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Message board > Concerned about English speaking countries
Concerned about English speaking countries
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dayssb
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Concerned about English speaking countries
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Hi, my friends!!!!
Hope you`re all fine.
Back from NY... visited so many wonderful places there, as well as in Washington DC... But I`m kind of disappointed with something: Every time I travel to an English speaking country, I hope to listen and speak English but that`s not what happens. I understand that Canada and the USA have thousands and thousands of imigrants but I ask for those who are from these contries: Aren`t you afraid of losing your own culture and language? While in Canada for six months, I would listen to so many languages inside buses, on the streets... but English. It made me mad because I went to Vancouver to study ENGLISH. Travelling around the USA, I also met lots of non English speakers in Seattle, Las Vegas, etc. Of course I understand, for instance, that NY is a multicultural place and I do appreciate to learn about other cultures but what about the language? Before immigrating, at least people should do the efffort of learning the language... for many times, I went to stores, coffee shops, etc where workers could not speak English at all... Where are the Canadians in Canada and the Americans in the USA? I know that lots of those immigrants including thousands of Brazilians are there working under the table but this is another subject that gets on my nerves. Once again: nothing against any other culture... I`ve travelled to many other places and loved learning about their culture but once in Canada and the USA, I wanted to practice English. |
14 Oct 2009
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arlissa
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Hello Dayssb. It sounds like you had some interesting travels! Did you only visit large cities like the ones you mentioned? Because of course large cities attract more immigrants than others.
Well either way it doesn �t matter...
Your concern is whether we feel we are losing our culture. Hmmm....well, we have already lost a lot of our culture when white immigrants first came here. I am part Cherokee and know so little about my ancestors culture. However, that is not really MY culture anyway. Culture is comprised of time, location, attitudes, and ideals. These are happening in the present, not the past. So MY culture is the one that surrounds me. I am in it. And it includes many languages and people, and it includes different ideas. The one thing all Americans should have in common is our commitment to our constitution and freedom of rights. This is what unites us.
As far as the language...well, actually America is NOT an English country. We have no "official" language like many countries do. So....if people are speaking Spanish, Arabic, Sanscript, or Mandarin that does not make them un-American. Americans don �t all speak English and it is not a requirement to enter our country.
I am not afraid of losing my culture... However, there may be times when I may fear losing my values to popular majority vote on some issues. That has nothing to do with speaking English though, so I must disagree with you that losing our culture is related to losing a language.
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14 Oct 2009
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Mahalo
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Dayssb-
America is known as the Melting Pot- we have many different cultures and many different languages here. We also have many different accents of the English Language. I am sure that if you ask any American on here, you would get the same answer.
Sorry if America has dissapointed you. I suppose that is why there are so many ESL courses and ESL students here.
Part of the reason you are hearing so many different languages is that you are visiting many touristy places. I welcome you to the little towns in America to visit, and explore more of the down-home culture. What do you expect to find where you are going? Get a map and visit Sarasota Florida, instead of Orlando, Alringon Heights Illinois, instead of Chicago, Tulsa Ok, Sammamash WA, etc.
Where I teach, when I started 9 years ago, the popular language of my students was Spanish, now Polish is the majority. America is ever-changing. Communities that once were know as catering to one culture, has now changed and is catering to another. Groups move in shifts (I am a realtor also).
Yes, it does get nerving at times when trying to read directions on how to put together the simplest things that were made in the USA, and having to sift through 7 different pages of language directions until you find English...and yes, no matter what country you are from, sometimes you want to shout "Speak_______". (I think this happens to everyone at some point in time, whether they want to admit it or not.)
But you have to remember, if you want culture from any country- don �t go to the "famous" areas, you will not find it there...stay at a nice bed and breakfast, Amish country, take a road trip on Route 66.
Just think, we would not be on this site if we were not needed so much to teach English....
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14 Oct 2009
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SueThom
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Mahalo and Arlissa both make good points. I �d like to add my "two cents".
The US has been called a "melting pot" (where all cultures arrive separately, but "melt" into 1 US culture), but more recently the analogy has been to a "salad". In a salad there are many different ingredients that together form the salad, but still retain their individual identities, e.g. lettuce, tomato, cucumber. I like that concept a lot better.
The US is really a nation of many cultures and, except for Arlissa �s ancestors, we all came here from other countries in which those cultures and languages were developed over a long period of time. I �d hate to lose the richness of those cultures and languages. In past generations, children of immigrants were required (by their families and teachers) to "Americanize" and so did not learn the language and customs of their parents. I know many people in my generation who cannot speak their parents � language and mourn the loss of their heritage. Personally, I �m glad that there is an increasing trend to retain children �s cultural heritage and just add in English and the American culture.
When I was growing up, I longed to have a "real culture" like people from other countries did, without realizing, being in the dominant social class, that what was just "plain, boring normal" for me WAS my culture and those people felt excluded from US culture. As an adult, my family hosted several exchange students and they frequently brought other international students to our home. I was embarrassed that I only spoke one language and these young people often spoke several. I encouraged my children to emulate them (not their father and me) by learning another language in school and traveling.
The history of the English language, of course, is one of constant change due to the mingling of many cultures and languages through invasion, commercial ventures, etc. over the centuries. Our dictionaries would be considerably thinner if we deleted all the words we´ve borrowed from all those other languages and cultures!
There are many people in the US who are resentful of those who bring new cultures and languages here and are fearful of losing our culture and language. I can understand their concerns, but I disagree--while there certainly are some problems, I think we gain more from our diversity in the long run than we lose. And I love teaching English to our new arrivals. I learn so much from them and they are so eager to learn English that it �s really gratifying for a teacher.
Viva la difference!
Sue
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14 Oct 2009
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naini_chiranjivi
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Hey buddy!
I am from India, I too see people here coming from different places. There are students from Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, China and Japan joining in our universities. We never expect them to speak in Telugu instead we try to speak with them by learning few words of there language. I am enjoying it. Though I speak in English I should not expect them to speak in English or my Mother tongue. I think that is how we can really enjoy welcoming new people.
Now, we are staying in a global village so I think we should learn to accept people from different cultures and languages.
Regards,
Chiranjivi
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14 Oct 2009
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Zora
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Good morning!
The answer to your question is "no". While many people speak other languages in Canada, most do speak English (or French) also. And this phenomenon, in my opinion, just makes for a more interesting and richer language!!
Canadian English has always been riddled with "foreign" words: French, German, North American Indian, Inuit... Now there is Spanish, Italian, Chinese, etc... and I think that is wonderful!
Do you think that English in these countries will disappear?? Nonsense! People from China need to communicate immigrants from South America, and people from Hungary need to communicate with people from Italy and what language is the common thread?! English!!
So to me, multiculturalism and diversity of language is wonderful thing!!! Where can you find people from so many nations and cultural backgrounds with their customs and language intact?! Canada has that and to me it make for a rich and wonderful country. I love the idea of being on a bus and hearing other languages... maybe that �s me but I think the more languages you speak, the better off you are! And the more cultures and customs you are exposed to, the more tolerant and open-minded become.
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14 Oct 2009
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exiliser
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Maybe this will not be an answer to this thread but, I �ve seen a movie yesterday and liked it a lot. It �s name is "American History X" , to those who are interested... |
14 Oct 2009
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