English as the Official Language

[Againsheila]

It would mean a huge savings as government documents no longer have to be translated into dozens of languages.

Having English as the official language woudn't really prohibit speaking another language, the effect would be to stop accommodating the literally hundreds of languages now accommodated.

I dissagree. As we are printing less and less paper and rely more and more on electronic transmission and storage of information it is far less neccesary to have an "official" language. Actually it is better to leave it open in my opinion as there are many languages and running translations digitally makes it much easier to keep everyone informed.

Have you seen some of those translations? Unless those programs get a whole lot better, they are no good at all.

 

[LoneLaugher]

Why in the fuck would a country that was built on immigration, and depends on immigration to sustain what's left of its agro-industry would FORCE people to learn a language? Honestly, that's the kind of shit that makes me laugh about Conservatives. They're all for keeping government out of their homes, unless it's telling them who to fuck and what language to speak.

It's not about forcing someone to learn a language, it's about not forcing us to provide them an interpreter. When my friend and I went to Japan, we sure as hell didn't expect them all to speak English. Heck even the people in our hotel didn't. We had a Japanese friend that made our reservations. We went on our own, without an interpreter and we did fine, but we sure as heck didn't expect them to cater to us in our language.

That's not really a good example to support your position. You had to have stayed in a seriously cheap-ass hotel if no one there spoke even a little English, and you can drive around Japan and take the trains and all that with English translations, transliterations, and romanizations everywhere you go. English speakers are accomodated so much in Japan that speakers of other languages (other than Japanese, of course) very often rely on English to get by.

True. It is very possible to live in Japan without speaking the language. Especially if you are a native English speaker.

 

[Unkotare]

Yeah, exactly. That was my point.

That did not seem to be your point at all from what you have posted so far.

Why are you so concerned with others speaking English when you don't have a very good handle on it yourself?

I'm pretty sure I've got a better "handle on it" than you ever will, and what have I posted that makes you think I'm so concerned with others speaking English?

 

[Unkotare]

It would mean a huge savings as government documents no longer have to be translated into dozens of languages.

Having English as the official language woudn't really prohibit speaking another language, the effect would be to stop accommodating the literally hundreds of languages now accommodated.

I dissagree. As we are printing less and less paper and rely more and more on electronic transmission and storage of information it is far less neccesary to have an "official" language. Actually it is better to leave it open in my opinion as there are many languages and running translations digitally makes it much easier to keep everyone informed.

Have you seen some of those translations? Unless those programs get a whole lot better, they are no good at all.

The ones at train stations and on highway signs? They are largely very accurate. As for translations all around the country being "no good at all," you can imagine your trip without them and then comment.

 

[JoeB131]

Why would they put something onto the system in grammatically incorrect Spanish?

Wouldn't know... but a lot of it is, and they still get by and make the money...

I see you are back to only being able to process one sentence with your limited intellect.

On a scale of 1 - 10, how stupid do you feel after trying to be a big shot and post something in Spanish only to make an ass of yourself by fucking it up?

Not at all, I never said I spoke Spanish... Although I'm sure you ran to Babelfish to see if I made a mistake or not....

Everyone understood what I was getting at, and you had to make a big deal because you became totally flustered after the first sentence.

I'm not upset that people can press two for spanish. I'm uspet that when I press one for English, I get someone who speaks Taolog or Hindi as their first language, because the cheap corporate fucks you worship can't hire an American.

I have no idea what the people who press 2 for Spanish get stuck with.

 

[Unkotare]

Need a towel to wipe the egg off your face (and the face of your straw man) asshole?

 

[Againsheila]

It's not about forcing someone to learn a language, it's about not forcing us to provide them an interpreter. When my friend and I went to Japan, we sure as hell didn't expect them all to speak English. Heck even the people in our hotel didn't. We had a Japanese friend that made our reservations. We went on our own, without an interpreter and we did fine, but we sure as heck didn't expect them to cater to us in our language.

That's not really a good example to support your position. You had to have stayed in a seriously cheap-ass hotel if no one there spoke even a little English, and you can drive around Japan and take the trains and all that with English translations, transliterations, and romanizations everywhere you go. English speakers are accomodated so much in Japan that speakers of other languages (other than Japanese, of course) very often rely on English to get by.

True. It is very possible to live in Japan without speaking the language. Especially if you are a native English speaker.

Possible, but not easy. And yes, the hotel was a good deal, a Japanese businessman's hotel. We always carried around phone numbers with us in case we got into trouble and when we bought a tour it was basically just pointing to the tour on the pamphlet and paying the yen. The tour itself was in English though...

