Does anyone else feel like me? If you can't speak English go home!?

I feel that if you move to a country that speaks a different language than you ... you should learn the language of your new adopted country.. I don't have a problem with people coming here and not speaking the language yet... I have a problem with people that have been here 20 years and still have no interest in learning the language but expecting the country they moved to - to cater to them and know their language..

Not necessarily. America is a country made up of hundreds of different nationalities. Yes, English is the primary language and I do believe that if you're going to live here then you should learn to speak English, but I don't get offended when I overhear someone speaking in their native tongue. That is the language they grew up with and are most comfortable with. They can express themselves a lot better in the language that they are most comfortable with. Just because you overhear someone speaking another language doesn't mean they can't speak English. It takes time to learn a new language and even more time to be totally comfortable with that language. If someone emigrates to America, becomes a citizen, then they are home; even if their English is flawed.

Well, I have to be honest here.

From time to time I feel the same way you do. And its not because I am narrow minded or heartless. Its because of personal experience.

The times I get frustrated are when you are at a business (for example Walmart) and you need assistance and you go to one of the employees who are there to assist you and they cant speak english. THey look at you like they have no clue what you are saying and respond, "Sorry, speak no english".

My feeling is, one needs to be required to speak the english language when working for an American company, business, corporation or wherever the person will be required to be serving a customer.

This is America, where we are all United. We have multi races here. But....the language spoken in America is English.

Nope. I'm incapable of learning different languages (or so it seems as I've been through attempts at a few), and so I really don't fault others for not immediately knowing english just because they're over here in the US. We should be more accepting of all people, even if they can't communicate with us, at least when we're in their country people won't act like jerks just because we can't speak their language.

No way,I am English and when I first came to another country to live I couldn't speak the language.It took me a while but with the help of some very friendly local people I eventually managed to get a good grip of their language.On the other hand,I do think that if someone else is moving to your country then it's only fair that they try to learn that language,apart from obviously helping themselves to live there,it is the polite thing to do.As long as someone is trying to learn then give them a chance,if they refuse to learn it they are only making things more difficult for themselves to live there.

Well it just all depends on how long someone has been there. If they've been somewhere where English language is used and they still don't know how to speak it and has made there residence a permanent home I think they should try. But I don't think anyone should be forced to learn something they dont want it may hinder them but who are we to say where someone should be.

I don't think if you can't speak English you should go home (heck most American's don't even speak proper English and are just as unintellegible as somebody who is from another country). But if you are here without a proper visa, or passport, or greencard and you are feeding off of MY tax dollars to pay for your healthcare, schooling, wellfare, etc. Then yes, you should go home. It's not our job to care for the whole world.

I assume this means that when the first of imaspaceychic's family arrived at these shores they spoke English. I wonder how many folks there'd be in the U.S. if they'd been turned back to their native country because they didn't speak English. I mean, how many imaspaceychic-type families could we have goten (just from England & ireland?) to create a new nation?

By the way, is it "feel like me," or "feel like I do?"

that is very sad. go to Southern California and say that please. I want to know the outcome. there are areas in America where English is not the main language. If you can't deal with different languages being spoken....you go home...cuz guess what! You're not really American. None of us, in the true sense are really Americans, unless you happen to be a purely bred Native American, native being the key word here. Expand your mind and try to learn even the basics of another language....you career will go farther.

No, I don't. I like all of the different languages and speak have tried to learn another language as well as English. It is a blessing to speak more than one language.

There are some 30 countries that have ENGLISH as their *official* language. The United States is not one of them.

If you are going to LIVE in country, then you should learn the lay of the land, and that includes the dominate language of the land. I wouldn't move to France and expect everyone to speak English (though they probably do), I wouldn't expect them to learn it for my benefit!