English...

[PhelanKA]

So long as the lingua franca is English, people working in the US should be expected to speak English fluently. That's just simple logic. When/if the lingua franca changes then I'll be glad to learn that language to accomodate civilization.

[pickled_heretic]

Originally Posted by PhelanKA [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So long as the lingua franca is English, people working in the US should be expected to speak English fluently. That's just simple logic. When/if the lingua franca changes then I'll be glad to learn that language to accomodate civilization.

"should be expected" is not a policy change. Are you saying the status quo is acceptable, or are you saying that English should be made the Official language of the United States?

[PhelanKA]

Originally Posted by pickled_heretic [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

"should be expected" is not a policy change. Are you saying the status quo is acceptable, or are you saying that English should be made the Official language of the United States?

Everyone in the world should be expected to speak English. As I said... It's the lingua franca (that is no longer franca [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] )

But making it a law? Sounds a bit far fetched to me. Common sense should make law obsolete and not the other way around. Unfortunately people want leglislate everything instead of acting in a rational sense and I believe that is what the OP is upset about.

Logically, someone in charge of customer service over the telephone should speak English fluently in the United States. To have hired someone that doesn't speak English fluently is illogical and both the employer and employee should be fired... from a cannon preferably.

[rioisk]

Originally Posted by PhelanKA [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Everyone in the world should be expected to speak English. As I said... It's the lingua franca (that is no longer franca [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] )

But making it a law? Sounds a bit far fetched to me. Common sense should make law obsolete and not the other way around. Unfortunately people want leglislate everything instead of acting in a rational sense and I believe that is what the OP is upset about.

Logically, someone in charge of customer service over the telephone should speak English fluently in the United States. To have hired someone that doesn't speak English fluently is illogical and both the employer and employee should be fired... from a cannon preferably.

Perhaps you are right but English isn't exactly the easiest language to learn--especially if you aren't immersed in it day to day. How many languages do you know fluently? Was it super easy for you to learn those additional languages from a book? Oh rosetta stone? Does everybody in the world own computers? Fuck many don't even have access to good books.

From an outside perspective, English is one of the hardest languages to learn and speak because it's a mass of irregularity in grammar/construction/pronunciation.

Further, you must keep in mind that meaning doesn't always translate directly. Very simple example: "Yo tengo hambre" in spanish translates literally in English to "I have hunger". This is possession as opposed to in the English we say "I am hungry" which is a state of being. Imagine the shift in mindset one must have when learning a different language.....not the easiest thing to do for everybody.

I give credit to non-native English speakers for trying as hard as they do and dealing with people who don't have any patience. Not to be racially insensitive but it's the ebonics English that I can't understand......I mean why even try to speak English if it comes out as a bunch of mumbling?

[Theldios]

Originally Posted by rioisk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Perhaps you are right but English isn't exactly the easiest language to learn--especially if you aren't immersed in it day to day. How many languages do you know fluently? Was it super easy for you to learn those additional languages from a book?

I happen to speak 2 languages fluently english and spanish. spanish is my 2nd language and took me 6 months to be conversational in spanish from book learning and speaking to people who speak spanish.
Learning a language is fairly easy if you REALLY want or need to learn.
It is a matter of wanting.
Most are too lazy to try to learn another language to fluency. and that is the problem too many lazy people in the world.