Hi, Belushi!

Great saying....

Does the Lebanese heart mean what I think? Please say hi to our friend.

Spanish: well, I can't say I'm at the point where I am speaking it fluently -- far from it. A wonderful CD Spanish self-teaching course by Michel Thomas was my point of departure. I highly recommend his CD course, though I found I couldn't do it while driving; it does require concentration.

Oceans

Oceans, the more I look into sign language the more complex it becomes there are so many varieties but I decided to start with the basic American Sign Language (ASL) I am beginning on my own with books and videos and hope to find a few deaf community activities where I can practice and learn more. I have absolutely no knowledge of the Asian language, so can offer no comparison nor differences.

Give them a need and Americans will learn it!

This isnt Europe.
I have Virginia to the N, Georgia, SC, and Ala to the S, Tenn to the W, and 3,000 mi of Atlantic ocean to the E.

I speak every one of those languages.

There are many reasons to teach second languages early in life. Children learn languages more easily than adults. It been clearly shown that knowing more than one language increases a persons reasoning and learning abilities. It can also increase a persons ability to earn more money as it opens up multiple opportunities not open to those who know only one language.

None of those things have a single thing to do with being a "loyal America"

The real shame is that people like my grandparents who worked hard, paid taxes, never asked for a penny of government assistance, sent family to multiple wars and were strong and active members of their community quit speaking German at home because they were afraid that those "loyal Americans" who might hear them would think they were Nazis.

Sound familiar? See that happening now to other ethnic groups.

Oh and lastly, please if you are going to criticize others for advocating learning other languages, learn to speak and write your own first. It never ceases to amuse me when I read these sort of raves by people who cannot write a semi-readable sentence.

well said

Poppy-****!

The Europeans who seem to have a different language, for what is the equivalent here of every state, have been involved in more wars than anywhere. Except maybe the ME, and still remain divided with more internal bickering than we have ever seen.

How's that for reasoning and learning! Just because someone can speak two languages doesn't mean they are smarter. It just means they've had to learn, or they wanted to devote the time to learn. This could mean that they have failed to devote time to other studies even. It has Zero significance to reasoning or intelligence.

Here in America, where 90% of the population doesn't need to speak but one language, we are more united and have been responsible for the majority of technological and medical discoveries since our existence. We are undoubtedly the most innovative country on the planet. Your reasoning is flawed.

The reason immigrants, like your grandparents, quit speaking their native language is because to become a citizen it is required. They wished to communicate and prosper in a new homeland where the language spoken is English and took the time to learn it. They most likely still spoke it at home and only stopped as generation after generation, not needing to speak it, didn't pass it down anymore.

Most Americans dont speak a foreign language because they dont need to. Those who feel the need are offered the opportunity to freely study another language by choice. Most dont, and most will never have the need to speak a language other English in their life!

It should not be mandatory for any citizen within our borders to speak any language other than English. It currently is mandatory, and the opportunity has always, and still does exist for anyone who freely chooses to learn a second language to do so.

This whole debate is only brought on by a few illegal immigrants who dont wish to assimilate and learn our language, period!

This pertains to what part of her post?
Fanta, bad assumption. My parents took it upon themselves to make sure we spoke English and our native Spanish, and trust me I may not be a genius by anyone's standards but I never neglected any of my studies, just studied harder and got better grades than most to prove myself and better myself.

another assumption, you are trying to speak for the masses namely 90% of the population. Why so defensive? Whats the big deal with improving and expanding the knowledge we already have?

completely false and uncalled for
[assumption no facts stated] wow never would have expected this

so misinformed - in order to graduate high school my daughter had to have 2 years of a foreign language, why not you?
thankfully you have inserted a period otherwise we'd just continue on with this topic

What is 'our' language as you speak for the masses??? Dont forget I speak more than one myself, but you are the word for the masses.

Holy Moly Quoting!!!!!!

Stop it!!!

Not you, Fran, yours had a point.

just addressing point by point, but the quoting is getting outta hand

LMAO,

The language of my birth of course!
What language is spoken in Schools and Government?
What language is Our Pledge of Alligance and The Constitution written in?

I was born outside of these fine walls.

Schools speak a multitude of languages and require a 2nd language in order to graduate and be eligible to attend universities. (press 1 for spanish, on all telephone lines relating to governmental agencies )

Depends on where you look, the language of the Pledge of Allegiance, I learned it in spanish first

Mighty big responsibility when one assumes to speak for the masses. still respect you, but you're wrong

You were required to learn this language. You probably already spoke Spanish.
You are also only a first generation and given time your children will forget! You aren't qualified to say, history is.
There are millions of Mexican Americans, German Americans, Italian Americans etc who have three, four, and five generations of American family members here. They have mostly forgotten their Native languages. This is fact and history.

You said its not a requirement for citizenship.
Since when?

The part of the Europeans pertains to her comment on reasoning abilities.

The ability to reason is not consistent with world and civil wars or genocide. The European continent, full of hundreds of languages, has been the scene of many of the bloodiest conflicts and genocides in history.

You could travel from London to Baghdad and still go no further than NY to LA! When people talk about comparisons they must keep perspective otherwise the argument is inaccurate!

Before the government looked the other way concerning illegal immigration. Before we had 12-24 million non-English speaking, illegal immigrants here we didn't have to push a button to talk on the phone.

Like I said earlier that is the only thing that drives this debate.

Learning another language in school has always been a choice in this country. There is nothing new going on in school today than went on in 1966. Other than the number of illegal immigrants children occupying seats in our schools.

What language was our constitution written in?

It's my guess that if you could get in a time machine and meet any of the signers of that document you would be somewhat unfamiliar with the English they spoke.

As for Obama saying maybe it should be mandatory to learn another language I beleive he was attempting to make people think. Hearing his comments I beleive he was simply making a point about the ethnocentrism of many U.S. citizens as well as making a comment on the extremely poor state of education in the United States.

And the fact that all of our "melting pot" has not continued the tradition of speaking their native tongue is terribly sad. We should be embracing the multitude of heritages in this country, there should be native American spoken on the streets, German, Italian, French, Spanish, etc... All of them should spoken on the streets because that is what we are made of.

I think the title of this thread is misleading. It says, "Obama Rejects English". That is so not true. He is encouraging us to keep up with the times.

When you call a gov agency they dont say push 2 for German, or 3 for Russian, or any of the other hundreds of languages immigrants coming to America speak. Just Spanish, just the one where millions are here illegally and refusing to learn English!

And this is a big SO WHAT!!!! I do not see millions of cases of carpel tunnel from pressing one on the dam phone, sheesh.

such hostility
immigration

also In order to graduate high school in the year 2008 and be able to gain admission to a University, requirement is 2 years of a foreign language.

Expanding our knowledge is not detrimental it is beneficial, it's available to those that wish to utilize it.

Fanta you are wrong, there are other languages offered for the ease of the caller, I just chose to not mention as you are soooo against Spanish