Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

? asked in Society & CultureLanguages · 10 months ago

What language do Americans speak as a 2nd language?

In the Philippines, we usually speak our own regional native dialect at home and Tagalog at work/school. We officially use English as a 2nd language as well and Arabic in our prayer (I'm a muslim).

16 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    10 months ago

    If Americans speak a second language, it is most likely to be Spanish.

    However, although most Americans study foreign languages in school, they normally do not speak any language other than English either at home or at work/school. Only immigrants are likely to do this.

    Americans do speak regional versions of English, but these usually do not vary enough from Standard English to be called "dialects".  Regional English in the US is mostly a matter of accent and some vocabulary or expressions.

  • Anonymous
    10 months ago

    I am fluent in Army, and passable in Navy & Air Force ..............

    Source(s): Retired Army SFC.
  • Paolo
    Lv 7
    10 months ago

    imo most americans don't have a talent for learning languages lol

    to answer your question, they should technically speak their parents' first language 

  • 10 months ago

    Broken local slang. 

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    10 months ago

    Spanish or french

  • Anonymous
    10 months ago

    All depends on the individual: Most who know a second language at least proficiently 

    learned it at home, as few who only took it up at school actually bother to learn much.

    I personally speak either French or Spanish with most of my family and close friends.

    At work though, I mostly use English with coworkers as it's what they speak or prefer.

  • 10 months ago

    There is no second language in the US, with the wide diversity over here, that clearly depends on the individuals. Although English is the most common language it's not even the official language here, there is no official language by law. Spanish is however very easily the second most common language here.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    10 months ago

    Depends on where you live?  If you live in Canada you should know English and French.  If you live in USA you need to speak Spanish and English.  You can go anywhere in the world with those two languages and be understood.  A professor once said, "if you teach your children one thing it would be another language to help him get a job and keep it."  From a translator to working in with the public.  They always need someone who can do that. 

  • 10 months ago

    Only english instead they are people of immigrant backgrounds I would believe. 

  • 10 months ago

    The USA is a FAR larger country than the Philippines, with a far wider range of ethnicities within it. Spanish is turning into a second language for many US citizens, but obviously more so in the south and west.

    There is no specific 'second language' in the USA, just as there isn't one in the UK or France of Germany or ... but it's normal for many of their citizens to learn a foreign language at school, if only to a lowish level.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.