Obama says nation's kids should be bilingual

[random3434]

This is one of his most intelligent positions. We already make kids take a foreign language in highschool and college, so why not start them early? Euro's put kids in foreign languages much sooner than we do.

Kudos Barack, you're spot on with this.

Exactly!

My daughter is now 13, heading into eighth grade. She has taken Spanish Class since first grade (thank you public schools) and can converse with Spanish speaking people, while I still stuggle to learn simple phrases.


Just another great idea from Obama!

 

[nomdeplume]

You ignorant, gun-cling, bigoted, bible-reading americans need to make sure your children learn Spanish.

Forget that we are struggingly to keep up with the rest of the world in math, science, and reading.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk]YouTube - Barack Obama: Your Children Should Learn To Speak Spanish[/ame]

 

[nomdeplume]

No reason not to have children speaking multiple languages. Other countries do this all the time. The smarter the kids are, and the more educated, the better off they'll be.

Obama did not say "children should learn a second language". He said they should speak spanish. Big difference.

He's fucking talking to his racist, jingoistic hispanic voters who don't fucking want to learn English, or at least want to use it as sparingly as possible. He's also talking to his american-hating lefties who believe America is never good, no matter what we are doing.

 

[Skull Pilot]

No reason not to have children speaking multiple languages. Other countries do this all the time. The smarter the kids are, and the more educated, the better off they'll be.

if you want your kids to be bi or multilingual that's fine. But Spanish?

There is nothing going on in the world that speaking Spanish will benefit you. If you are going to learn a language learn Chinese, Japanese or Russian. As these are the languages that will actually benefit someone in the future.

The only reason BHO said children have to learn Spanish is to win points with illegals.

 

[Manuel]

He's fucking talking to his racist, jingoistic hispanic voters who don't fucking want to learn English, or at least want to use it as sparingly as possible. He's also talking to his american-hating lefties who believe America is never good, no matter what we are doing.

 

[editec]

Of course, he's right.

We should be teaching children other languages, and we should be starting that process in first grade when kids are still ready to learn new languages quickly and easily.

There is nothing remotely radical about this observation.

Language teachers have been suggesting the same thing since I was in elementary school.

Do you know how many native born Americans working for the CIA I've read can speak Farsi, for example?

ZERO, none.

Every employee of the CIA who speaks Farsi fluenty is foreign born.

And we wonder why we can't get a handle on the mentality in Islamic world?

I'm doing my part to help America have the educational content it will need in foreign languages, folks. Not that my government much gives a damn, of course.

Meanwhile foreign governments (many of them Islamic nations we're having problems with) download my entire site to use in their educational systems!

We need polyglots as much today as we needed people training in the hard scientitists in 1958 post Sputnik.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I'm sorry, you are being so disingenuous that I'm dropping out of the conversation.

That is good since all you are is a troll.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I do not like Obama. But he has one thing right. We should be teaching English only children to speak Spanish. The current best estimate is that by 2050 half the population will be Hispanic in the United States.

From 1st Grade on we should have them learning Spanish, as Editec noted that is the best time to start them. Another Language would be good also, perhaps a third language in High School for 4 years. Let the child pick that one, but French, Russian and Chinese, as noted earlier might be good choices.

Burying our heads in the sand and pretending the rest of the world does not exist or effect us is stupid, it has always been stupid.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Of course, he's right.

We should be teaching children other languages, and we should be starting that process in first grade when kids are still ready to learn new languages quickly and easily.

There is nothing remotely radical about this observation.

Language teachers have been suggesting the same thing since I was in elementary school.

Do you know how many native born Americans working for the CIA I've read can speak Farsi, for example?

ZERO, none.

Every employee of the CIA who speaks Farsi fluenty is foreign born.

And we wonder why we can't get a handle on the mentality in Islamic world?

I'm doing my part to help America have the educational content it will need in foreign languages, folks. Not that my government much gives a damn, of course.

Meanwhile foreign governments (many of them Islamic nations we're having problems with) download my entire site to use in their educational systems!

We need polyglots as much today as we needed people training in the hard scientitists in 1958 post Sputnik.

no one is saying that kids shouldn't learn another language. BHO's speech implies that he doesn't think that the US should have an official language. If you were to move to any other country you would be expected and almost forced to learn the native language of that country. Should things be different here?

