forign language?required for school:(

[doobysnack]

ok i am thinking about school gettin closer and closer and i wish i could talk to a government official cause this really ticks me off cause i have to have two forign language credits and i wanan know why is it kids in mexico dotn have to learn our language before they coem over to our country but we are required to learn there language.(no offense to any body)this is just stupid to me i am a firm believer in what bush is doing in iraq but he needs to crack down on the border control. cause it is rediculous. i am not a racist i just dotn see why my school has to teach mexican kids english and how they get there own shadows all day every day i dotn get it and i think it is totally wrong for me as an american i should be able to focus on school not a language i will never need for my study i plan to be a vet.i have to half meican nieces but they wernt imagrents they were mexican americans. well just an off topic opinion

[Shelby]

Yeah.. schools teach you a lot of things that you will never use and generally waste your time (mostly anyway). When I went to 6th grade (I was homeschooled from 8th grade on) Spanish was an elective, you didn't have to take it. I think that is a better approach.

My opinion on most schools is the minority, however.

On the other hand, it may be useful! There are many Mexicans all over the US, and I often wish I remembered what I learned in my Spanish class.

[Ken]

Cranky Old Guy Alert! - (You've been warned).

The reason for the foreign language requirements is that learning another language helps you understand the reason and logic behind your own much better. You learned English when you were so young that you learned it without knowing why it's structured the way it is, what the roots of the words are, etc.

Learning another language, especialliy one with a lot of Latin and Greek derivitives, gives you a better handle on English, unlocks a broader english vocabulary, and helps you be a better world citizen. In the case of Spanish, it'll help you get a new roof on your house, or get the pool cleaned.

This has been your Cranky Old Guy moment of the day.

[doobysnack]

with the last comment i laughed liek a lil female dogg on the inside.

[tigerlily]

Hey a second language is always useful, especially if you are thinking of becoming a vet. You may find that it broadens your clientel. I grew up in MD and was required to take 2 years of a language. If you plan on attending a college, they also usually require them. You almost never appreciate what you are learning while you are learning it, but you may find it comes in handy later on in life. Heck I took a sign language class my senior year in college and wish I would have found that earlier - that was fun. Our teacher spoke only on the first day and a couple other times, that's it.

[Jeanne]

I use to teach 4-7 special education children. I worked in a school in Arizona (my home state) for a long time. No, I am not racist at all.. this has been my experience.

I too agree that children who come here from Mexico seem to get benefits that "american" children dont get (the shadow you mentioned, etc) should learn english, this is the way it is done. The shadow, helps them adjust to things here, and the shadow is usually someone of mexican/spanish decent or someone with a good handle on the situation. They are there to help those children. In Mexico, thier education system really lacks, in fact, alot of children dont even get any real schooling there in the poorest of areas, and it is the hardship of living in those poor areas that make them want to come here. B/c of that, it makes it difficult for them here.I have gone into Mexico alot, living in Az, it becomes your play ground... but to give you a clear picture, most of the poor ppl live in little shanty towns, thier homes made of scrap wood and whatever else they can find, no running water, no clean bathrooms (you find outhouses that multiple families use), along side hills that are full of other shantys that house multiple families in just one. It is a sad situation and I would not want to live like that.

As far back as I can remember, other languages use to be electives, this is not so anymore. While it may be a hassle for you to learn, it is a wise thing for you to learn. I took spanish for many years, and my Mom married into a spanish speaking family... learning spanish had LOTS of benefits.. and as an adult, thought I cannot speak it well, I understand it better. Also, I took american sign language in jr. high and high school... you know what, I use it every day...... my husband is hearing impaired (born that way), has to wear hearing aids, but they do not always let him hear.... so sign language is used alot in our home.. our kids even know it... not as well as him and I, but they can communicate well with my husband.

I guess the moral of this long "story" is, it may seem like you learn this stuff for nothing, and yes, alot of stuff you learn at school, most ppl dont use in everyday life.... but you may never know when knowing this stuff will come in handy. My husband could never be a CNC Machinist had he not learned all that math in school. So even though, you feel it is for nothing, put your best effort into it anyhow, or you may be sorry later.