And if you get arrested, they are not required, by law to provide you with an interpreter.

 

[Unkotare]

That's not really a good example to support your position. You had to have stayed in a seriously cheap-ass hotel if no one there spoke even a little English, and you can drive around Japan and take the trains and all that with English translations, transliterations, and romanizations everywhere you go. English speakers are accomodated so much in Japan that speakers of other languages (other than Japanese, of course) very often rely on English to get by.

True. It is very possible to live in Japan without speaking the language. Especially if you are a native English speaker.

Possible, but not easy. .

Very easy.

 

[JoeB131]

Need a towel to wipe the egg off your face (and the face of your straw man) asshole?

Nope, just disappointed you were unable to process the actual main argument I was making, because you lack the intellect or honesty to do so...

Because at this point, I really shouldn't be.

One more time- what's worse.

That someone has the option to press two for Spanish.

Or that if you press one for English, it's a real crapshoot if the person on the other end speaks it?

 

[Contumacious]

Rep. Steve King of Iowa spoke yesterday in support of a bill he introduced a year ago to make English the official language of the US. .

The way we are headed, I believe nazi German or Russian would be more appropriate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

 

[Unkotare]

One more time- what's worse.

That someone has the option to press two for Spanish.

Or that if you press one for English, it's a real crapshoot if the person on the other end speaks it?

Do you have any questions NOT based on a false premise?

 

[Unkotare]

Rep. Steve King of Iowa spoke yesterday in support of a bill he introduced a year ago to make English the official language of the US. .

The way we are headed, I believe nazi German or Russian would be more appropiate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Say what now?

 

[JoeB131]

One more time- what's worse.

That someone has the option to press two for Spanish.

Or that if you press one for English, it's a real crapshoot if the person on the other end speaks it?

Do you have any questions NOT based on a false premise?

I don't know, last six or seven customer service calls I've made, it's been Pradip or Corazon at the other end. One time I had to go through about three people before I found one who understood enough English to sort out my problem. I dropped that service the next week.

When I was trying to cancel, THEN they found an American for me to talk to.

 

[Unkotare]

Maybe you are so dim that you are incompetent to communicate with anyone who has the slightest accent. I'd wager that every single person you spoke with had a greater fluency in English than you ever will in any other language.

 

[JoeB131]

Maybe you are so dim that you are incompetent to communicate with anyone who has the slightest accent. I'd wager that every single person you spoke with had a greater fluency in English than you ever will in any other language.

And if my job counted on my being fluent in another language, you might have a point.

Fact is, it's not about fluency. It's about paying someone a dirt poor salary, and if you give out shitty customer service in the process, so be it.

Their job is to fix my problem. If they can't do it because they don't understand what I am saying in clear English, then they shouldn't have that job. Period.

I think all call centers BY LAW should be located in the United States.

My other biggest concern, how many call centers are run through prison? Another wonderful idea from the assholes you worship.

You know, some day, you are going to realize what a tool you are.

 

[ConservaDerrps]

That did not seem to be your point at all from what you have posted so far.

Why are you so concerned with others speaking English when you don't have a very good handle on it yourself?

I'm pretty sure I've got a better "handle on it" than you ever will, and what have I posted that makes you think I'm so concerned with others speaking English?

Good point. But then again, you may want to clarify your message then. What exactly is your point here?

 

[Contumacious]

Rep. Steve King of Iowa spoke yesterday in support of a bill he introduced a year ago to make English the official language of the US. .

The way we are headed, I believe nazi German or Russian would be more appropiate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Say what now?

the U.S. government asked Google for data on its users 6,321 times during the second half of 2011—a 75% increase from two years ago.

.

 

[Unkotare]

Maybe you are so dim that you are incompetent to communicate with anyone who has the slightest accent. I'd wager that every single person you spoke with had a greater fluency in English than you ever will in any other language.

And if my job counted on my being fluent in another language, you might have a point.

.

I'm right either way, you ignorant douche. Open a window or something.

 

[Unkotare]

The way we are headed, I believe nazi German or Russian would be more appropiate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Say what now?

the U.S. government asked Google for data on its users 6,321 times during the second half of 2011—a 75% increase from two years ago.

.

And?

 

[Unkotare]

Why are you so concerned with others speaking English when you don't have a very good handle on it yourself?

I'm pretty sure I've got a better "handle on it" than you ever will, and what have I posted that makes you think I'm so concerned with others speaking English?

Good point. But then again, you may want to clarify your message then. What exactly is your point here?

I started the thread to discuss the topic, not because I was advocating one way or another.