Learn Our Language | Teen Ink

Learn Our Language

December 30, 2008
By Dsmit BRONZE, Luna Pier, Michigan
Dsmit BRONZE, Luna Pier, Michigan
3 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"God hath not given me a spirit of fear, but that of power, love, and of a sound mind."


This is a headline story right here! It has to be one of the top issues in the country today. I am referring to the "Press two for Spanish" issue. Why is this even an option? If someone wants to become an American badly enough, they should take the initiative to learn the language that is spoken here: English. I mean, does the government not know that by allowing a language barrier to exist inside our country, they are potenially limiting the progression of the country. There should not be a need for any type of translator in our country. How can we be called the top country in the world if the citizens within it are not able to communicate freely? "Press two for Spanish" is also one of the most annoying statements that can be uttered over the phone. Spanish is not the only problem either. It is all the gibberish and nonsense that has to be endured before actually having the opportunity to speak to a customer service officer or telephone operator. I believe that Americans need to keep it simple. Diversity is grand, but when it pertains to the language, there is a problem. I have a simple solution that will unify our country and tear down the language barrier: Learn our language or go home!


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This article has 201 comments.


Katie1234 GOLD said...
on Mar. 28 2012 at 6:46 pm
Katie1234 GOLD, Velva, North Dakota
10 articles 0 photos 77 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When life becomes more than you can stand; fall to your knees"
"To be normal is to be boring."
"You cannot make men good by law."
"Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God because He said so."
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

While I agree that they cannot be blamed for not having the resources, there are plenty of ways for people to learn a new language. Should we as American's enable them by forcing people to take a foriegn language or give them a steady push by allowing foriegners to learn the language that is dominant in our country?

on Mar. 28 2012 at 4:01 pm
dancegirl13 BRONZE, Roslyn, Washington
1 article 0 photos 26 comments
Maybe learning a language should be optional, but it isn't optional for foreign immigrants if we don't provide them with resources.

on Mar. 28 2012 at 3:59 pm
dancegirl13 BRONZE, Roslyn, Washington
1 article 0 photos 26 comments
Um, sorry, but no, this is NOT your U.S. This is the U.S. of millions of people from all different cultures and backgrounds who speak their own language. Seriously - it is not that hard to listen to the phone operator say, "Press two for Spanish." It isn't gonna kill us, but it is going to help ethnic people who aren't fluent in English but are trying to make a living here.

on Mar. 28 2012 at 3:52 pm
dancegirl13 BRONZE, Roslyn, Washington
1 article 0 photos 26 comments
This is so ignorant of you to say. What if you were put in this position? What if you were a mother trying to support your family, so you moved to Mexico to find work, and there were no resources an English-speaking person. What if you were so busy working and taking care of your kids that you never had a chance to learn the language? How would you feel then?

on Mar. 28 2012 at 3:46 pm
dancegirl13 BRONZE, Roslyn, Washington
1 article 0 photos 26 comments
I disagree. I understand what your point is when you talk about the issues that could arise with a language barrier, but just imagine that your only option was to move to France, and you didn't have the chance to learn the language before you moved. You arrive, and nothing is in English, and no one there has respect for you and your language. You're poor, and spend all your time working to support your family, like many immigrants do, so you learning the language isn't an option at the moment. How would you like it if you were forced to go home?

on Feb. 28 2012 at 2:30 pm
thelogicoflove SILVER, Camden, South Carolina
7 articles 0 photos 15 comments

I could not disagree with this article more.

Did you know that America doesn't actually have an official language? We are a nation of immigrants and diversity; over 300 different languages are spoken in the United States alone. 24 of which are spoken in all fifty states.

You ask why "Press two for Spanish" is even an option. That is because 12 percent of our citizens speak fluent Spanish, with that number rapidly growing. Over 45 million people speak fluent Spanish as a first or second language. In fact, the United States has the fifth largest Spanish-speaking population in the world.

By pushing away the Hispanic population, you are depriving yourself of new cultural opportunities, as well as making yourself sound ignorant and racist. Learning a new language isn't easy, and someone shouldn't be unwelcome somewhere because they have not picked up on it immediately. They're people too, simply with another way to communicate, and they need the same things as other Americans - food, water, shelter, love. Besides, I think it is nice to interact with people of a different background than myself. Be happy you have an opportunity to enlighten yourself by learning Spanish; knowledge is good!


teachforNYC said...
on Feb. 14 2012 at 11:46 pm
What frustrates me most about the comments to this article is that they are not even written in proper English. Defend English as our national language all you want... but maybe you should learn how to actually write in English before you force poor immigrants to do so themselves. Just a thought.

