Language Battle Spanish Vs. English

[Encratis]

I live in Florida and there is a very large population of Hispanic peoples who either don't speak or have trouble speaking English. I don't have a problem with that, but at the mall the other day we were given a form to fill out in order to receive a card that would take such and such % off of our chosen bought items, the only problem was, it was in Spanish. We couldn't read it(I'm in High School and I take German as a foreign language so I really had no idea what it said), so the checkout lady had to point out every bit of information that was required.
It wasn't a traumatic experience but it felt weird being given something to fill out in Spanish in an English speaking country. Then two days later we get the new version of the Yellow Pages and it's also in Spanish and the front cover says that the English version is in the back of the book. I was a little confused at how they could possibly push the English text to the back and have the Spanish text in the front.
I don't hate Hispanic people it's just I would like to be able to read things in my own country without having to search for the translation.
Also, before anybody says "That's how all the people who come here feel when they can't read anything!" and "You shouldn't be upset it's only making it better for the people who can't speak English!" . IT'S NOT THEIR COUNTRY. Nobody should go to a country and expect people to alter their lives to make them feel comfortable. Learn the language and live
beside the people from that country.

DISCLAIMER: I don't hate Hispanics or Mexicans, in fact it's a proven fact that Mexicans are hard and loyal workers.

[UWDarDar17]

At 8/12/07 04:08 PM, Encratis wrote: the other day we were given a form to fill out in order to receive a card that would take such and such % off of our chosen bought items, the only problem was, it was in Spanish. We couldn't read it, so the checkout lady had to point out every bit of information that was required.

Which store was this? Was it a store that typically caters to Hispanics, like a bodega? Did you ask for an English language form? Was it available? I can understand your frustration, but I feel that you may be leaving some important facts out.

It wasn't a traumatic experience but it felt weird being given something to fill out in Spanish in an English speaking country.

No, it'd be traumatic if whilst trying to fill up the form, a dick-shaped pinata was trying to be slowly shoved up your but. Now that's traumatic.

Then two days later we get the new version of the Yellow Pages and it's also in Spanish and the front cover says that the English version is in the back of the book. I was a little confused at how they could possibly push the English text to the back and have the Spanish text in the front.

Are you actually sure that it was the "back of the book"? For all you know, it could say on the other side, "Version Espanol En Reves". You could have picked up the book upside down!! Were both languages of equal length- that is, is the English half as big as the Spanish half?

Just saying.

[Empanado]

Wow, I can't believe this.

You mean that there actually are people who speak English in Miami?

[Proteas]

At 8/12/07 08:39 PM, Empanado wrote: You mean that there actually are people who speak English in Miami?

Yeah, I thought they all died out... or moved back to Vermont, one.

[Der-Lowe]

At 8/12/07 04:08 PM, Encratis wrote: I live in Florida and there is a very large population of Hispanic peoples who either don't speak or have trouble speaking English.

Yeah, like those people who ignore that people is already a plural and add an s at the end of it, creating the square of a plural ;)

I don't have a problem with that, but at the mall the other day we were given a form to fill out in order to receive a card that would take such and such % off of our chosen bought items, the only problem was, it was in Spanish. We couldn't read it(I'm in High School and I take German as a foreign language so I really had no idea what it said), so the checkout lady had to point out every bit of information that was required.
It wasn't a traumatic experience but it felt weird being given something to fill out in Spanish in an English speaking country. Then two days later we get the new version of the Yellow Pages and it's also in Spanish and the front cover says that the English version is in the back of the book. I was a little confused at how they could possibly push the English text to the back and have the Spanish text in the front.
I don't hate Hispanic people it's just I would like to be able to read things in my own country without having to search for the translation.

I think you've had a lax care for your own culture, with the no official language posture.
You need to discriminate more, it has done wonders for us Argentinians with immigrants.

DISCLAIMER: I don't hate Hispanics or Mexicans, in fact it's a proven fact that Mexicans are hard and loyal workers.

How disgusting political correctness is.

[Imperator]

Pfff....

Latin kicks the shit out of both of em.

Victor: Latin

[damionford]

English is dominant in the world now, but 20 years it will be on the verge of death like Latin. As lation immigration continues and with the government helping them spanish will be lerned before english soon enough

[LordJaric]

At 8/13/07 01:07 AM, damionford wrote: English is dominant in the world now, but 20 years it will be on the verge of death like Latin. As lation immigration continues and with the government helping them spanish will be lerned before english soon enough

I got four word for you, not going to happen.

