Obama complained to Argentina that Americans are clueless with poor foreign language skills

[Unkotare]

Obama complained to Argentina that Americans are clueless with poor foreign language skills | BizPac Review

He would have been more accurate had he said that most Americans are clueless, with poor English language skills; forget about actually learning and being able to speak a foreign language......

And where are you from, chump?

 

[Unkotare]

... Very few illegals are interested in learning English.

....

Completely wrong.

 

[WildBillKelsoe]

You know, there is a bit of truth to this, and I've experienced it firsthand.

Whenever I went overseas, one of the very first things that I did was get a phrase book for whatever country we happened to be in. I would take that phrase book with me and instead of going up to a person and asking them in slow English if they spoke English (like most of the people on the boat did), I would walk up with my phrase book and try to speak to them in their language. After all, I was the foreigner there.

What I found out later, was that over 80 percent of the people overseas actually DO speak English, and many of them are happy to practice their English with you, but they like it when you make an effort to communicate in their language. Usually, they would let me stumble around for a couple of minutes, but then would cheerfully tell me they spoke English, and ask if I preferred to speak that.

I also saw many of my shipmates go looking for places like Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King and McDonalds instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to sample food that isn't known over here in the USA, or would cost them a lot of money at a fancy eatery, because foreign cuisine is generally only served at high dollar places (at least the good stuff).

I also saw them making fun of people over there for doing things that Americans considered "strange" or "unusual", like Middle Eastern men walking down the street holding hands if they were friends, simply because they didn't take time to learn about some of the customs that were there.

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.

Got over 20 years of experience with that, and saw it first hand quite often.

That could be said about any nationality. Very few illegals are interested in learning English.

When I was a kid, a German couple stopped at our local store to get directions and it's a good thing my grandma happened to be there, because they didn't speak a lick of English and didn't even have a phrase book.

Don't you mean stone tablet?

That's a pretty stupid comment. Are you displaying your sudo-intellectualism?

 

[WildBillKelsoe]

... Very few illegals are interested in learning English.

....

Completely wrong.

They don't flush their shitty toilet paper, either. In THIS COUNTRY we flush shitty toilet paper.

 

[Unkotare]

...

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.....

Wrong. Perhaps relatively few are able to, but your conclusion is illogical.

 

[Unkotare]

... Very few illegals are interested in learning English.

....

Completely wrong.

They don't flush their shotty toilet paper, either. In THIS COUNTRY we flush shotty toilet paper.

You are an ignorant dbag.

 

[bendog]

You know, there is a bit of truth to this, and I've experienced it firsthand.

Whenever I went overseas, one of the very first things that I did was get a phrase book for whatever country we happened to be in. I would take that phrase book with me and instead of going up to a person and asking them in slow English if they spoke English (like most of the people on the boat did), I would walk up with my phrase book and try to speak to them in their language. After all, I was the foreigner there.

What I found out later, was that over 80 percent of the people overseas actually DO speak English, and many of them are happy to practice their English with you, but they like it when you make an effort to communicate in their language. Usually, they would let me stumble around for a couple of minutes, but then would cheerfully tell me they spoke English, and ask if I preferred to speak that.

I also saw many of my shipmates go looking for places like Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King and McDonalds instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to sample food that isn't known over here in the USA, or would cost them a lot of money at a fancy eatery, because foreign cuisine is generally only served at high dollar places (at least the good stuff).

I also saw them making fun of people over there for doing things that Americans considered "strange" or "unusual", like Middle Eastern men walking down the street holding hands if they were friends, simply because they didn't take time to learn about some of the customs that were there.

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.

Got over 20 years of experience with that, and saw it first hand quite often.

They're LOSERS. We're WINNERS. That's why the speak English and we don't have to.

 

[Unkotare]

...
They're LOSERS. We're WINNERS. That's why the [sic] speak English and we don't have to.

We don't have to speak English?

 

[ABikerSailor]

...

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.....

Wrong. Perhaps relatively few are able to, but your conclusion is illogical.

Hey, if I was able to do it, then why weren't the rest of the people on my ship? I worked in the admin office, and knew how many phrase books went out the door to the personnel onboard. My conclusion is based on my experiences overseas with a whole bunch of other Americans who were on the same ship as me.

And, because I came back with some really good stories and information about the port we were in, lots of people wanted to go on liberty with me because I found the coolest stuff and met the neatest people.

I'd let them go along with me if they wanted, but they were warned that the first time they acted like an ugly American, it would be the last time they could go on liberty with me.

 

[Unkotare]

...

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.....

Wrong. Perhaps relatively few are able to, but your conclusion is illogical.

Hey, if I was able to do it, then why weren't the rest of the people on my ship? ......

All you "did" was buy a phrasebook, Marco Polo.

 

[The Rabbi]

Not learning another language or 2 is the perfect example of the dumbing down of this country.
Also it's one of the prime reason for the term ugly American.

How many languages do you speak?

You don't have to be multi lingual to avoid the term "ugly American". All you really have to do is put a phrase book in your pocket and use it when you go out. It's not being able to speak another language fluently that gets you around better, it's simply making the effort to try that does. Like I said, over 80 percent of the people not from the USA speak English.

