Learning English

Andrew Friedman

Last week, President Bush spoke out against a Spanish-language version of the national anthem. Beyond throwing a bone to his anti-immigrant base, Bush was also showing his small-mindedness. When books or authors are translated, it is trumpeted as a sign of their strength and success. Using very contorted logic, Bush and his allies tried to paint the translation of the national anthem into Spanish as un-American. In fact, the song was a demonstration of patriotism. The fact is that millions of people in the US are still in the process of learning English, and now they can sing a version of the national anthem in Spanish. It doesn't mean that they won't continue to learn English. Also, other Latino immigrants who speak both Spanish and English can now sing the song in either language.

Behind the dust-up over the national anthem, though, lies a more serious issue. Bush's comments represent a deeply xenophobic attitude, a failure to except that by speaking Spanish people are not saying they are against speaking English. Our country is enriched, culturally and economically, by multi-linguism.

Beyond the national anthem, though, the immigration debate has included a lot of lip service about the importance of learning English. Certainly, learning English expands opportunities for immigrants, and that's why immigrants crowd ESL classes across the nation. Nonetheless, learning English takes time, and support.

Our city, state and national governments, though, have failed to put our money where their mouths are. If we want immigrants to learn English, it is crucial for politicians to increase our public investment in English language acquisition programs and ESL classes. Everything else is just hot air.

Andrew Friedman: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 9:19 AM, May 01, 2006 in Immigration
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Comments

whiner.

You want more of my poorly spent taxes going to this cause?

Every day life is an ESL class. Try moving to Mexico and ask where the SSL classes are.

Please stop suggesting stupid ways to waste my taxes. You my continue wimpering about how hard it is for those who are too lazy to learn to speaka da langwidj.

Adios
Haywood

whiner.

You want more of my poorly spent taxes going to this cause?

Every day life is an ESL class. Try moving to Mexico and ask where the SSL classes are.

Please stop suggesting stupid ways to waste my taxes. You may continue wimpering about how hard it is for those who are too lazy to learn to speaka da langwidj.

Adios
Haywood

Your tax dollars? Immigrants pay taxes, too, pal. In fact, a National Academy of Sciences study from the late 1990s concluded that the average immigrant and their immediate descendents pay $80,000 more in tax contributions over the course of their lives than they receive in benefits.

What language, exactly? Last time I checked, the US does not have an official language!

And I really don't know what planet you're from where translating a short piece of poetry would cost a lot of money. I'd be willing to bet, if it was a possibility, someone would do it pro bono.

The state of language education in this country is a disgrace. Most high school and beyond educated people in Europe speak at least one or two languages besides their native tongue. Language study not only enriches our education and broadens our horizons in a global economy, it also is a great way to help students learn to speak English better.

Hey Friedman? I read your stuff, and I wonder if English is your first language.
This makes no sense to me. It's almost gibberish.
Quoting Friedman:
"Bush's comments represent a deeply xenophobic attitude, a failure to except(sic) that by speaking Spanish people are not saying they are against speaking English."
If English is indeed your primary language, you would have used the common word "accept", rather than "except".
Paco, or Friedo, or whoever you think you are, I can tell that you're doing your ESL at an acceptable level, but you have blown your little pretense of immitating a Jewish pseudointellectual
English is said to be a rather difficult language for foreigners to learn. Now your next step is to learn some of the nuances.
For instance, what is "deeply xenophobic"? How would you defend your choice of the words "deeply xenophobic"?
Perhaps, when making such a claim, you might want to support the relative deepness of the xenophobia somehow.
Just a suggestion ;-)
OK quiz time. ready?

You have to understand that sticking adverbs, like "deeply" here and there for 1.affect?, or 2.effect? (You pick the right word) would be considered an 1.effectation? or 2.affectation? (pick the right word)
Before starting to pop off about the social consequences of learning English, take a brush up course yourself.
The next lesson, will be a dissection of your works, pointing out in detail, not just your semantic inconsitencies, but also the glaring logical fallacies.
We will begin with Aristotle. Your first assignment will be to run through Aristotle's 13 fallacies. Wikipedia has a nice introduction here-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy
After learning this material, you will be given a quiz. If you pass, then we can 1.preceed or 2.proceed (pick the right word). I should charge you $$ for this.

Um you are a total anti-semite and flipping out about someone choosing the wrong spelling of a word.
What the hell is up with this comment?
"You have blown your little pretense of immitating a Jewish pseudointellectual English is said to be a rather difficult language for foreigners to learn"

I don't throw around the word anti-semite often but how the hell is that not an anti-semitic thing to say to a jewish writer. By the way, are you implying he's a race-traitor for defending the rights of non-white people?