[fli]

At 8/13/07 01:07 AM, damionford wrote: English is dominant in the world now, but 20 years it will be on the verge of death like Latin. As lation immigration continues and with the government helping them spanish will be lerned before english soon enough

I don't see this happening. At all.
While right now Spanish is a prominant language in the United States (I being very fluent in both languages because of my heritage...) 2nd and 3rd generation born Latinos tend to become English speakers only.

Sometimes in the 2nd genration... I have cousins who can't speak Spanish at all, yet they're 2nd generation like me.

And what about their children? They'll hear some of their grandparents Spanish language television and radio... know their friends... and then learn and forget the 2 years of Spanish in high school.

So what's all this fuss?
There's no other way to put it: White people = always scared.

[damionford]

I got four word for you, not going to happen.

Why not my i ask?

[Korriken]

At 8/13/07 01:13 AM, damionford wrote:

I got four word for you, not going to happen.

Why not my i ask?

well, besides german, its the most common language in the world.

[JoS]

At 8/12/07 04:08 PM, Encratis wrote: DISCLAIMER: I don't hate Hispanics or Mexicans, in fact it's a proven fact that Mexicans are hard and loyal workers.

IS that supposed to be a joke of some sort? And Flroida, its nto as much Mexicans as it is Cubans. Also their is no official language for the US, english is nto the official language of the US, it just so happens that it is the one most people (although that number is continuely shrinking) speak. If you look at the languages that various states have adopted as official languages you actually have 3 languages that have official status somewhere in the US, english, spanish and french. However in the state of Florida the official language is English and only english despite teh fact that 16% of Floridas population speaks Spanish in the home.

You should have taken spanish instead of German. How many hot german girls are their in your cuty as opposed to hot spanish girls?

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 8/12/07 09:32 PM, Der-Lowe wrote:

At 8/12/07 04:08 PM, Encratis wrote: I live in Florida and there is a very large population of Hispanic peoples who either don't speak or have trouble speaking English.

Yeah, like those people who ignore that people is already a plural and add an s at the end of it, creating the square of a plural ;)

Actually, that's grammatically and contextually correct. "People" is a group of more than one person. When you have more than one of these groups, it becomes "peoples."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Peoples

[Drakim]

English is used for a lot more shit that people realize. For example, almost all programing and scripting is based on English, even in countries that don't speak english normaly. And just look at the internet. How many web pages like Newgrounds aren't in english?

[fli]

At 8/13/07 05:16 AM, IllustriousPotentate wrote:

At 8/12/07 09:32 PM, Der-Lowe wrote:

At 8/12/07 04:08 PM, Encratis wrote: I live in Florida and there is a very large population of Hispanic peoples who either don't speak or have trouble speaking English.

Yeah, like those people who ignore that people is already a plural and add an s at the end of it, creating the square of a plural ;)

Actually, that's grammatically and contextually correct. "People" is a group of more than one person. When you have more than one of these groups, it becomes "peoples."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Peoples

True... we can have a plural of groups. I understand "Hispanic peoples" can denote a group of Mexicans AND a group of Chileans...

But it's "Hispanic people."
Adding the plural suffix would make it rudundant... like saying "American peoples." (Which could be correct, but... it sounds soooooo weird like "Hispanic peoples.")

I've only seen one example of a plural of a plural been used logically and grammatically correct in my whole life... and that was in a children's grammar book I had years ago.

[SmilezRoyale]

DISCLAIMER: I don't hate Hispanics or Mexicans, in fact it's a proven fact that Mexicans are hard and loyal workers.
How disgusting political correctness is.

plus the fact that he used a steriotype.

An assimalated hispanic can be just as lazy as an american.
________________________________________
_____________________________

Latin on the other hand is not so great a language when you learn that it got it's ass kicked by french and german.

Then english kicked French
________________________________________
_____________________________

my concern is that hispanics are going to start being hated if they're population booms inside the US. Loss of the english language is also a bit of an interesting turn around because english itself is the current standard buisness language; what happens if americans can't speak it?

Doesn't really matter, there are plent of bilingual trilingual countries out there.

[Der-Lowe]

At 8/13/07 05:16 AM, IllustriousPotentate wrote:

Thanks for teaching me something today!
Although I dislike "peoples" as much as I dislike "persons", so I won't be keen on using it.

