Obama says nation's kids should be bilingual

[KMAN]

Que? Obama says nation's kids should be bilingual
The Washington Times ^ | July 8, 2008

Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 1058 PM by 2ndDivisionVet

In an under-covered moment I only caught by streaming the event online, Sen. Barack Obama told voters today in Powder Springs, Georgia, they should not be worried about making the United States an "English-only" country.

He said he agrees immigrants should learn English, but felt the concern should be more about global competitiveness.

"Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, because they will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish," he said. "We should have every child speaking more than one language."

For comic effect, he added, "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'Merci beaucoup.'"

He said a foreign language is a "powerful tool" to becoming more employable in the global economy and said children learn languages easier than adults.
-----------------------------------

This guy is scary. He is more interested in our kids learning Spanish than immigrants learning the language our constitution was written in....

 

[Ravi]

Link?

 

[KMAN]

Can't access it right now but go to youtube and watch the video.

This might be it. youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

 

[Steerpike]

No reason not to have children speaking multiple languages. Other countries do this all the time. The smarter the kids are, and the more educated, the better off they'll be.

 

[Manuel]

He said a foreign language is a "powerful tool" to becoming more employable in the global economy and said children learn languages easier than adults.

I think he is right about that. It's is always a benefit to speak a foreign language.

 

[KMAN]

Why should I have to learn another language to live here in the US? Why not be more focused on teaching people moving here to teach english instead of teaching us citizens to learn another language to adapt to the immigrants? Seems like common sense to me.

 

[Ravi]

This guy is scary. He is more interested in our kids learning Spanish than immigrants learning the language our constitution was written in....

Your editorializing is obviously untrue.

That's two things I like about Obama now.

 

[KMAN]

What's untrue?

 

[Steerpike]

Why should I have to learn another language to live here in the US?

He did say you should HAVE to. I think he's just pointing out that it is smart in today's world, and I think he is correct.

 

[KMAN]

He did say you should HAVE to. I think he's just pointing out that it is smart in today's world, and I think he is correct.

I agree, learning another language might be beneficial for our kids if they ever do business in another county 20-30 years into the future... but he is saying don't worry about immigrants learning english and worry more about your kids learning spanish.... That's crazy!

 

[Steerpike]

Yeah but right after he said "dont worry about immigrants learning english" he says "because they will learn it."

So I don't think he's advocating immigrants not learning english. He seems to be assuming they're going to.

 

[KMAN]

Yeah but right after he said "dont worry about immigrants learning english" he says "because they will learn it."

So I don't think he's advocating immigrants not learning english. He seems to be assuming they're going to.

LOL...

What is there incentive to learn English? Maybe we should be like other countries and make an official language (English) that would ensure that they learn it.

 

[Ravi]

LOL...

What is there incentive to learn English? Maybe we should be like other countries and make an official language (English) that would ensure that they learn it.

There's a lot of incentive to learn english, especially among the kids in school. Making it the official language does nothing. It's been the official language in Florida for years and it hasn't made a bit of difference.

 

[KMAN]

There's a lot of incentive to learn english, especially among the kids in school. Making it the official language does nothing. It's been the official language in Florida for years and it hasn't made a bit of difference.

Just seems kind of strange that he is more concerned about US citizens adopting to the immigratns instead of the other way around... What's next is my concern?

By the way, what was untrue about my post?

 

[Ravi]

Just seems kind of strange that he is more concerned about US citizens adopting to the immigratns instead of the other way around... What's next is my concern?

By the way, what was untrue about my post?

That he's more concerned about US citizens adapting to the immigrants. That isn't what he said at all, perhaps you should watch the video again.

 

[KMAN]

That he's more concerned about US citizens adapting to the immigrants. That isn't what he said at all, perhaps you should watch the video again.

"Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, because they will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish," he said.

Does this not say don't worry about the immigratns, worry about yourself?

 

[Ravi]

I'm sorry, you are being so disingenuous that I'm dropping out of the conversation.

 

[KMAN]

I'm sorry you don't understand what I am saying...

 

[AllieBaba]

I say if we ever master teaching them proper English, we should go ahead and add another one.

Otherwise, what difference does it make if they speak pigeon English or pigeon Spanish?

 

[CharlestonChad]

Que? Obama says nation's kids should be bilingual
The Washington Times ^ | July 8, 2008

Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 1058 PM by 2ndDivisionVet

In an under-covered moment I only caught by streaming the event online, Sen. Barack Obama told voters today in Powder Springs, Georgia, they should not be worried about making the United States an "English-only" country.

He said he agrees immigrants should learn English, but felt the concern should be more about global competitiveness.

"Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, because they will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish," he said. "We should have every child speaking more than one language."

For comic effect, he added, "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'Merci beaucoup.'"

He said a foreign language is a "powerful tool" to becoming more employable in the global economy and said children learn languages easier than adults.
-----------------------------------

This guy is scary. He is more interested in our kids learning Spanish than immigrants learning the language our constitution was written in....

This is one of his most intelligent positions. We already make kids take a foreign language in highschool and college, so why not start them early? Euro's put kids in foreign languages much sooner than we do.

Kudos Barack, you're spot on with this.