engaged Loc: New York City and Broward County Florida

Alicia said:
Yes, these immigrants are different. I haven't checked into it but I know that years ago there was a requirement for immigrants to attend classes to learn the American English language. My husband taught English classes for the foreign born.

----------------------

This is true and I wish we would go back to that requirement. College ESL programs and government agencies are so careful to be politically correct and not insult foreigners that over the last 40 years or so, we demand very little of our immigrants.

I believe that if the US reinstated measures to require that immigrants learn English within a reasonable time period, say three years, there would be far less resentment among our population. I say three years because it takes two years to really learn the language at a College Freshman level.

We must continue to encourage immigration; otherwise, we will lose the creativity and dedication that keeps our country great. As far as I know, the majority of Americans are in favor of reforming the i*********n l*ws, but, in general, Congress is not representing the people. Perhaps we should write to our Senators and Representatives to add language learning and cultural education as a prerequisite for a path to citizenship. Any one have some ideas of what we the people can do?

Alicia Loc: NYC

------------------------

Great comment, Alicia. In terms of parents teaching their kids their native language, I am one of three cousins out of 18 who were taught Spanish. Most of my aunts and uncles on both sides intentionally did not teach their children to speak Spanish. The excuse they used was that they wanted to speak openly and not have the kids understand! Counter-productive, I think. It is always better to know another language, especially if learned before age 6. Not only will this add to your job prospects, but it also expand the neuronal networks. It has been proven that learning another language early increases IQ between 10 and 20 points. I learned this during my master's training in TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Sorry for going a bit OT (off topic).[/quote]
***************
I agree with you. I am sorry I did not learn to speak Polish but my grandparents were happy to be in this country, they wished to integrate into the society ASAP. Therefore, my parents could only speak a few words in that language but understood much more. All I hung on to was the dirty words and I've forgotten all but two. :D :D :|

Alicia Loc: NYC

*****************
I don't think it necessary to demand immigrants achieve College level language sk**ls. But they should, at least, be able to conduct their daily business in English (American).

The only thing I can think of is for business that hire immigrants to insist that only American be spoken on the job. One of the places I visited that impressed me so much was The Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curacao and BonAire). Children learned to speak the native language, Papiamento, at home. It is actually a combination of Spanish and Dutch. I was amused when on TV I was listening to Spanish with the gutteral sounds of the Dutch.

In first grade, the students begin to learn English. By 5th grade they can speak English, Spanish and Dutch.

One of the people in the company spoke very little English. I was amazed that the girls I met (both attending college) could speak to my friend in Spanish and, without a hitch, speak to me in English. I believe this is a fact in Europe where the people of one country were very proficient in the languages of the countries that bordered on it.

I think it's sad that the learning of a foreign language is postponed until high school. Then usually, the only languages offered are Spanish, French, possibly German and Latin. At that age and using the accepted methods, it is so much more difficult to learn.

As an aside: How many of our representatives are conversant in any other language? Some of them have difficulty in speaking their native tongue.

On two occasions I had people speaking AT me. Honestly, I couldn't understand one word - not even "the." I discovered that on both occasions, they were Texans. They still can't pronounce the difference between something one sews with and that used for writing.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

:thumbup:

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

Would "gówno" be one of them? :lol:

ginger

Well, if the republicans in the house would get off their dead asses and do SOMETHING, we might not have this problem. And sending them to stay with family members while awaiting their hearing is not an impeachable offence, but it does save the tax payers a ton of money for their support.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

How is it "saving taxpayers a ton of money" when Obama is asking for $2 Billion dollars to help support them?

Dave Loc: Upstate New York

I see, to you the problem with i*****l i*********n is that the Republicans won't legislate that they are no longer illegal. Now, that's some serious deep thinking. Perhaps while they're at it they can say they are no longer uneducated and unsk**led. Then they can do the same with the millions of Americans also uneducated and unsk**led - then just legislate that they are no longer on welfare, but on the government payroll serving as consumers.

ginger

He was not asking for the money to support them. They do need health checks to make sure they are not carrying any diseases. But a huge chunk of that money is for more/better border patrol.

ginger

Dave, you are one twisted person. No, what I was saying is that the republicans in the house refuse to even look at the immigration bill. We ALL know it needs to be done, but they won't. So, don't blame this mess on anyone but the house republicans.

JONDO

If they would deport every last one of them, we wouldn't be wasting our time and all this money thr costing us. Deport and forget that's what needs to be done. And it dont have to be first class on an airplane. They come over here like animals, send them back like animals.

Nickolai

The support is supposed to be temporary while they are being processed. The President has requested homeland security to move resources to the boarder, Obamas administration has deported over two million undocumented Immigrants and is on track by the end of 2014 to have deported more than Bush did in 8 years in office so that is a load of crap that Obama is bringing them in. They have been coming in since the 1960's around the time the Bracero program was ended. With the Bracero program brought documented green card holders in to work the crops and then they had to go back to their country after the Bracero program was halted they came willy nilly undocumented

ginger

can we send you back to where your family came from? they were probably i******s too.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

None of that is dedicated for border control.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

When has any government program been "temporary"?