[Imperator]

The sad thing is that I've seen better English skills from foreigners on these boards than I have from born and raised Americans......

When the foreigners knows "their, there, they're/ two too, to" better than the average American......I cry.....

[Buckdich]

Latinos are the superior race so I don't seem to have a problem with it.

[Brick-top]

I know exactly what you mean, I can see that sort of thing happening here with the Polish. It's the second most spoken language on the Island and I hear word that they are going to start teaching it in schools. For fuck sake isn't French, German and Latin enough!?!

In the title I atcually thought you meant in soccer or something lol GO ENGLAND!

[reviewer-general]

At 8/13/07 12:45 AM, Imperator wrote: Pfff....

Latin kicks the shit out of both of em.

Victor: Latin

How about Italian? That's close and people actually SPEAK it. Well, in larger numbers, anyway.

How's your Latin coming by the way?

;

[Elfer]

Did you check the other side of the form to see if there was English on it?

[Imperator]

At 8/13/07 10:11 PM, reviewer-general wrote:
How about Italian? That's close and people actually SPEAK it. Well, in larger numbers, anyway.

Italian; also sweet. I'll eventually have to learn that one too in order to get my Ph.D

How's your Latin coming by the way?

Good, thanks for asking! I can actually make out a good chunk of your sig without needing any sort of reference or dictionary. Amazing what a few weeks difference makes.

My final exam is on Wednesday, after which I will have completed the 6 week course, covering 24 weeks worth of material. Hopefully I'll retain some of it so I can do well in my next Latin class this fall....

I might be taking Greek this semester too. I need to get at least a year in before I bounce out of Umich so I can be a good candidate for a Master's program. The fun never ends! ;)

[Der-Lowe]

At 8/13/07 11:46 PM, Imperator wrote:

At 8/13/07 10:11 PM, reviewer-general wrote:
How about Italian? That's close and people actually SPEAK it. Well, in larger numbers, anyway.

Italian; also sweet. I'll eventually have to learn that one too in order to get my Ph.D

Bah, Italian (like Portuguese) is too easy; you learn to speak it in 6 months.
The advantages of having a romance language as your native language!

[AndreFidalgo]

At 8/14/07 05:34 PM, Der-Lowe wrote:

At 8/13/07 11:46 PM, Imperator wrote:

At 8/13/07 10:11 PM, reviewer-general wrote:
How about Italian? That's close and people actually SPEAK it. Well, in larger numbers, anyway.

Italian; also sweet. I'll eventually have to learn that one too in order to get my Ph.D

Bah, Italian (like Portuguese) is too easy; you learn to speak it in 6 months.
The advantages of having a romance language as your native language!

its easy for u that speaks spanish try getting a german to speak spanish or portuguese , in 6 months this person may learn the vocabulary but in no way this person ll speak without a problem like gender , number or degree

[Milesaway13]

If they want to live here, they should learn the language that we are native to. Simple.

[TonyTostieno]

At 8/13/07 07:38 PM, Imperator wrote: The sad thing is that I've seen better English skills from foreigners on these boards than I have from born and raised Americans......

When the foreigners knows "their, there, they're/ two too, to" better than the average American......I cry.....

I laugh about it, the thing is ESL classes are a hell of a lot more strict about it, plus they probably think that if they speak it better than more people will be able to understand them through their accent/won't be doushbags to them. And no, I don't know how to spell doush and probably never will.
Also I was born in Boston and have lived in TX for the past 4 years, so yeah, I'm American.

[SmilezRoyale]

At 8/14/07 10:40 PM, Milesaway13 wrote: If they want to live here, they should learn the language that we are native to. Simple.

Ah you see but you're forgetting something. This is the new world order where fear of repeating the mistakes of rascism give minorities the perpetual legal highground. If somone french comes to your town, everyone must learn french.

[Elfer]

At 8/14/07 10:40 PM, Milesaway13 wrote: If they want to live here, they should learn the language that we are native to. Simple.

What if businesses find that it's profitable to cater to people who don't speak English?

That's how capitalism works, sport.

[InFamous-Ghozt]

At 8/13/07 01:32 AM, Korriken wrote:

At 8/13/07 01:13 AM, damionford wrote:

I got four word for you, not going to happen.

Why not my i ask?

well, besides german, its the most common language in the world.

german is so not the common language its spanish and english