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Apr 19, 2004 Most American students are required to have at least 2 years of foreign language study to graduate from their secondary education. Most European students, however, begin language training when they are in the equivelant of America's sixth grade. Do Americans really make an effort to relate to the rest of the world, or have we all just let the "we're the only major world power" thing go to our heads? I am in my third year of studying German, taught by a teacher that is, thankfully, smart enough to know to teach us what the country is really like, and how the inhabitants really speak, rather than the prim & proper, cut & dried, edited-for- content version. I mean, c'mon- Americans don't really speak English anymore, English has been cut, copied, and pasted into what can only be called American slang. And the closest to each coast you get, the worse the language gets. No wonder English is the hardest listed language for immigrants to learn. Which brings me to the next point- we expect everybody around us to speak English. Everybody coming in, and everybody at whatever foreign location we may be visiting. It must be convenient. Americans are, after all, the creators of the "convenient country" concept. I hate to sound like a droning editorial, but this is getting ridiculous. Yeah- people visiting or moving to a particular country should speak the native language, but we can't have it both ways, favoring our preferences. Why would we expect a native tribe that's been running for 150 years to speak English so we can understand their cursing when we over-run their land with tours and fancy, costly, "pictures with the natives?" I can only imagine what would happen if another nation suddenly became a world power and wanted to do the same to us... So it goes. Embarassingly enough, when I have foreign exchange students around, I'm usually one of few who can actually understand them. The reason for this slip in communication techniques? It's simple. They speak English. What's the first thing they have to do when they start studying here? Learn how to curse like a sailor. Talk slang as if they were from Brooklyn. And for God's sake- hide the accent. Ya gotta talk like we do. OK- so I'm getting a little off topic. But anyone who's taken a foreign language and then gone to that country knows what I mean- America is like a cancer slipping around the whole world. Major corporations are now attempting to bring obesity to China, Japan, Germany, France, the U.K., and every other country they can get their greasy hands on by introducing the major giant, McDonalds. Great, huh? Now we'll get to hear about obesity and societies in decline from all over the globe. Yippee... To bring this irate journalistic tirade to an end, I just want to bring up some basic concepts: 1: Most European students begin studying English when they are in our equivalent of the sixth grade. 2: Most commercial transactions between the United States and foreign embasaries take place in English. 3: Most children, local and abroad, now recognize the McDonalds golden arches more quickly than they recognize Mickey Mouse. 4: Many American musical artists are more popular abroad than in the United States. 5: Most American students are only required to take 2 years of foreign language study to graduate from secondary education. 6: Most Americans do not recognize more than 2 foreign country leaders. 7: Few Americans can coherently speak a native European language. Keeping these sorry ideas in mind let's look on the bright side- Most of English is derived from Latin, Greek, French, and German, and most cliches we use today have stuck to those guidlines. ------------ About the author S.E. Vail: I am a student in Nampa, Idaho, have several short stories published, and write regularly for enjoyment. I play on the school ice hockey team my friends and I started, and I regularly place in Speech & Debate competitions both locally and around the country. Email: icedawggoalie@hotmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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