A men lady.  I always knew you were bright.  My grand nephew's mother is 
German.  He speaks fluent German as well as English.  She always translates 
for her employer when he entertains because he doesn't know the language. 
He could save a lot of the money he pays her if he could speak to his own 
clients.  Not only that, but he could empress them quite a lot.  It is sad 
some who come here won't learn English, but, there are and always have been, 
English speaking people both from the United Kingdom and the United states 
who have   gone to places such as India and Africa and never took the time 
or trouble to learn the native languages around them.  The colonialists of 
Africa and India just made the language of the colonial power the "official 
language" and that settled the entire thing for them.  That is what we did 
when the English came to this country.  There were all sorts of native 
peoples with a plethora of languages and rarely did we take tine to learn 
their languages.  Why should we?  After all, they were the concord people. 
Yet we seem xenophobic when others don't learn our language, rather than 
using that lack of knowledge to learn ourselves to communicate with them?  A 
child growing up in a bilingual home is indeed truly fortunate.  He has the 
best of both worlds.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris & Doris" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 2:18 AM
Subject: Re: It's Time To Learn Spanish


> European countries often require students to learn another language and I 
> do not see that as an infringement on our freedom but an enrichment. 
> German students are required to take English. The Majority takes English 
> in 5th grade and anyone who did not take English in 5th is required to do 
> so in 7th grade.
>
> Learning another language is not only about learning words in another 
> language but it is also about learning about another culture, another way 
> of thinking and anyone benefits by broadening their horizons. There is a 
> world outside the U.S. or North America and not everyone speaks and thinks 
> English nor is everything better or the best in North America or Western 
> Culture even.
>
> This said, I wwould never want to live in a country whose language I do 
> not speak nor even spend vacation there if I did not at least knew the 
> rudiments of the language.
>
> I am fluent in English and German, know some French and am currently 
> learning Spanish and had five years of Latin bak in school. Learning 
> languages is not dangerous or impossible to do or detrimental to one's 
> physical or mental wellbeing but can be a fun and enriching experience and 
> it grows easier the more languages one tackles.
>
> Maybe if non-English speaking countries and people were not intersted in 
> learning English, some English spekers might change their minds about 
> learning foreign languages.  to me it is politeness and interst in the 
> other on both sides that should encourage both host and guest to learn 
> each other's language.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Doris
>
> At 01:24 AM 5/31/2008 -0400, you wrote:
>>Why is this.  Wouldn't it behoove them to learn?  It is a free country and 
>>one is free to learn or not to learn what one wishes.  I was just saying I 
>>thought it might behoove us to embrace the language.  It is a most 
>>beautiful language, and would open more avenues of employment for anyone, 
>>particularly for us blind.  French is also a beautiful language and those 
>>who speak that language also have an advantage if they live in Canada.  It 
>>is a fine thing for others to embrace our language and our customes, but, 
>>an even finer thing for us to reach out to strangers in their own tongue. 
>>I think it is much more welcoming and loving.  Particularly as we aren't 
>>obliged to do this, and usually do it out of the warmth of our own hearts.
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 10:49 PM
>>Subject: Re: It's Time To Learn Spanish
>>
>>
>>>Angel,
>>>
>>>This is still a free country.  I don't want to learn Spanish, nor am I
>>>required to do so.  I have to Mexican grandchildren, too.  They don't 
>>>speak
>>>Spanish either.
>>>
>>>Phil.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Angel238" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 8:40 PM
>>>Subject: Re: It's Time To Learn Spanish
>>>
>>>
>>>>Most people in Africa and in European countries know multiple languages.
>>>It
>>>>wouldn't hurt us to learn.  It would improve us considerably I think.
>>>>Knowing Spanish gives you a greater variety to watch on cable, because 
>>>>you
>>>>can watch the soaps originating from Spain.  It would also give the 
>>>>blind
>>>a
>>>>better chance at employment as employers are always looking for someone
>>>>fluent in that language.  They are even more adamant about finding those
>>>who
>>>>can write the language well.  It is rare to find someone who can write a
>>>>decent business letter in Spanish.
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "JULIE MELTON" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 6:40 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: It's Time To Learn Spanish
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> > If we were to go to any other country to live, learning the language
>>>would
>>>> > be a given.  That's not so in the good old US of a, though.
>>>> >
>>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>>> > From: Phil Scovell <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> > Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 1:01 PM
>>>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>>>> > Subject: It's Time To Learn Spanish
>>>> >
>>>> > We attended, as a family, my oldest grandson's sixth grade >
>>>> commencement.
>>>> > The first lady spoke, in English, for about 10 to 12 minutes.  Then
>>>> > everything she said, was repeated in Spanish.  By the time it was 
>>>> > over,
>>>I
>>>> > would say at least 70 percent of the program were done in Spanish and
>>>with
>>>> > no English interpretation.  This is America after all so it is a 
>>>> > given
>>>> > that
>>>> > we should all speak Spanish.  I'm sorry.  My two years of high school
>>>> > Spanish just wasn't quite enough to interpret for others nor
>>>> for > myself,
>>>> > for
>>>> > that matter.  Did you know that the new Mexican trucking 
>>>> > transportation
>>>> > law,
>>>> > which allows below the boarder trucks to roll across the boarder into
>>>all
>>>> > parts of the United States, and without being checked, has a fool 
>>>> > proof
>>>> > plan
>>>> > to test all Mexican drivers to insure they can read English road 
>>>> > signs?
>>>> > Yep, they sure do.  The Mexican drivers are shown English signs but 
>>>> > the
>>>> > Mexican drivers are allowed to answer the question of the
>>>> sign's > nature,
>>>> > in
>>>> > Spanish.  Works for me.  I've been thinking of heading south
>>>> and > getting
>>>a
>>>> > truckers job from below the boarder.  I can read that much English 
>>>> > into
>>>> > Spanish.
>>>> >
>>>> > Phil.
>>>> >
>
>
>
> "Pray, pray, pray!" - Pray without ceasing. (1 Th 5:17)