At least we are not like parts of Europe. They must learn thier native language (if it applies to local dialect), plus english, french, german and even italian, some places even make them learn japanese. They believe it makes thier ppl more rounded and able to work within society better, mind you, they start all this very young, but they all must show profiecency in each before they "graduate". So count your blessings that you can "choose" which language you want to learn, rather than be made to learn a bunch that you may or may not use. My cousin grew up in Italy, she knows english, italian, german and french, she was taught from a young age. Also, count your blessings that we have education at our disposal so abundantly in the US... OK, now I must rant a bit....

I live in Ohio, so far , out of many states I lived in, Ohio has the highest teen pregnancy rates I have ever physically seen. In the area I live in, from what I see, alot of parents cant help thier children with homework or read to them- why-- cause they are illiterate. How do I know this, I have had to help neighborhood children with the passion for learning, do thier school work cause thier own parents were so lame they cant help. Mind you, I dont mind helping them at all, I love to help the ones who want to learn.. but it is really sad thier own parents cant do these things. Also, education is abundant here... but you know what makes me sick? The ppl around me that live on social security/disability because they are ILLITERATE.... now, lets look at this.. they are not illiterate b/c they had no choice like those in Mexico.. they are illiterate b/c they did not have enough pride in themselves to get off thier arses and get an education.. now they live off social security/disability b/c they are illiterate. Illiteracy is not a disability, and if it is deemed so, then give them thier free $, but make them get off thier arses and get educated, so they can get off the free $ and become self sufficient, rather than have a free living! There are ppl out there, like my son, who has brain damage and other problems caused by a car hitting him last summer, that are disabled, who cannot get ss/disability and when they do, you have to fight tooth and nail to get it. I have little tolerance for ppl who are illiterate b/c that is thier choice, here in the US, we have education available not just to kids, but to adults, heck, there are 4 adult education places in this area that I know of... and they hardly get used, because ppl are not made to become literate here, they are left to live for free. It is sad when someone uses illiteracy to live free, and gets away with it. There is no excuse for this.

OK, my rant is over. I now return you to your regularly scheduled topic......

[daniel1983]

As a Professional Student, I see how learning a foreign language can bother someone for the fact that they think that they will never use it. Most are right they will never use it. But....I have been in school for 17 years straight....not even taking a summer off for the past 4 years. I have seen alot of things and see how we can use them. Also, I am a white american male....I am the minority in Graduate School for engineering. Most of the guys that I go to school with are from India, China, and other foreign nations. They are ALL great people and everyone of them learned ENGLISH as a second language in their countries from early on in school. Maybe public school in mexico just is not to those standards yet. I assure you that in the private mexican schools, english is regularly taught. Because the United States is the Great world power, anyone that is going to have a proper education to make it successfully in business must have the ability to speak english. If their country or school chooses not to teach them english they are doomed in the business world w/out it. I wish I knew a forign language (chinese, japanese, mexican, or french)....I could get a job that has a salary $40,000-$50,000 more than I will get paid just because I can communicate with people overseas. Don't knock foreign languages....it would benefit everyone to know one

[pumba]

O.K. a chime in from your friendly local country boy:

As far as the foren language, that would be the last thing that I would complain about in school. Don't get me wrong, I can understand both sides of that rock. Things I have a problem with are things like Philosophe (sp) {I should have paid more attention in English,,,,lol} Any way what in the world is that class for. I was once asked "how do you know what color green is" what the crap is that, other than someone getting paid for burning the herb a bit much and questioning the insugnifigant things in life... Wow.

