Do you think people coming to America should speak English????!!!?
439832
Aliens??????????  From which planet did they come from??? I was not of aware that aliens spoke spoke Spanish. GET EDUCATED.
822179
No, they would all have to go back to school and learn it.  Let American english be the official language.
942406
Some Americans are so accustomed to hearing only English for the majority of their life that it DOES make them uncomfortable when there are others nearby speaking a foreign language.  I had to laugh at one of my friends when we stopped at a little gas and go place to get some cold drinks on the way home from work. There were two guys behind us in line joking and talking in Spanish. When we got back to the car my friend commented he didn't like it when they spoke gibberish, "they might be saying bad things about me."\nI said, "so what, as long as you don't know it won't hurt."\n\nThe Hispanics were okay with them speaking language foreign to us but guess what happened the next time?\n\nA few days later, we were standing in line at the same store and the same guys came in speaking Spanish. I poked my friend on the arm and said "Just nod your head once in awhile and go along."\nWhen I started speaking to my friend in German, the two Hispanics stopped joking and were looking at us a bit disturbed. Now guess who was uncomfortable? It would seem they too were ill at ease when they couldn't understand what was being said.\n\nI would say it is rude if in a group the people can speak the same language and two of them  switch to another language that excludes the rest. That suggests they have some secret they don't want to share with the group and makes the others feel left out.  \n\nWhen people  are in a multicultural environment they should be expecting to hear other languages. When I was in Vienna, Austria for a week I think I heard 90% of every language on earth. When I heard one I thought was new I would politely ask if anyone could interpret English and I would try to learn what the language was and where it was from. All but one group was complimented that I cared enough to learn about them. But they had no interpreter and that may have caused them to be uncomfortable. For the most part they were glad to share what they knew, proving to me that most people really do have a good heart and a wish to get along with the others in the world.
488572
Yes, by making English our official language, it will speed up assimilation of the immigrants who at this time are being pandered to and enabled and encouraged to NOT learn English by having so many official documents in other languages.\n\nThe other day I got my food handlers permit.  The test was in English, Spanish, Phillipino, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Ukraine, Thai, and one or two of the languages of India. The Koreans at my table were HELPING each other with their tests.  The three Anglos, me included, worked on our tests ALONE.\n\nEnglish should be an official and common language.
542987
YES,i agree with you!!! There should NOT even have to be a question of this!!! ENGLISH is the language that Americans have been speaking since this country was FOUNDED!!! Why should people even WANT to change it NOW?? And,as for OTE (other than English),i have NO problems with people speaking their own language, UNLESS,they are around people who do NOT speak their language!!!! THEN,i think it is RUDE and INSULTING!!!Those of you who speak other foreign languages,PLEASE have enough CONSIDERATION for others around you,who DON'T!!!
996785
No, I don't think they should go unchallenged if they want to stay. Now if they want to come for a short visit...( 2 seconds ) then leave, fine. But no. We have our own AMERICAN problems to deal with without them ILLEGALS adding to them. There are AMERICAN children and elders ( who by the way worked hard to pave the way for our generation and generations to come) that are going to bed hungry and having to choose between food and proper medical care while these ILLEGALS are corrupting and taking advantage of the system that should be catering to the above mentioned.  And I am sick to death of having to press #1 on the phone if I want to hear the message in ENGLISH. It should be ENGLISH by default.
356181
Most don't have to. They mostly stick to their own kind and don't have to work on their English. Plus they aren't made to. You have translators now and everything is in English/Spanish. So why do they really need to? I agree that if you are in this country you should learn the language. I can also say this because I am married to a Mexican so I am not racist in any way. If I moved to Mexico I don't expect things to be in English for me. I should have to learn Spanish. Fortunately, my husband speaks very good English. Before he met me he only spoke some, but since I don't know much Spanish he is forced to speak English all the time........so...therefor he has to learn English in order to communicate with me, and is should be the same with anyone who dosent speak English. You are in America therefor, you should speak our language, period. Like I said, they hang out and live by people who primarily speak their language so why should they have to?
406767
I think people miss the point of that.  Why do people hold the U.S. to a different standard than other countries.  EVERY country has an official language, and they all have people from other nationalities living to them.  If EVERY country tried to cater to EVERY language spoken in it, no one would get anything done ever.  Just because English is the national language of the U.S. does not mean that the U.S. is somehow slapping other languages in the face.  If you want to live here, work here, and thrive here...learn the language.  That does not mean that there is anything wrong with other languages or that we as U.S. citizens should not learn other languages, we should.  However, just like any other country we do have a national language and people should learn it to function here.  That is no different than if I went to Germany, Russia, Cuba, Japan...those countries businesses and schools will not cater to me...its in my best interest if I want to succeed in their country, to learn their language.  That is true of the U.S. also.  So, yes,it bothers me to with the press one or two thing....learn the language...but don't come here to BE an American and then DEMAND that everyone else here conform to your language so that you can function.  If you choose to operate here, then learn how we operate and do it.  I would have to do it in another country, so anyone who comes here should have to do it here.
