1' FOR ENGLISH.

Answer 23

one common language has been good for America. A "Proud" American Tradition for immigrants to the US is to learn English.

btw how many languages did you hear at boot camp. could you take or give order to someone that didn't understand you?

Answer 24

Most of us do learn other languages in school, but unless you use it you tend to forget it, and there's just not many chances to use other languages unless you live in isolated communities, in northern New England, or the Southwest.  The US is fairly unique in that it's a LARGE country that doesn't border many others (one of which mainly speaks English as well), and it just happens that the primary language in the US is the most widely known language in the world.  It would be quite different if there were 2-3 countries nearby that spoke other languages, or if English weren't the dominant international language at the moment.

Answer 25

I have no problem with learning other languages.  I actually have studied both French and Spanish.  I'm not as fluent in French  as I once was because I don't use it regularly.  I actually started taking Spanish lessons  because I want to be able to understand what is going on in my own country-an English speaking country.  I don't like riding down my street and seeing signs that I can't understand on bill boards.(  I'd feel a little bit better if everything at least had English subtitiles. )  I also don't like being in an environment where I can't understand what is being said around me.  I have known of times where immigrants  spoke in their native tongue around Americans because they thought they would not be understood and it came back to bite 'em  in the butt.  I also want to be able to communicate better with my patients.  Regardless of their status,  I want to treat them with diginity and respect when caring for them.  Since the majority of my non- English speaking patients are hispanic, I will tackle Spanish first.

I personally admire anyone who can speak more than one  language.  I think communication is a wonderful thing.  I just don't like the fact that my tax dollars are being hijacked to pay for mandatory translation for illegal immigrants.  We aren't  offering that service so widely and freely to immigrants from other countries ( i.e Hati, India, China etc).  Maybe the question should be, why aren't more  illegal immigrants learning English prior to coming ?

Answer 26

I agree that every person should be at least comfortable with another language.  I speak three.  English, French and Russian and have traveled the world and have not been in any place where the three did not serve me well.  Spanish, other than in Spain and third world countries, is a pretty useless langauge.  It is a dis-service to teach our children Spanish or to do anything that keeps an immigrant from excelling in English.  People who want to "accomodate" the language of Latinos simply want them to continue to be a sub-class of cheap labor.  

The European Union has adopted ENGLISH as its official language. ENGLISH is the offical langauge of international business and aviation.  Ukrainian airline pilots speak English.  

We also have the luxury in our country of being geographically large and homogenous and self supporting.  If each state had a different language, as we see in Europe, it would be different.  Europeans are the way they are because it is (was) a necessity, not because WE are elitist.  I travel to Europe very frequently, 6 times this year and in any EU country you can speak English with virtually no problem to virtually onyone you will encounter.  The little 70 year German hausfrau may not speak English, but the girl at the cashier in the grocery store does!  I promise you.  The EU has become a much more powerful influence in the world, the economies are all doing much better...SINCE they adopted English as the official language and a common currency like we have in the states.  It is especialy worth noting that English was NOT the offical langauge, or even the common language, of ANY EU country yet they choose it because it is the most useful in the world.  (The UK is not a memeber of the EU)  Go into ANY grocery store or pharmacy in Russia/Ukraine/Latvia or any other former Soviet republic, the products are ALL printed in English or French or both.  And Russian doesn't even use the same alphabet!  In malls and restraunts in Ukraine the shops have English or French names!  My favorite cafe in Donetsk, Ukraine is Le Petit Breton.  Nearly all the "modern" words in Russian are nothing more than transliterated English or French.  If you know the Cyrillic alphabet and speak English you can read nearly any sign in the former Soviet union.

In all EU countries and even former Soviet republics, the ONLY other language you see in signage is English (except in Belgium where you see French/Dutch/English)  ALL signs.  

If you want to find a Spanish sign you will have to go to Spain I suppose and even there it will be in English also.  English is without question the dominant, most versatile language in the world, not in numbers of people who speak it (I suppose Chinese has that title) but in terms of usefullness.  French is probably number 2 (maybe number 3) because of the former French colonies it is still spoken and it is the international language of diplomacy.  I can go into any embassy in the world, and SOMEONE there will speak French.  Your USA passport has ALWAYS been printed in French for that reason.  They recently began wasting ink by printing it in Spanish also and almost no one thorughout the world can read it or has any interest to.

Spanish is not the official language of any country even in the top 25 economies of the world,  of the "G-8" English is the official language (or one of the official languages) in 6 of them, it is widely spoken in the other two (Russia/Japan) but not an official language.

The only ignorance this election seems to be bringing out is that Spansih is somehow useful in this world.  I assure you, it isn't. Learn another language, I encourage it.  Not Spanish.

The best thing we could do for Mexico would be to beam in some English lessons on radio.

Answer 27

I speak Swedish almost fluently.  I managed a vacation in Germany with high-school German. Why should I be told which second language I need to learn?  I have no desire to go to Mexico, so I don't need to speak Spanish.

Answer 28

But why do you want all to learn only Spanish ? Why Spanish ? Many of the abundance of Spanish speaking Latinos are also illegal,why should we accommodate them ?

Answer 29

Americans are free to learn another language if they choose to.  The talking points against Americans for not speaking other languages is intolerance to our culture and bigotry, and so is your last statement.