Learning Foreign Language

[Alsatian]

I see Obama is quoted as urging us to have our children learn Spanish rather than insisting that only English is taught in school. Of course, Obama is grand-standing a bit and distorting the point a bit. It isn't the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language -- for example, along side French, German, Mandarin, etc. -- that people object to, it is the teaching of core subjects, such as math, history, science, in Spanish to immigrants.

But leaving this aside, my question is . . . what language do you encourage your children to study in high school? I encourged my children to study French. I had several reasons for this. I myself am pretty skilled in French, having taken about 30 semester hours of French in college and reading a number of French novels/books after college, continuing until now. So, I could help them study and prepare. Additionally, I felt that French literature had greater depth. Also, knowing French is an aide in learning about French cooking, which I enjoy a great deal. I could have supported studying German, also. Latin would have been good -- great background for understanding other languages and understanding our own English. Madarin Chinese boosts over 1 Billion speakers, and of course the growing economic role of China is another reason. Why would I want my kids to learn Spanish? So they can talk to the people who we hire to mow our lawns or so they can talk to the dry wallers building the new houses? What is the argument for preferring to learn Spanish over other languages such as French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese? By the way . . . I am baiting a bit with my provocative disparagement of Spanish above, but that is just part of the fun of posting.

[Lanse couche couche]

Little Lanse is a long ways from High School, but I would encourage Chinese and Spanish. Whether one likes it or not, knowledge of those languages will only get more important in the future.

[bergall]

I don't have a problem with kids learning Spanish, but I'd see 'em learn 2 languages.
Spanish, like it or not, is a very common language in the U.S. and it is widely spoken
in some areas. Why not be able to speak it ? I become somewhat conversational in
Spanish back in High School and on a recent trip to Chile this came in VERY handy
indeed. I'd encourage Mandarin Chinese, Hindi or ***anese as another language.
Chinese and Hindi and the languages of the developing industrial giants...with
***anese being just a cool thing to know.....

[Big Duane]

English needs to be declared out national language - Obama is against that because he wants votes from Mexicans

That said, both my kids WILL get through high school semi-fluent in Spanish - sorry, its the way of the world and will prepare them

[bergall]

ORIGINAL: Big Duane

English needs to be declared out national language - Obama is against that because he wants votes from Mexicans

That said, both my kids WILL get through high school semi-fluent in Spanish - sorry, its the way of the world and will prepare them

You're right about the 'way of the world'...and I agree we need English declared our "National Language".
That will stop all the BS and require immigrants to 'naturalize' and 'become Americans'. That's the major
difference nowadays, I believe. My grandparents came thru Ellis Island in the 20's and 30's....and they
subjected themselves to whatever it took to get here because they WANTED to BE Americans. Not so
with today's parasitic invaders....

[F3d]

what language do you encourage your children to study in high school?

None, it has to be done early.

What is the argument for preferring to learn Spanish over other languages such as French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese?

Well, it's impressing to chicas.

[kevin1]

I read somewhere that more than 95% of Americans never leave the country, the remainder do so primarily for recreation or business travel and don't bother to learn the language of the host country since they don't plan to emigrate there. I've personally traveledabout half of this planet, and not once have I been anywhere that I couldn't find an english speaking person if I needed assistance. The international language of business and air travel is english, and it ain't because of England because the international tongue for both used to be French prior to WW2. If children pursue learning a foreign language it should be because they are interested in that language, not because foreigners and liberals want them to. As for Obama, well, maybe he should move to Europe with the rest of the socialists since he appears to admire them so much.

[Lanse couche couche]

Kevin,

You do realize that there are a hell of a lot of jobs out there that require fluency in a second language like Spanish or Chinese. In parts of south Florida you need to know Spanish just to get a job at a convenience store.

I've got a buddy who got a law degree, then got fluent in Chinese. He is now raking in money like he has the patent on the wheel.

[hillbillyhunter1]

I took a lot of french in high school and college, been to France and Quebec, but other than that have not found it very useful. I probably could have had about the same experiece in those countries if the only french I knew was "Je parle anglais"

I wish we would declare English as the national language. Shouldn't be that hard for us considering we are probably one of the last countries to be totallly embeeded in the system of English weights and measures (which I never see ending where lay people are concerned).

However, when it comes to actual utility, Spanish is where it's at for a second language. It can really open a lot of doors for job opportunites given it's practical neccesity around here (U.S.). I find for the most part Hispanic people to be very hard working, family-oriented, and friendly and it will only benefit someone to be able to communicate effectively with them.

Well then why not mandate that they learn English then you ask??? As long as our system tries to adhere to English, I would assume that most hispanics will assimilate, although you have to remember that many foreign born hispanics may be illiterate even in spanish, so perhaps their children will be the ones to assimilate (which is often the case).

Ironically, it seems that the more assimilated they become, the more they lose, imo, many times, the positive qualities that they originally possessed

[oldelkhunter]

Why would I want my kids to learn Spanish? So they can talk to the people who we hire to mow our lawns or so they can talk to the dry wallers building the new houses? What is the argument for preferring to learn Spanish over other languages such as French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese?

I am glad your baiting and hopefully not meaning what you said. My question to you is what use is there in learning theFrench language? It is spoken in France,Quebec and 1/2 of St Maarten? Spanish is spoken in Spain and south of the US Borderwith the exception of Brazil who can understand it anyway since Portugese is similiar to a Spanish dialect as well as inthe Phillipines. If you are fluent inSpanish you know Latin as well.

In my opinion you better get a real good handle onSpanish , Mandarin or both if you plan on having a business in the future. I think Europe and the USA in the future will have even stronger relations then we have now and it will be East vs West .