I never learned to speak any language fluently, but I do know some phrases in Italian, Spanish, Greek, and a couple of others. Learned them from using the phrase book to get around while I was overseas, and some of them like "please", "thank you", and "where is", are some that I memorized because I used them so often.

Walking up to someone overseas and asking in a loud, slow voice "Do you speak English", and waiting for them to respond in English is how you get labeled an ugly American.

Obama didnt say anything aboyt phrase books. He complained Americans dont learn foreing languages.
It is no shock you knew how to say "blowjob" "assfuck" and "ladyboi" in about 10 different languages.

 

[deltex1]

Obama complained to Argentina that Americans are clueless with poor foreign language skills | BizPac Review

Getting away with impeachable offenses, holding him to his own standard and not America's makes it easy for him (anyone) to destroy America. America(ns) did nothing to deserve this. Such a shame how shallow people in position of representation have become held to a standard of their own. Policies make everyone and thing into what anti-Americans with authority want where cowards of politics lead everyone to follow (by force of policy) .

First antiAmerican president? No. The first anti American that became president in the most sinister way possible...and with a lot of help beyond our ability but within expected duty of elected officials to stop!

I be sick
Of dis prick...........yo.

 

[ABikerSailor]

...

No, sorry to say, but very few Americans are interested in speaking to someone in another country in their native language, or even learning about some of the customs of that country.....

Wrong. Perhaps relatively few are able to, but your conclusion is illogical.

Hey, if I was able to do it, then why weren't the rest of the people on my ship? ......

All you "did" was buy a phrasebook, Marco Polo.

Actually, I didn't have to buy them, the ships Morale Welfare and Recreation fund, as well as the USO gave them out for free. And just getting a phrase book isn't enough, you have to actually use it to try to speak to them in their native language, and that is where the effort comes in.

Most Americans don't see the point in investing the extra effort. I did.

Matter of fact, in Thessaloniki Greece, it paid off handsomely, because it got me free entrance to a really nice club for the week that we were there (cover was about 10 bucks), as well as got my friends in for free as well.

And, the first night we were in port, some of the idiots from the Air detachment went out, got drunk and acted like total asses. The next day? ALL the bars in the area wouldn't let guys from the ship in unless they were accompanied by a female. They figured that a female presence would keep the guys from getting too rowdy.

Me and my friends? Never had that problem, because we didn't act like asses in public. Everyone was wondering where we left out to late at night, and where we were spending our time until 3 or 4 in the morning.

 

[Unkotare]

Anti-Obama protests in Argentina

 

[Unkotare]

...

Actually, I didn't have to buy them, the ships Morale Welfare and Recreation fund, as well as the USO gave them out for free. And just getting a phrase book isn't enough, you have to actually use it to try to speak to them in their native language, and that is where the effort comes in.....

Please. You got a phrasebook - for free - and stood making noises at people until they spoke English to you. Hardly something to feel too superior about, Mr. Polo.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Not learning another language or 2 is the perfect example of the dumbing down of this country.
Also it's one of the prime reason for the term ugly American.

How many languages do you speak?

You don't have to be multi lingual to avoid the term "ugly American". All you really have to do is put a phrase book in your pocket and use it when you go out. It's not being able to speak another language fluently that gets you around better, it's simply making the effort to try that does. Like I said, over 80 percent of the people not from the USA speak English.

I never learned to speak any language fluently, but I do know some phrases in Italian, Spanish, Greek, and a couple of others. Learned them from using the phrase book to get around while I was overseas, and some of them like "please", "thank you", and "where is", are some that I memorized because I used them so often.

Walking up to someone overseas and asking in a loud, slow voice "Do you speak English", and waiting for them to respond in English is how you get labeled an ugly American.

Obama didnt say anything aboyt phrase books. He complained Americans dont learn foreing languages.
It is no shock you knew how to say "blowjob" "assfuck" and "ladyboi" in about 10 different languages.

Americans usually DON'T learn foreign languages. Here in America, another language is an elective, not a requirement. Overseas, English is a required class in school.

And no, even with phrase books available, most Americans won't make the little bit of extra effort required to communicate with people in foreign countries, they simply expect them to speak English, and get butt hurt when they are told that the person asked doesn't speak English.

Interestingly enough, learning how to swear and say dirty words in another language never had much appeal to me. I prefer to learn how to say things in a polite civil manner.

 

[Katzndogz]

obama needs some sympathy. He has to put up with such a substandard people.

 

[The Rabbi]

obama needs some sympathy. He has to put up with such a substandard people.

Well we elected him so he has a point.

 

[Unkotare]

... most Americans won't make the little bit of extra effort required to communicate with people in foreign countries, they simply expect them to speak English, and get butt hurt when they are told that the person asked doesn't speak English.......

Proof? Real, verifiable proof and not mere anecdotes about "there were these guys on my ship, see..."?

 

[ABikerSailor]

... Here in America, another language is an elective, not a requirement. ....

That is not true in most cases.

What school system requires the learning of a language other than English as a requirement for graduation? There are none in the United States that I know of, and if there are, it's a rarity.

When I went to school (graduated in 1982), taking another language was an elective not a requirement.

If you know of a place where a second language is a requirement for graduation, please post a link. I've never heard of such a rule from ANY school district here in America.