ForumsWEPRMultilingual America: Is it necessary?

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Asherlee
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Asherlee
5,014 posts
Shepherd

I was just sitting here thinking. I'm from Texas and they start Spanish classes in kindergarten for us. I know it is only done this way on the board states. But do you think it is necessary for children to be learning other languages? There are so many benefits. Or do some of you stand with the: "This is America! Speak English!"

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Armed_Blade
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Armed_Blade
1,492 posts
Shepherd

Billingual-ness has been taught for centurys, helps with the mind, commmunications, and being billingual can make you better approved for a job than another.

Think, you wanna be a ... Paramedic, those dudes on the rescue helicopters who help those people attacked somewhere out here or there. Now, what if this person really SUCKS at english? As a paramedic, you could speak to them in... Spanish, help 'em. It works with being a doctor, nurse, all kinda things. Scientists being able to communicate betterer, I dunno.

Therefor, with all the diversity in the world, it helps all ways.

YET, English is mainly the worlds main language, still, others are still used, good to know them.

daswiftarrow
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daswiftarrow
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Nomad

i think we should just atlest try to keep english (not saying people cant speak a little bit of other languages) but they took it too far, for example: in school i signed up for teach, well half the year im getting taught spanish

daswiftarrow
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daswiftarrow
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Nomad

ya, i read that by 2012 spanish will bee dominate language in america, english will only be at about 40%

NoNameC68
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NoNameC68
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Shepherd

I beleive that language classes should not be required for kids to take in gradeschool or highschool (unless you are going to collage) but instead be "Strongly Encouraged" because of a long list of chained events that will take too long to type.

Armed_Blade
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Armed_Blade
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Shepherd

Lol, Dasw, you read completely wrong. Many people knowing spanish speak English, English is kinda in the 90%'s of "Knowing" in America, and somewhere in the 75's of "Using"

Anyway, Languages in Elementary.. bad. Highschool in mine, we need 2 years of any language. I say thats enuff, nothing tooo much, but not too less. I say, if I did do the requierment, I may even forget. So, If you REALLY want to, go ahead become a new-found spanish speaker.

Megamickel
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Megamickel
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Peasant

Eh, but high school kids don't actually learn the language, it's all regurgitative memory. Well, I do, but I can learn in any class. Mind like a very selective steel trap xD

Asherlee
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Asherlee
5,014 posts
Shepherd

I just cannot agree or see the point of everyone who disagrees with learning a second language. As Carlie said there isn't a downside I can even think of. It does make for brighter children, thus boasting our future economy; those that are bilingual in the working world are always going to move ahead further and faster; the world will never speak one language, so why stick to one? It's important to learn other cultures.

Megamickel
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Megamickel
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Peasant

We need to teach our children the official language of America (And yes, it is English. This was voted on by the founding fathers, and English beat out German by, like, 1 or 2 votes. I can't remember, been a long time. I dunno, the story went something like that... I'd look it up but I positively cannot be arsed). But teaching them other languages DOES have benefits

I guess what I'm trying to say is while a second language would be an addition to the curriculum, it shouldn't infringe on the learning of English.

Asherlee
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Asherlee
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Shepherd

How would it infringe on the learning of English? It is proven that learning a second language helps a child learn both of those languages better than an average child that just learns English.

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