As for the disability thing,,,WOW that is a whole different rant. I agree. This country tends to worry about everyone else besides it's own. Honestly about 80% of the people that I put in jail are on some type of government assistance, they laugh about it and call it a crazy check. This because they didn't pay attention in grammar school and never learned how to learn, therefore rode the short bus to school and did nothing all day. Now they sit under a proch or oak tree somewhere drinking beer, hanging out, and selling illegal substances to our kids. VERY NICE! If you ask me, you can thank your local Democrat for our welfare system as it is. I understand that there are times, and reasons that some folks should get a hand, but it has gotten to carried away. For all that are wondering why I blame the Democrat, it is because they came up with the welfare system to get votes. It was a great plan. Just think, vote for me and we will make the successful suffer for working hard, while you get paid to do nothing. In fact, continue to vote for me and you will get a raise as often as you need.

I was talking to a man a while back about his situation on his way to the jail. In speaking with him he found his lot in life to be funny. He even recognized the problem with the welfare system and found it funny. He actually told me that he pays only $10.00 a month to live in his 3bdrm 1 bath apartment. His light bill is taken care of by uncle sam, he gets $790.00 in food stamps a month. And this does not count his "Crazy check" that paid for his almost new Ford Expadition. He figured it up on the ride to jail and told me that counting his rent, power bill, Food stamps, and S.S.I. or what ever it was, that he makes over $2,000.00 a month. And the best part is he just sits around, drinks beer, and of course he was on his way to jail for --------"Sale/Possession of Crack Cocaine".. I love it. This man takes home more than I do working two jobs and still sells dope. What a fine system that is.

The way I see it, is if you can't do anything but sit around and spit out babies, to get your check, you should be Steralized. If you can walk and talk for any length of time, you should be made to work. If you can't find work because you are "Crazy" then you should be the one out there picking up trash 40 hrs a week on the right-of-way rather than the contracted persons. Or whatever else we can find that the government spends our tax dollars on that could be taken care of by the one's that get "free money"
I actually knew a man that worked, and got welfare. Of course he would only work so many hours so he didn't loose his binifits. Cool isn't it, here he could be making pleanty of over time at a fairly good rate of pay, but he would rather work only what he had to and pick up his check. This is the same guy that the government baught a house for, and then loaned money to to purchas a BAR. What is that. Am I the only one in here that finds that a bit crazy.

I say no more "Free Money". You must work. Either community work for your welfare, or find a JOB... I understand there should be exceptions for there are thoes that have legitamate injuries that make them disabled, but if they are good enough to drive to the store for cigaretts then "Get a Job".

On that same note, what is up with these doctores giving everyone with a stubbed toe a Handicap Parking Permit. I see little old ladies walkig the entire length of parking lots to get to the store, just to find some 40 year old sprint out and jump into his car with his handicap permit int the handicap parking spot and then speed away. Obviously he was more able to walk across the lot than the poor little old lady. This place is going down hill folks, so hang on.

I will say one more thing and then rest. I think we should all forget about this democracy for a moment and remember that we are not a democracy. We are a "Constatutional Republic". We need to stick to that old peace of paper that is labeled "Constatution of the United States" and quit letting the lawyers that are in our nations capital twist it to what ever it needs be to care for thier own intrests. It has gotten out of hand! That poor document has been raped, shreaded, and all but burned. If our founding fathers rose from the grave today, they would be ashamed of what we have become.

Sorry about that, I couldn't help it.

Have a nice day
Ray

[doobysnack]

ok here is my problem, i as an american should have equal rights with every other american. if you ask me martin luther king jr.s' dream was squashed along time ago there is no such thing as equal now. because we are imagrating all these poeple into our country ok why so some one from mexico can come over here and get free taxes for 7 years well why cant i get taxes for free for 7 years me as an american my ancestors founded these lands and some where on my dads side of the family i am related to daniel boone(a great man who faught alot of battles on the frontier). i just wanna know why do these imagrants have the right to come over into our country take what we work for we as americans have faught many battles for our country what have these imagrants done for our country?

[clizardb]

Just my opinion, but I believe that if someone wants to come to this country, then they need to learn English, or stay wherever they are coming from. And I also believe if you are coming here to be a citizen of the U.S.A. then you better fly the American flag when you get here, because if you don't, you are not here to be a citizen you are only here to reap the benifits available to you, and to me that is abuse of the system. Show some respect to the place you are moving to or hit the road, this country is already over-crowded !