KatsK DIAMOND said...
on Feb. 4 2012 at 5:58 pm
KatsK DIAMOND, Saint Paul, Minnesota
57 articles 0 photos 301 comments

Favorite Quote:
Being inexhaustible, life and nature are a constant stimulus for a creative mind.
~Hans Hofmann
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.
~Ray Bradbury

I disagree. Say you moved to Hungary, and that was your only option. You'd want instructions in English, wouldn't you? This does sound ignorant, and very my-way-or-the-highway. As Atticus Finch says in To Kill A Mockingbird "if you can learn a simple trick, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around it" (Lee, 30). if you've forgotten, my main point is that you shouldn't jump to assumptions

on Jan. 17 2012 at 1:54 pm
bennyB PLATINUM, Memphis, Tennessee
26 articles 0 photos 63 comments
Well i have two things to say about this. You are right about immigrants learning the lenguage before comming here. It is not only spanish since america is a verry diverse country. Also you have to understand that some people come here to have a better life and do not have the opportunity to learn the lenguage, but you are still right.

on Jan. 13 2012 at 5:33 pm
SingingIsMyLife BRONZE, Chesterfield, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." -unknown

what are you talking about noah?

on Jan. 13 2012 at 2:10 pm
TerraAnimusPatronus BRONZE, Eden, North Carolina
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
«You are either the best kept secret or just surrounded by blind people.»

america was not just an english colony spain and the french and all other countries of europe came here and left a print on american society people should learn the most common spoken luanguage and if they dont so what its there choice america was founded for freedom they have the freedom to keep their language but if they wnat ot live here and speak their own language the chioce is theirs.

UR MOM said...
on Jan. 13 2012 at 7:27 am
UR MOM IS RACIST

on Jan. 13 2012 at 7:26 am
screename4 BRONZE, Columbus, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 5 comments
People have the right to keep their culture. But that does not mean they can just come hear, and not make the effort to learn the language that almost all americans, even most of the people all over the world have learned and spoke! If american students learn other languages i school, then these people need to learn OUR LANGUAGE TOO!

on Jan. 13 2012 at 7:22 am
SingingIsMyLife BRONZE, Chesterfield, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." -unknown

THIS ISSUE MAKES ME SO ANGRY!!!!!!!!! IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME TO OUR COUNTRY THEY SHOULD LEARN OUR LANGUAGE!!!!! AND HAVING TO PRESS 2 FOR SPANISH? THAT SHOULD NO BE AN OPTION, THEY NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH!!! AND THE ILLEAGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE TAKING ALL 0OF OUR TAX MONEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS COUNTRY AND GO BACKTO WHERE THEY CAME FROM!!!!!!!! Sorry for my anger but this is a very important issue to me.

on Jan. 13 2012 at 7:16 am
TheFlyingtaccoMan, Columbus, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
I think you are totally wrong. English shouldn't be the only language people know. We should all have the opportunity to learn whatever language we want!

ZeenatRogate said...
on Jan. 13 2012 at 7:10 am
ZeenatRogate, Columbus, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
I think we should still leave the option for translators in america because we ARE a diverse country, but I understand that any working American should take it upon themselves to attept to learn english.

on Jan. 11 2012 at 7:26 am
teenink987654321 BRONZE, Chesterfield, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
Spanish is the 2nd most spoken language in the world. Imagine how many people would be upset and happy. People can not just give up their language. How would you feel if you had to give up english?

on Jan. 11 2012 at 7:26 am
bergKnayR BRONZE, Columbus, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
The point is valid, however, our country is based on the cultures of other countries. This is what makes America, America! All of the food, architecture, ideas, inovations; all come from the backrounds of the cultural diverse population of people. English is certainly the most spoken lauguage but is not the most important to many types of people.

essiean BRONZE said...
on Jan. 11 2012 at 7:22 am
essiean BRONZE, Columbus, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 3 comments
It's true that it would make it counvienient for us but think about all the people who would be inconvienienced by this

surya1v BRONZE said...
on Jan. 11 2012 at 7:21 am
surya1v BRONZE, Chesterfield, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
I agree with galfam and FIDDLESTIXS becuase in umerica we can speak anything FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM. You should not be so atrocious and insidious in your poor ignorant beliefs