[Grovenet] Habla English?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I agree there is probably a "tsunami" of language issues headed our way, but
is it necessary for everyone to learn several languages or to pay the bill
for special services for those who do not? I don't think so. 

I have found that language is a doorway into the culture of the speaker. One
thinks differently in different languages and it's hard to really understand
a culture unless one speaks its language. 

Conversely, trying to impose many different languages onto a culture
profoundly changes it. 

It's not lost on me that I am eligible to carry a Dutch Passport without
giving up my American citizenship, since I'm married to a Dutch citizen,
*provided* I first pass a test proving that I'm fluent in spoken and written
Dutch. Dutch people all learn at least one or two other languages in school,
starting as very small children in "kindergarten". English is one of those.
However, Dutch is the language of the land and anyone who would carry a
Dutch passport must be fluent in it. 

Not a bad idea, I think. 

Ron D'Eau Claire



-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of allnutt
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 8:07 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Habla English?


Consider the following populations:
The illegals who speak English. Call them group A.
The illegals who don't speak English.   Group B.
The legals who speak English   Group C
The legals who don't speak English.    Group D
The legals who are bilingual.  Group E

I'm assuming that when you say,  "A large percentage of them are here 
illegally", you are claiming that group B is larger than group D. And when
you say "much larger than our English speaking illegal population" 
you mean that group B is larger than group A.
When the school district or city has been mandated to address the needs of 
group D, why should we complain that the byproduct of such mandate is that 
it also helps group B? Especially when the ultimate people who benefit are 
group E?

 My nephew who is getting his MBA is learning both Spanish AND Chinese. 
Some people with business foresight are claiming that it is the way to go if

you want to survive the next 20 years.  Could the city and school notices in

Spanish possibly be considered the 'canary in the coal mine'  or 'the 
writing on the wall' telling those of us who only speak English that need to

pay attention?  I can grumble that somebody has to take the time to 
translate these things or I can say, hey I want to be one of those with 
foresight and maybe it is time for me to pay attention to what is happening 
in the world.

Some of us see a tsunami of language issues heading for this country 
(Spanish, Chinese, AND Arabic).   I know that I want my kids to get more 
language skills, not fewer and I won't waste my time complaining that they 
can sit in a meeting and practice their Spanish just by flipping the paper 
over. Sometimes I actually turn the school notices over and see if I can 
read them in Spanish first.  Not because it is fun, because it is not, but 
because it is good for me, it is good for my kids and the people in their 
generation, and it is good thing for the future of this country too.

Katie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven" <NoSpam03 at comcast.net>
To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 6:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Habla English?


>A large percentage of them are here illegally.  Much larger than our  
>English speaking illegal population.  Doesn't that bother you?
>
> Allen Warren wrote:
>>
>> So what's the problem?
>>
>> Allen Warren
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Ron D'Eau Claire <rondec at easystreet.com>
>> To: Forest Grove local interests list <grovenet at rdrop.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 4:12:19 PM
>> Subject: [Grovenet] Habla English?
>>
>>
>> I notice in the current City bill an Invitation to the Annual 
>> Community Meeting. The invitation is in Spanish on one side. Is that 
>> so our non-English, Spanish speaking citizens will know to attend?
>>
>> So, will everything be translated for them at the meeting, or will 
>> the meeting be held in Spanish? If so, why?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GroveNet mailing list
>> GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>>
>>
>>
>>
____________________________________________________________________________
________
>>
>> Do you Yahoo!?
>> Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
>> http://new.mail.yahoo.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> GroveNet mailing list
>> GroveNet at rdrop.com
>> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
> 


_______________________________________________
GroveNet mailing list
GroveNet at rdrop.com
http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet