Press One For English (Miami, Weston: sales, crimes, college)

[Trusses]

Originally Posted by palermodude

And I think it's common courtesy for an Anglo to speak the language of the majority of Miami Dade. If you cannot, at least make an attempt. If you don't make an attempt, you are rude. Like I referred to earlier, I advertise my jobs as bilingual. That way we avoid the freakin' problem altogether, and we can avoid hurting your feelings.

I hope my bilingual job requirements solve the problem of making people feel uncomfortable and relieve me of the subjective burden of having to cater to someone's insecurities or definition of courtesy. GBTUSA for private enterprise.

What usually happens in my neck of the woods, when an Anglo tries to speak Spanish, most of us make a little more effort in speaking English. In the end, we end up making huge compromises for a little effort on your part. But you really should make the first move. Remember, there are some highly qualified professionals that cannot speak English very well - so it works both ways. I teach many of them during business school night classes in a local institution of higher learning, so I know first-hand.

OMG. Someone like this makes me want to pull my freakin hair out! The sad thing is, there are many many more who probably feel the same way doen there.

[tallrick]

What language was the Constitution written in? What language is the rest of the law written in, Spanish? The point is that a citizen or resident needs to learn English to properly live in this country. Nothing prevents people from being bi or multilingual. However, English is the language of the founding fathers and if a person refuses to learn it, that person is no more than an alien or a tourist.

[Trusses]

Originally Posted by tallrick

What language was the Constitution written in? What language is the rest of the law written in, Spanish? The point is that a citizen or resident needs to learn English to properly live in this country. Nothing prevents people from being bi or multilingual. However, English is the language of the founding fathers and if a person refuses to learn it, that person is no more than an alien or a tourist.

Unfortunately TallRick, in some places in S FL, and you know this as well as anyone, English is no longer a necessity. Once so many people move to an area, take it over, speak their language, etc... it doesnt put any pressure on them to assimilate.

[Leovigildo]

All city government meetings should be officially bilingual with the minutes recorded in both languages.
Miami should become an official bilingual city, that way we can officially admit to the world what we are, and quit trying to hide it.
Universities need to have large quantities of degrees taught in Spanish (like MBA programs taught entirely in Spanish, etc).
In Italy, one of the best business schools offers MBA in English. We need to develop at least 2-3 similar programs here for Spanish.
Finally, we are in danger of destroying the quality of the Spanish here in Miami if we continue to relegate Spanish to a second class seat. The more official our language policy is, the easier it will be to legislate policies that will work to not only preserve and protect Spanish, but it will also help improve Spanish for those of us who have grown up multilingual, but since we lived many years in the States, we don't always speak the language perfectly as someone who was born, raised, and educated in officially Spanish-speaking countries.

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Palermo

But Dade is officially trilingual? no?
You are right, Miami should work to improve the quality of Spanish.
Spanish is one of the biggest assets of Miami.
Many corporations complain that when they hire bilingual staff, their Spanish is bad.
I know many people that speak good Spanish and were born there, but they went to private schools with courses in Spanish.
On the other hand, "El Nuevo Herald" and "Diario de las Americas" are very well written.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by Trusses

Respect, courtesy, common sense........ you're speaking about Miami Doggiebus, remember?

Anyhow, people would do that crap to me and start speaking in spanish at work, and I used to hate that. We'd all be talking in Englsih like normal people and then all of a sudden, spanish-spanish-spanish...

"Talking in English like normal people " .. so only abnormal people speak languages other than English ?

You really make it difficult to try and enforce a point and ignorant comments like that one will only enforce arguments like the one Palermodude espouses . You should really think before you type .

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by tallrick

What language was the Constitution written in? What language is the rest of the law written in, Spanish? The point is that a citizen or resident needs to learn English to properly live in this country. Nothing prevents people from being bi or multilingual. However, English is the language of the founding fathers and if a person refuses to learn it, that person is no more than an alien or a tourist.

I rarely agree or enjoy your posts as they are mostly doom and gloom , but this one is excellent ..... bravo

[Leovigildo]

However, English is the language of the founding fathers and if a person refuses to learn it, that person is no more than an alien or a tourist.

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Tallrick

Why do you assume that people not interested in speaking in English to you don't know any English?

Why do you assume that people that speak Spanish at the workplace with other Spanish speaking co-workers don't know any English?

Maybe they speak the Queen's English, but they don't want to speak English with you.

[Trusses]

Originally Posted by Rock Newman

"Talking in English like normal people " .. so only abnormal people speak languages other than English ?

You really make it difficult to try and enforce a point and ignorant comments like that one will only enforce arguments like the one Palermodude espouses . You should really think before you type .

OMG, what are you, the PC police? Yeah I said it, "talking in English like normal people" because in the US, this is normal. Maybe not in Miami but this is normal in most US workplaces.

[Loggerhead Shrike]

People coming to this country should learn English. To not do so limits what you can do here. I really don't expect older people to learn it well. Learning a new language is very difficult, more so for the elderly. I also do not believe that anyone born and raised here does not speak English. I rarely encounter someone who has been here for years that can't at least speak passable English (there are some exceptions) so I think it is exaggerated to say that people in Miami don't want to learn the language and it is just a tired and often repeated phrase of people who just don't want to hear Spanish. There is freedom of speech and if someone wants to speak Spanish in public they should do so. I do not care if complete strangers do not understand what I am saying. It's none of their business. To speak in a foreign language in a group where some might not understand is rude though. Americans also need to learn other languages. Europeans are very impressive with their linguistic abilities. I have heard better English from some Dutch and Danish people than some Americans. I have also seen the American wanting everyone to speak English abroad. Very annoying. When I meet an "Anglo" american that can speak another language, even with an accent, I am quite impressed. Can be very cute .

PS: Spanish is not an abnormal language in Florida. It was spoken here way before English was ever heard here.

[Leovigildo]

There is freedom of speech and if someone wants to speak Spanish in public they should do so. I do not care if complete strangers do not understand what I am saying.
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It seems they love eavesdropping.

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Very annoying. When I meet an "Anglo" american that can speak another language, even with an accent, I am quite impressed. Can be very cute.
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I bet there are but I've never met any, at least concerning Spanish.

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PS: Spanish is not an abnormal language in Florida. It was spoken here way before English was ever heard here.

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