Sure - he's welcome to think what he wants. I never suggested otherwise. As it stands, I will point out that he's complaining about private citizens not catering to his personal needs in their private businesses when they have no ethical or legal obligation to do so. I think it's silly that people say others should learn a language because they can't get a job otherwise. If that were true, they'd learn English on their own. As it stands, those people seem to be doing just fine and are content with the life they lead and the things they are missing out on. It seems more of an inconvenience to the people complaining than it does the people being asked to learn English.
I guess it bears repeating but learning a second language is difficult - especially for those who did not learn from a young age. People want to learn English because they know it will help their earning capacity. ie. going from the day laborer to the lead of a team of day laborers or going from busboy to waiter. There is nothing wrong with the sentiment that people should learn English, but unless you provide the opportunities for them to learn by either paying for their classes, paying for their time off from work to take classes, or subsidize them so that they can move out from their apartment complex in Gulfton to live in the burbs as your neighbor, you are not being constructive.
I didn't say it was, I said it should be. In immigrating to other countries I've seen a language requirement. There should be one here as well. I shouldn't have to speak Bangladeshi or Bengali, whatever language is spoken there, to get help at my local gas station. Yes, they can do what they want and that's why I don't shop there any longer. If you can't bother to speak English when you're doing business with me in my neighborhood where that's the predominant language then I'm not going to spend money with you. I'll go across the street to the Pakistani convenience store where he is quite friendly and has no trouble speaking English.
Same here. Then again, I have to admit that I spent two years on/off in Denmark and did not learn the language. I do understand some of it, but the issue was that I was there mainly for work and the work language was English. Everyone there speaks very good English, probably better than your average American who speaks Ebonics or some Redneck slang. Plus, I have to admit that I didn't like Danish very much, sounds like a mix of German and English spoken by someone who is just about to throw up or something.
I disagree with everything written here. It is not the onus of Americans to give money or time to immigrants so that they can learn English.
And that's great - that's the free market at work and everyone's happy doing things their way. It would be different if non-English-speaking guy asked you to be his customer, but he didn't. He's apparently content with his business serving clients who don't care if he speaks English, so why should it bother anyone else?
We'll see how long he's content in not addressing obstacles to make more money since that's probably why he's in business.
Sure - and then economics might force him to learn English, in which case the issue solves itself. But given the supposed number of people that don't speak English and the long history of that with immigrants since our founding, it seems people manage to do just fine that way. Maybe he won't ever be the most successful business, but if it pays for the life he wants for himself, then that's all that really matters.
