Language Barrier

[quogueelectric]

While I don't disagree with you, I was trying to obey the OP's request:


you completely missed that one, eh?

Yes I missed that part sorry I picked it up when reread and to answer more correctly no I dont speak spanish. Have no current reason to learn it I know some basic phrases and similarities from english and french latin derivitives. I will learn it if I feel the need to though.

 

[quogueelectric]

You're aware Mexico is in North America, right? Maybe while they were skipping English class you were skipping Geography?:grin:

Same story as everyone else, took 3 years of Spanish in HS but hardly remember anything now. I'd like to take classes again. Where I live now, 70% of the population is Hispanic, you can see how this would be helpful.

I never skipped a class in my life and didnt even want to skip on senior skip day. However most of the day labor immigrants by me is not from Mexico. Mostly Guaatemalan, Belize, Equadorian, Brazilian and yes I know where Mexico is. Si! :grin:

 

[mivey]

I took Spanish in high school and have forgotten almost all of it. It would be useful at work sometimes. I would also like to speak some Chinese, Japanese, and French. The Chinese so I can understand what those guys are saying in the restaurant, the Japanese so I can understand conversations in the mall, and French because it is spoken in so many countries and would be useful when traveling.

I just don't have learning them on a high priority list of things to do (I did buy a book on hieroglyphics to see what it was all about...read chapter 1 and skimmed the rest).

I read a book on body language that was a lot more useful to me than the spoken language stuff. Very useful and I would highly recommend it.

[edit: add Latin. This would be so I can pretend to have culture]

 

[brantmacga]

I never skipped a class in my life and didnt even want to skip on senior skip day. However most of the day labor immigrants by me is not from Mexico. Mostly Guaatemalan, Belize, Equadorian, Brazilian and yes I know where Mexico is. Si! :grin:

Do you know all those countries you listed, except brazil, are spanish speaking countries?

The official language of belize is english, but all the people i know from there (we have an oddly high number of them here) speak spanish as their primary language. they also speak some form of creole.

some in ecuador speak quechua though, and there are a limited number of mayan speaking peoples left in guatemala.

Brazilians speak portuguese. we had some brazilian exchange students when i was in school. i had a spanish-speaking teacher who wanted to show off her fluency and greet them when they arrived. the look on their faces was priceless.

Anyway, whether you want to face it or not, you will need to know some spanish within the next 10-20 years. They are not coming here to assimilate. They send the money home, then go back and live like kings.

 

[frizbeedog]

I'll just lay it out for you. I'd like to figure out a way to hire and train electricians from a group of people who only seem to speak Spanish.

RBTL's..... You value a good work ethic.

 

[George Stolz]

I took Spanish in homeschooling (my sister's friend offered) and I took two years in high school. If you don't use it, you lose it, that's for sure. I can speak Spanish, but I really have to think to compose my sentences right, and don't know a few key words. (If anyone knows "boss" in Spanish, I'd appreciate it.)

I always speak English first, to someone who appears not to, and then resort to Spanish if I have to. Most everyone I bump into is trying to improve their English, so the reason I speak English first is twofold - it's my primary language, I grew up here, and I figure the other guy doesn't need the added humor of me staring at him for five seconds while I translate mentally.

A couple weeks ago I was enjoying dinner in a Mexican restaurant when the drunken bozo at the table next to me attempted to mount a conversation in Spanish with the waitress, and his was even worse than mine. I felt bad for the waitress for the first five minutes - I just felt sorry for myself after that.

 

[mivey]

i had a spanish-speaking teacher who wanted to show off her fluency and greet them when they arrived. the look on their faces was priceless.

Fluency is a relative thing. We were in a very small German town trying to order from a cafe menu. Everyone in the cafe (which was probably everyone in town) turned to the local English expert to help us out. With much fanfare, the kind gentleman came over to help us out. I'm sure he was an English linguist as far as his friends were concerned.

As everyone in the cafe turned to watch him work his magic, we could not even get ONE WORD communicated. The poor guy probably did not realize that us southern folks don't really speak English, even though it may sound like it from time to time. We finally just pointed at some stuff on the menu and ate what they brought.

