Barack Obama: Your Children Should Learn To Speak Spanish

[El Tejon]

Michelle is a great believer in languages.  The girls are learning Spanish and French.

[cosine]

+1

And I think we ignore at our peril that fact that all of our seminal documents are written in English.  Language matters; words matter.  Law is based on linguistic nuance, and if we want a system of law we need to recognize the importance and power of language in that realm.  Our minds are formed by the ways of a specific language.

Indeed. Excellent post.

[MechAg94]

I wonder if today's kids will resist learning Spanish the same way kids of years past resisted learning metrics.

Most engineering students I went to college with had no issue with metrics.  The conversions between different measurements were much easier.  I knew a few who would convert all English units to metric, do the problem, then convert back to avoid having to remember the extra conversion stuff.

[MechAg94]

Agreed on language.  My pastor as a kid used to say that language and vocabulary are what allows you to think.  If you cannot put your thoughts into words, it limits your ability to think and then communicate those thoughts. 

I would much rather see kids master the English language than have a mediocre knowledge of two languages. 

[MechAg94]

I thought it was said earlier that of all the educational problems in this country, it is surprising that learning Spanish made the high priority list for Obama.  Reading, writing, mathematics, science, history are all more important IMO. 

I think if all Europe spoke one language, they wouldn't be much different than us over here in the language department.  They are multilingual because of the proximity of other languages the necessity of doing business. 

[longeyes]

Obama wants to a unifier but clearly doesn't realize the importance of language in unifying a people.  We are a point of inflection in our history where we need to understand what it means, really, to be "an American," and we won't understand that by studying Spanish.  Most of our students are clueless about who fought in the Civil War, who fought in WW II, not to mention why.  This is no way to run a Republic that requires an educated citizenry to preserve freedom.

[RevDisk]

I speak German and Albanian in addition to native English.  While I agree learning second or third languages is generally a good idea, for many reasons, I question the need to learn Spanish.  I learned German because I am predominately of German decent, and I found it fairly interesting.  It's been useful in business, as I've had to translate instruction packets from equipment ordered from Germany.  (The translation wasn't exact.)  I learned Albanian because I did a tour in the Balkans, and very much believe a soldier should always understand the language of the locals for bloody obvious tactical reasons.  Plus it was useful to calm down drunken locals with AK's and to yell fire correction directions to the locals whenever they started shelling UN forces.

Spanish?  Well, I might see the 'need' if I lived within a couple hundred miles of the Mexican border.  But I don't.  Business wise, I don't sell anything to Latin or South America.  If I need to sell something to folks from Spain, I speak German if the customer isn't great on English.  So again, why should I learn Spanish besides being somewhat of a challenge of learning a fourth language? 

[longeyes]

I think the issue with Spanish is not the utility of the language or, for that matter, its beauty, but the context in which the question of learning it arises.  It is not just about accepting Spanish, it is about accepting the illegal invasion that raised the issue in the first place. 

[Perd Hapley]

It's also about our next CinC thinking it is his place to tell me what I "better make sure" my children learn.   

And his being so pathetically naive and provincial that he gets all embarrassed that we're not like the Euros.  Have some pride, man.   

[Manedwolf]

And his being so pathetically naive and provincial that he gets all embarrassed that we're not like the Euros.  Have some pride, man.   

He isn't naive. That's what he really believes. Europe is better. We should be like Europe.

That's his "change" he wants to effect.

[Regolith]

Most of us have heard individuals speaking spanish while in public, the grocery checkout line for instance.

You would be surprised at what they are saying about you.

Responding to them is one of those priceless moments.

Anygunanywhere

Heh.  My sister minored in Spanish while in college.  During that time, she became fairly fluent.  In order to get through school, she worked as a manager at Burger King.  Some of the people she managed came from Mexico.  (I'm sure you can see where this is going...).

Yeah, basically she caught them talking crap about her in Spanish, thinking she wouldn't understand.  From what I'm told, they damn near had a heart attack when she answered back.  In their own language. 

[roo_ster]

I wonder if today's kids will resist learning Spanish the same way kids of years past resisted learning metrics.

Most engineering students I went to college with had no issue with metrics.  The conversions between different measurements were much easier.  I knew a few who would convert all English units to metric, do the problem, then convert back to avoid having to remember the extra conversion stuff.

Guilty.

[zahc]

Speaking generally, it's not even possible to do physics, thermo or anything else involving complicated models with 'english' units. For this purposes they don't even qualify as a system of units. Most people think the unit thing is a matter of what 'size' is convenient; these people have never chased giant combinations of derived units across 5 pages of calculations.

[roo_ster]

Check this out:


http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/como-se-dice-ob.html

Como Se Dice? Obama Clarifies Comments Over Foreign Languages
Email
Share

July 11, 2008 1:22 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama reiterated his belief Friday that Americas children to learn a foreign language, firing back against criticism he received from some conservative groups who suggested the Illinois senator wanted to make the United States a bilingual country.

Speaking in Powder Springs, GA on Tuesday Obama told the crowd that its embarrassing when Europeans come to the US and they all speak English. By comparison, Obama said, Americas young people do not have matching language skills.

All we can say is merci beacoup, Obama said. We should be emphasizing foreign languages in our schools from an early age.

