Inspired from my day at work today.
Too many immigrants came to the store today, incapable of responding to "Hi, how are you?". The most common responses to that question today were *nervous giggle* or "No".
The funniest moment of the day was a lady pointing to the washroom and nodding - failing to read the OUT OF ORDER sign posted on the door. Why immigrants have some kind of love for Tommy Hilfiger clothing is beyond me. Nobody will ever see me wearing that stuff outside of the store.
So that brings me to this question: should individuals be required to learn the native language of the country they immigrated to?
Below are just some of my thoughts on the matter.
For Learning a New Language:
1) Assimilation.
It is a good thing when you're in an alien land. There's going to be a support system for you. As such, one will learn the culture and norms which is always a good thing. "I kill you" is a statement of affection in some cultures, but certainly not in the USA or Canada. Knowing what is right and wrong is a necessity. Children are brought up learning what is right and wrong so they don't mess up in the future.
2) Security.
Without knowledge of the native language(s), you are defenseless in a way. You are incapable of defending yourself from others. You can't ask for help and you will not be in a position to help others. There could be a bottle of liquid similar to water that says TOXIC and immigrants may never know and suffer as a result.
3) Standardization.
With immigrants all over the globe flocking to North America, the diversity is staggering. There are people from Mexico to Oceania. There is a need for standardization so everybody can converse with everybody else. There's no way a store can accommodate people from hundreds of countries.
4) Resources.
Is it fair that somebody who has made no contribution to their new country and can't even communicate with the average person (like my grandmother) gets more money in a month via pension than I do from working two jobs (I'm from Canada)? The same could be said for all other resources a country provides.
5) Employment.
As much as we love that innocent immigrant, communication can be terrible when I have trouble understanding him or her. Asking them to repeat the same thing many times is embarrassing for both parties and is such a hassle.
6) Stare Decisis.
Countries have mandated that their native language be learned by all immigrants. Should other countries follow suit?
Against Learning a New Language.
1) Asking too much.
Learning a new language is very difficult, and apparently more so with age. How can a country enforce a rule requiring all immigrants to learn a language?
2) Good enough.
As long as an immigrant can support him or herself, or have somebody do it for them, why poke your nose into their business? Knowing the native language isn't essential for survival.
3) Statistics.
There are a good amount of immigrants able to speak English. Is the current number good enough? Did I have the misfortune of meeting all the immigrants unable to speak English today?
4) Rights.
Is it fair to force people to learn a language? Do immigrants have the right to refuse to learn the native language?
5) Micro(?)assimilation.
Immigrants can flock with those they can communicate with. In this way, a support system is created with like-minded people where language barriers do not exist.
So what do you guys think? Should English be required to be learned in English speaking countries? Or any native language from any country?
Too many immigrants came to the store today, incapable of responding to "Hi, how are you?". The most common responses to that question today were *nervous giggle* or "No".
The funniest moment of the day was a lady pointing to the washroom and nodding - failing to read the OUT OF ORDER sign posted on the door. Why immigrants have some kind of love for Tommy Hilfiger clothing is beyond me. Nobody will ever see me wearing that stuff outside of the store.
So that brings me to this question: should individuals be required to learn the native language of the country they immigrated to?
Below are just some of my thoughts on the matter.
For Learning a New Language:
1) Assimilation.
It is a good thing when you're in an alien land. There's going to be a support system for you. As such, one will learn the culture and norms which is always a good thing. "I kill you" is a statement of affection in some cultures, but certainly not in the USA or Canada. Knowing what is right and wrong is a necessity. Children are brought up learning what is right and wrong so they don't mess up in the future.
2) Security.
Without knowledge of the native language(s), you are defenseless in a way. You are incapable of defending yourself from others. You can't ask for help and you will not be in a position to help others. There could be a bottle of liquid similar to water that says TOXIC and immigrants may never know and suffer as a result.
3) Standardization.
With immigrants all over the globe flocking to North America, the diversity is staggering. There are people from Mexico to Oceania. There is a need for standardization so everybody can converse with everybody else. There's no way a store can accommodate people from hundreds of countries.
4) Resources.
Is it fair that somebody who has made no contribution to their new country and can't even communicate with the average person (like my grandmother) gets more money in a month via pension than I do from working two jobs (I'm from Canada)? The same could be said for all other resources a country provides.
5) Employment.
As much as we love that innocent immigrant, communication can be terrible when I have trouble understanding him or her. Asking them to repeat the same thing many times is embarrassing for both parties and is such a hassle.
6) Stare Decisis.
Countries have mandated that their native language be learned by all immigrants. Should other countries follow suit?
Against Learning a New Language.
1) Asking too much.
Learning a new language is very difficult, and apparently more so with age. How can a country enforce a rule requiring all immigrants to learn a language?
2) Good enough.
As long as an immigrant can support him or herself, or have somebody do it for them, why poke your nose into their business? Knowing the native language isn't essential for survival.
3) Statistics.
There are a good amount of immigrants able to speak English. Is the current number good enough? Did I have the misfortune of meeting all the immigrants unable to speak English today?
4) Rights.
Is it fair to force people to learn a language? Do immigrants have the right to refuse to learn the native language?
5) Micro(?)assimilation.
Immigrants can flock with those they can communicate with. In this way, a support system is created with like-minded people where language barriers do not exist.
So what do you guys think? Should English be required to be learned in English speaking countries? Or any native language from any country?