I actually thought it was kinda catchy LOL

See, that's one thing that does bug me.
People complaining about "Pressing 1 for English".

If somebody tries to make it a requirement for the company, I think that's crap.
But if a company chooses to take it upon themselves to offer an additional service, that's their choice.

I would love to be able to press some number for English where I'm at.

I don't think anybody is proposing that businesses be required to handle their answering systems in any specific way.

I think the chorus in the song about pressing 1 for English is just hyperbole to make the point.

Anybody is free to speak any language they want to in this country. I can actually say a couple of naughty phrases in Japanese, Chinese and Albanian thanks to citizens, imigrants and visitors.

However... Despite the fact that Americans are nototiously sucky as a people at fluency in languages other than English (and Heck--sometimes fluency in English is even debatable) I resent having demands placed on us as an English speaking nation to teach children in another language in our public schools. The language of this land is English. If I visit Italy I may not know Italian nor speak it, but if I go there expecting that everyone I encounter will be able to speak to me in English that is just plain arrogant and rude. And can you imagine if we moved there and demanded that our children be taught in English? I would hope that they laugh & point at anyone for that.

Mind you--Europeans are heads above us with language skills and could probably do it--but should they do it just because we demand it? Pfffffth.

And I'm only talking about English as an official language in the US (which legally--I don't think it is. I think that is why the door is open on all of this)--not companies marketing in multiple languages. Heck--that is only cost saving and smart on the part of any global company.

Technically, America has no 'official language.'

I agree with most of these points, but Native Americans have a legitimate bitch since they were here first.

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

I used to think it was presumptuous of us to demand an "official language" since for 200 years, Spaniards ruled both coasts.
But clarifying measures need to be taken with the current worry over illegal immigration.
I think it's alright to post signs in neighborhoods in different languages. You know, places like 'China Town' and southern Arizona.
But an 'official language' rule may be necessary to keep some of the encroaching plans for destruction of our society at bay.
At the same time, I would love to see an innovation throughout the public school system to introduce kindergarteners and first graders to at least one of the
other dominant world languages. Spanish and what? Mandarin Chinese or Japanese maybe.
Of course I would also like to see Greek or Latin mandatory for high school graduation. And definitely four years of history: American, Overview of World History, Western Culture, and Ethnic Studies (major influences in America as well as local community culture) mandatory, mandatory, mandatory!

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Salty

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I'm not big on illegals in any sense, but I think that it would be good for most of America for this country to be bilingual. Most countries have their Native language and English. I can see the merit in having Elglish as our primary language and having a mandatory second language taught in the schools from a young age.

there doesn't seem to be any reason to making it official.

I think that some of the amounts of material that are translated is a bit ridiculous and costly.

But, to be successful you have to speak English and that isn't going to change.

The only threat to English as the norm are Spanish speakers.

Considering that they don't make up that much of the world and they don't have that much economic influence

and considering that Chinese and Indians aren't rushing to learn Spanish

I don't think that it is a significant threat.

I am surprised that I am the only one who voted no to date.