Our government should operate in English only. We should not be printing ballots in multiple languages, or giving tests for drivers' licenses in multiple languages etc. That is what the English only supporters are talking about.


PS I like how BHO said that it's embarrassing to him that Americans don't speak multiple languages. it's nice to know that a presidential candidate is embarrassed by his own country. BTW What other languages does he speak?

 

[Skull Pilot]

I do not like Obama. But he has one thing right. We should be teaching English only children to speak Spanish. The current best estimate is that by 2050 half the population will be Hispanic in the United States.

.

And they will have to learn Spanish because all those Hispanic immigrants will not have to learn English?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

And they will have to learn Spanish because all those Hispanic immigrants will not have to learn English?

When half the country speaks spanish the argument about English won't be so compeling now will it?

There is almost NO chance this country will adopt a National Language. No major political party or force is behind it. We should be preparing our children for the future.

 

[Ravi]

Learning spanish benefits anyone that does business in South or Central America and many parts of the US and Europe. To say it has no benefit is quite a stretch.

There is no need or justification for having an official language.

 

[Ravi]

That is good since all you are is a troll.

How very kind of you to say so.

 

[dilloduck]

if you want your kids to be bi or multilingual that's fine. But Spanish?

There is nothing going on in the world that speaking Spanish will benefit you. If you are going to learn a language learn Chinese, Japanese or Russian. As these are the languages that will actually benefit someone in the future.

The only reason BHO said children have to learn Spanish is to win points with illegals.

Exactly--how is not knowing how to speak fluent Spanish hurting Americans ?

 

[Skull Pilot]

When half the country speaks spanish the argument about English won't be so compeling now will it?

There is almost NO chance this country will adopt a National Language. No major political party or force is behind it. We should be preparing our children for the future.

That seems defeatist of you. Especially when the bilingual education programs in this country have been an abysmal failure.

Prop. 227 in CA which did not dismantle bilingual ed but changed the parameters has revealed that those children in bilingual classes did worse than those in the prop 227 compliant classes

The Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education - Associated Content

"Reading scores for the 2nd grade immigrant students in Prop 227 compliant programs were at the 35th percentile, while those in bilingual programs were at the 19th percentile. Math scores were at the 43rd percentile for Prop. 227 programs but at the 30th percentile for bilingual programs." (Annis 2000 1) Refutstion:


And if it is beneficial for Americans to speak Spanish, wouldn't it be even more beneficial for Spanish speaking immigrants to speak English since English is the dominant language of business today?

 

[dilloduck]

What is it that I can't accomplish in America because I don't know spanish?
( Besides getting my order filled properly at a fast food joint ? )

 

[editec]

no one is saying that kids shouldn't learn another language. BHO's speech implies that he doesn't think that the US should have an official language.

It doesn't imply that.

Our government should operate in English only. We should not be printing ballots in multiple languages, or giving tests for drivers' licenses in multiple languages etc. That is what the English only supporters are talking about.

Yes, I find that annoying too. This is an English speaking nation first and foremost and it really ought to stay that way. I quite agree.

Still calling for teaching languages to our kids in schools with the same enthusiasm we give to the sciences and math is an idea long overdue.

We'd be a much more effective empire if most native Americans spoke move than one language.

 

[midcan5]

Americans live in a global world, learning another language is big plus, I know many immigrants that along with English have taught their children Russian, Spanish and French.


A vote for John McCain is a vote against the fundamental principle of America, the right of the individual to lead their life privately without the government interfering.

 

[random3434]

He's fucking talking to his racist, jingoistic hispanic voters who don't fucking want to learn English, or at least want to use it as sparingly as possible. He's also talking to his american-hating lefties who believe America is never good, no matter what we are doing.

There you go again with your eloquent English Language................

 

[007]

Obama did not say "children should learn a second language". He said they should speak spanish. Big difference.

He's fucking talking to his racist, jingoistic hispanic voters who don't fucking want to learn English, or at least want to use it as sparingly as possible. He's also talking to his american-hating lefties who believe America is never good, no matter what we are doing.

Take the occasional "fucking" out, which I'm sure ndp used only for emphasis, and he's dead on. I couldn't agree more.

hussein is courting the mexicans, especially the ones with illegal family here that don't speak English. He's shifty, and playing to the illegals and the mexicans through the back door for votes. You want to learn a second language that will actually benefit you? Then learn Japanese, or German, or Chinese, etc..