The statements prompted outrage from some conservative groups who argued his remarks were an endorsement of the idea that Americans should be forced to learn Spanish.  Americans for Legal Immigration PAC posted Obamas comments on their website with the headline: Voters Reject Obamas Call for Bilingualism.

At a town hall in Dayton, Ohio the presumptive Democratic nominee attempted to explain his statements, blasting the interpretation of his original remarks.

Obama brought it up while speaking about how the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" education policy has forced schools to cut programs like foreign languages.

I said something the other day down in Georgia, and the Republicans jumped on this. I said, you know, absolutely immigrants need to learn English, but we also need to learn foreign languages, he said Friday.

Obama told the crowd that this is one of the problems with politics today.

This is an example of some of the problems we get into when somebody attacks you for saying the truth, which is we should want children with more knowledge. We should want our children to have more skills. Theres nothing wrong with that! Its a good thing, he said.

While the Obama campaign says that Obama speaks a little bit of Indonesian, Obama himself admits that he isnt bilingual.

I know because I dont speak a foreign language. Its embarrassing! he said.

The Obama campaign reiterated Friday that Obama would continue to require immigrants to learn English to be eligible for citizenship.

"Senator Obama has always said that learning English is an important step for immigrants to the United States and would make it a requirement for citizenship, but he also believes that learning a foreign language is an enriching experience for young people in this country," said Obama spokesperson Jen Psaki.

[Tallpine]

All we can say is merci beacoup, Obama said. We should be emphasizing foreign languages in our schools from an early age.

A bheil Gàidhlig aghaibh  

Urrainn mi abair "mòran taing" no "tapadh leibh"

[wmenorr67]

Speaking in Powder Springs, GA on Tuesday Obama told the crowd that its embarrassing when Europeans come to the US and they all speak English. By comparison, Obama said, Americas young people do not have matching language skills.

Those that travel to foreign countries usually take the time to learn some of the language.

[Manedwolf]

Speaking in Powder Springs, GA on Tuesday Obama told the crowd that its embarrassing when Europeans come to the US and they all speak English. By comparison, Obama said, Americas young people do not have matching language skills.

Those that travel to foreign countries usually take the time to learn some of the language.

That, and guess what the international language of things like aviation (by law) and business (by general agreement) is?

[Green Lantern]

I work in a big pharmacy in Western North Carolina...

We have a lot of Hispanic customers/patients that can't understand a dang WORD of English...

I've picked up a bit of 'pharmacy Spanish' as a result (thanks to Doctors that have to write prescriptions in Spanish).  The lazy ones however, request that WE do it...

If I'm the one that gets such a Rx, I type it FIRST in English, then in Spanish.

Obama is a clown, but I can't say I'm sorry in the LEAST for this latest "mis-speaking" adventure.  A girl at work who is a "lukewarm" Obama supporter (she REALLY wanted Edwards, then Hillary) said after hearing this that she may just write in Donald Duck...

[K Frame]

"Yeah, basically she caught them talking crap about her in Spanish, thinking she wouldn't understand.  From what I'm told, they damn near had a heart attack when she answered back.  In their own language."

I saw that once, in a Macy's store here in DC.

Two Senegalese sales clerks were commenting on my friend's wife in rather negative terms in French.

He's about 95% fluent in French and he lit into them like you would not believe. The look on their faces was just incredible. I understand just enough French to know what they were saying about Jen, and the jist of what he was telling them.

Things got even more interesting when the manager showed up.

I just sat back and laughed.

[Manedwolf]

The definition of politeness, to me.

When I lived in S. Florida, I came out of a store, and two ladies were speaking to each other in Haitian Creole. They switched to English without a break in their conversation to each other along with their nod and smile of greeting as I passed...as if there was an unsaid social rule common to both of them that it was simply polite to do so if others could overhear the conversation, being that they were in America. And every Haitian I ever met there spoke a beautiful King's English, too.

That's one legacy of the colonies in the islands that has always fascinated me. Many people from the former British colonies, regardless of their income class, speak a formal, elegant British English with a vocabulary worthy of an Oxford graduate.

[seeker_two]

If anything, Chinese will be the dominant financial language and good to learn.....

Spanish (particularly Central-American dialects), unfortunately, is the language for the lower-income classes......

[Manedwolf]

If anything, Chinese will be the dominant financial language and good to learn.....

Spanish (particularly Central-American dialects), unfortunately, is the language for the lower-income classes......

Exactly. Chinese is good for manufacturing, if you want to deal direct. Spanish might be good if you want to deal with lower income workers a lot, but it isn't much of a business language. In the economic powerhouse of South America, Brazil, the businesspeople speak Portuguese.

Of course, if you learn German, you can yell at HK customer service reps in a more effective manner.

"Guten Morgen, das ist HK Kundenservice. Sie saugen und wir hassen sie."

[Elza]

Where is the middle finger smilie.

Right here.
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sauer/angry-smiley-002.gif

[zahc]

Exactly. Chinese is good for manufacturing, if you want to deal direct.

Let's not forget that there is no such thing as 'the' Chinese language. Saying you should learn 'Chinese' is about like saying you should learn 'European'.

[seeker_two]

+1 on the Portugese, MW.....

zach: Guess I should have specified Mandarian. At least China was smart enough to specify an official dialect when setting up governmental operations.....