Re: Why Americans feel no compulsion ...

["Brian B. Riley" <brianbr@together.net>]

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Timothy C. May wrote:
> 
> At 12:21 AM 3/28/96, Syed Yusuf wrote:
> >If a person who speaks three languages is tri-lingual
> >If a person who speaks two languages is bi-lingual
> >
> >What do you call a person who only speaks one language?
> >
> >---------------------answer follows:
> >
> >An American.
> 
> Or our version:
> 
> What do you call a person who has to learn English as a second language in
> order to compete in the world?
> 
> A foreigner.
> 
> (Sorry for the insult, but it seems that this thread is bringing out
> insults from foreigners of all sorts.)
> 
> --Tim

 I suppose this thing could go on and on and on and be argued in many ways,
but I have to side with Tim here. I would add that America started out a
scant 300 or so years ago, we are what we are because we worked at it. If
we speak a language and most of the 200+ million Americans do, and we are
a dominant factor in the world today .... why should we learn another
language. I learned VietNamese when I went off to war. I learned Russian
for the hell of it after taking several courses in Russian history. I have
learned some French out of courtesy and survival when I go to Montreal (but
a 90 minute drive from here). If I were not going any of these places why
would I learn another language, why waste the time? Let me turn it around;
If I were in downtown Moscow what moral highground could justify that I
demand the locals speak English to me? By what right does anyone demand that 
the 70-80% of Americans who will never have a need for a second langauge
learn one?

- -- 
 Brian B. Riley --> http://www.together.com/~brianbr
  "If this is the first day of the rest of my life, I am in DEEP trouble!"



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