 

[iaov]

Esta es los Estados Unidos y hablamos en Espanol aqui. Every one in this country speaks Spannish. Just to verying degrees. I speak it fairly fluently. I never had it in school. The guidance councelor talked me out of taking the class telling me it would be to hard for me! I have met almost no one who had it in school who can speak the language. I have people tell me they can't speak it but they understand it. That is a crock of ****. Understanding it is much harder than string words into sentances. I never set out to learn to speak it. I think a mistake people make is trying to learn a language. I learned 1 word a day for two years. When we learn to speak as children we learn a language 1 word at a time. Also because I was learning what I wanted to and what I thought would be usefull I didn't waste a lot of time learning to congugate the fouteen tenses of a Spannish verb. I learned how to say farts and boogers and wire. It is a beatifull language and I wish I had more opportunities to speak it here.:smile:

 

[wirebender]

(If anyone knows "boss" in Spanish, I'd appreciate it.)

jefe is boss, I believe.

 

[frizbeedog]

jefe is boss, I believe.

That's El Jefe!

I think. I got a D in that class.

 

[brantmacga]

Fluency is a relative thing. We were in a very small German town trying to order from a cafe menu. Everyone in the cafe (which was probably everyone in town) turned to the local English expert to help us out. With much fanfare, the kind gentleman came over to help us out. I'm sure he was an English linguist as far as his friends were concerned.

As everyone in the cafe turned to watch him work his magic, we could not even get ONE WORD communicated. The poor guy probably did not realize that us southern folks don't really speak English, even though it may sound like it from time to time. We finally just pointed at some stuff on the menu and ate what they brought.

lol i know what you mean. every state i've been to outside of the southeastern US, people look at me funny when I talk to them. I guess they've never heard a true gentleman's accent. At least we're not as bad as those creoles over in louisiana. i for one would rather listen to knives across a chalkboard than some yankee accents. my wife is from iowa and has family from wisconsin; the iowa dialect i can stand, but the wisconsin accent drives me up the wall! They love me up there though because I say sir and 'mam.

 

[mivey]

el jefe = THE boss

http://www.freetranslation.com/

 

[mivey]

lol i know what you mean. every state i've been to outside of the southeastern US, people look at me funny when I talk to them. I guess they've never heard a true gentleman's accent. At least we're not as bad as those creoles over in louisiana. i for one would rather listen to knives across a chalkboard than some yankee accents. my wife is from iowa and has family from wisconsin; the iowa dialect i can stand, but the wisconsin accent drives me up the wall! They love me up there though because I say sir and 'mam.

I like the British accent. I just don't get all of their jokes and/or phrases. Maybe that's why we had to send 'em packing.:smile:

 

[frizbeedog]

.....the British... Maybe that's why we had to send 'em packing.:smile:

They actually never left. But that's a wild conspiracy theory.......Or is it?

 

[mivey]

They actually never left. But that's a wild conspiracy theory.......Or is it?

I haven't heard that one.

I knew a feller once that wasn't from around here...but he got here as quick as he could.

 

[LarryFine]

View attachment 1454


Son of a.......

At least he's not chasing parked cars.

 

[macmikeman]

I don't speak Tagalog, Korean, Chinese, Japanese (ok some, not as much as my wife and kids can), Samoan, Micronesian, Spanish, HAWAIIAN (ok some, but not as much as my kids), Tahitian, or Chamoro. All of the above would be useful where I live.

 

[wireman71]

If I move to Mexico I'll learn to speak Spanish. As long as I live in the US and the only reason learn it is to converse with those that live here but are unwilling to learn the language I'll continue only speaking English.

 

[frenchelectrican]

I do speak primarly French and sign langune but however i know a couple of Spanish word it kinda almost match with some French along the way.

[ I did flunk the engish class in High School days but pick up the speed after i move in the USA ]

Merci,Marc

 

[roger3829]

If I move to Mexico I'll learn to speak Spanish. As long as I live in the US and the only reason learn it is to converse with those that live here but are unwilling to learn the language I'll continue only speaking English.

I agree with wireman, and since I dont plan on moving......