748919
I agree..... everyone who lives in this country should learn to speak ENGLISH.
1132908
I don't recall there being any article in the Constitution that gives the English language any official status or that guarantees that American citizens should never be subjected to hearing languages other than the majority tongue. If anything, the United States was actually founded to encourage acceptance of diversity. Remember the First Amendment? It guarantees not only freedom of religion but also freedom of speech, and that means not just WHAT you want to say but also HOW (and in what language) you want to say it.\n\nI agree that immigrants should be encouraged to learn English, but not because Americans have some God-given right to never have to hear any language but English. If you're really all that concerned about immigrants who are having a hard time acquiring the English language, perhaps you should volunteer some of your time tutoring immigrants in English.\n\nEDIT: After all, it can take years to acquire a second language. How many years did it take for you to learn Spanish, and how fluent are you in it? That is, are you conversational? Would you be comfortable speaking in only Spanish all day long in every situation? How about when you travel to Mexico? Do you speak Spanish every second you're there, or do you just use Spanish when you have to ask for directions of something and revert back to English when speaking to other Americans you're traveling with? \n\nOr are you perhaps a second or third generation Latina? Did your parents or grand-parents speak Spanish? And if so, why is it that your mother tongue is English and not Spanish? It's amazing how quickly people become assimilated in this country, isn't it? It is admittedly difficult for those who immigrate to this country as an adult to pick up the English language, especially when most of them work long hours, rely on others for transportation, and can't afford college English classes. After all, it can take YEARS to become fluent in a foreign language. Don't you agree? Yet more often than not, the children and grand-children of these immigrants not only learn to speak English fluently but don't even learn to speak their parents' language, which is a shame, if you ask me. In the meantime, it does admittedly take those first generation immigrants a while to pick up the language, so maybe we should be a little more patient and stop being so judgmental. Those of use who have learned to speak a second language fluently realize how difficult a process it can be. If more Americans took it upon themselves to try to learn a foreign language, they might be a little less judgmental.\n\nFYI: French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is spoken as a first language by people in France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, etc..., but more importantly, it is spoken as a second language in countries where it is the official language or where it has a historical presence, including, but not limited to the following countries: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Tchad, Senegal, Guinea, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Burkina-Faso, Cameroun, Ruanda, Burundi, Zaire, Egypt, Guyana, Guadelope, Martinique, Reunion, Corsica, French Polynesia, etc...
959404
Never.  People who come into the United States ought to learn American English.
495525
I'm a first generation immigrant from England, and I just want to say that I think it's hilarious so many Americans want Mexicans & other South Americans to learn MY country's language! I know folks from all around the world, but it's only Americans that you can rely on to only speak a single language!\n\nHaving said that, it's not so hard to come here legally.  \n\nWe'll sort this mess out before long.  If all Mexicans stop going to Walmart & Starbucks (as I heard on the radio today) the WalMart will fix the problem.\n\nHow about we just give EVERYBODY the citizenship test, and everyone that fails (including those born here) gets shipped out?
444923
Huh?!  Speak American, Please...
1048710
I don't think there's a thing wrong with it!  If you want to live in this country....LEARN THE LANGUAGE!  I am sick and tired of going to the stores seeing so much written in Spanish now.  There's no reason for it.  This is the USA.....we speak ENGLISH....and if you don't like it, and you don't want to learn it.....there's also another freedom this country offers you...THE FREEDOM TO LEAVE!
529104
Speak English please.
355941
I feel they should be allowed to come here, but they have to do it LEGALLY and LEARN ENGLISH!  Don't come here to mooch off free medical care and everything else we pay taxes for!  Come here LEGALLY, LEARN ENGLISH, and MAKE A LIVING!  It is just a pet peeve of mine!  I have a question about why immigrants WON'T learn english, it is still open for answer!
1000722
I was born in this country.  I speak English.  In order to communicate we need a common language.  When a bunch of illegalmexican immigrants comes in and refuse to speak English there is no reason why we should cater to them and change everything to Spanish.  This is positively absurd, and I am sick and tired of having to press 1 for English.  The illegalmexican immigrants will not dictate to me that I now have to read Spanish everywhere.\n\nThe time has come to actively campaign against them and to fight aginst them.