While English is the most spoken language in the United States, it is not the only means of communicating in this country. Spanish is spoken by a large amount of the population; as a result, knowing how to speak both is the key to success in America. For those who came to this country and already knew this language, it is an important part of who they are. As a direct result of learning it, individuals who embrace it as a second (or even third) language grow closer to their roots, or broaden their horizons. Speaking Spanish is more than gaining a new skill; it is a great step in becoming a better person and a citizen of the world. If you already speak Spanish fluently, then you have already noticed the many others who do so as well here in
This is shown by the different manner and circumstances when the Americans chose to speak spanish. For example Sully often spoke Spanish only in anger of as a method to intimidate the crew. He said “We have laws. Comprendé?” “Sí” said Nayeli (247 BN) this struck fear in the crew when the only spanish word spoken was to emphasize the point and as a fear tactic to challenge and ensures the crew follow the laws. In contrast the use of spanish in conversation and not only one word demonstrates courtesy and the desire to communicate versus just enforce rules. “Pérdon?” “Ud. me está mirando? he said, in spanish “Sí” she said “Porqué?” he asked “It’s your skin…” she said “It’s...beautiful” He laughed, out loud. (155 BN) The man uses spanish is not showing use in a forceful way as he speaks in full sentences and not just in one
Spanish is a significant joining power in the Mexican American community. Mexican Americans will not forget their native tongue; though equally, English and Spanish are spoken in
“Language is power. If you cannot understand or be understood you have no power. You are at the mercy of everyone.” – (Rudat, 1994, Stow, Dodd 356) Should Americans be required to learn Spanish as a second language? The construction of our nation stands on documents written in English, however English is not our official language nor has it ever been. America is a “melting pot” in which English is the most prominent language, followed closely by Spanish. Requiring Americans to learn Spanish is a great controversy; I strongly believe that it should be a requirement, because it improves academic achievements, career success, and cultural and social understanding. The controversy has great counter arguments such as the double standard Americans are held to, and further division of the country. Regarding the counterarguments, I still firmly believe that it should be a requirement because the integration of a second language in our schools is more beneficial to our country’s success as a whole.
Learning a new language seems to have only positive effects. However, for a Mexican American, accomplishing this goal brought him drawbacks in the interaction with his family. In his essay, ‘’Public and Private language,’’ Richard Rodriguez describes the difficulty in learning a new language and the sacrifice he makes to accomplish his goal. Richard Rodriguez shares the difficulty for older people, as they learn a new language; however, for younger generations is easier to learn a new language. Also, the new language creates a lack of communication for Richard Rodriguez.
Spanish is the most common second language in the world and the most popular language taught in the United States schools. One reason it seems Spanish is the most popular second language, is over 20 countries claim it as their first language and over 400 million people speak it. More people on earth today speak two or more languages. With numbers like that it seems we all should learn a little bit of this popular language.
At the time, I signed up for spanish because it seemed the most useful considering the hispanic population in the United States and our close proximity to Latin America, but I never truly understood how helpful knowing another language could be. Over this past summer, I hosted a student from Spain for about a month. Before this experience, the language never seemed real to me. Meeting Marina and recognizing that spanish is the language she uses in everyday life changed my perspective. Spanish is exciting for me because it is an entirely new way of life that I haven’t experienced before. I spent my whole childhood speaking english and recognizing american traditions while other children spoke spanish and had different customs. Continuing to learn spanish will allow me to communicate with more people and exchange ideas with people who did not grow up the same way I
Speaking Spanish or any second language opens a lot of doors in life. While the little Spanish I do know is incomprehensible to most fluent Spanish-speakers, it has helped me in some situations. The article Se Habla Espanol by Tanya Maria Barrientos is the story on how she (Tanya) dealt with the tribulations of being born in Guatemala, moved to and raised in the United States, and attempting to learn her native Language once again (Barrientos 645). While many of us, including Tanya, have difficulties learning a new language and understanding others cultures, the struggle will prove to be worth it in the end.
I now speak English and Spanish because I managed to keep my first language. I had bilingual classes up to fifth grade. Because my parents did not speak a word of English, I had to translate for them regularly, which was also a way to practice my English
1. The point of taking Spanish or any other foreign language is crucial in education. Knowing a foreign language can come in handy when you're visiting a foreign country and it is becoming an increasingly needed skill in the diversifying Untied States. Learning a foreign language like Spanish can also help you with your English by making you think harder when reading and analyzing the context and sentence structure of things written in both languages. Employers and colleges also look for Spanish speakers because an understanding of the language not only shows your intellect and your ability to learn but it also makes you valuable in a country that has a rising Spanish population like the United States. Besides all the benefits from taking a Spanish class it is also a lot of fun to learn. For me I have always been fascinated
In a school with a general population of Hispanics I would love to be able to converse with them in Spanish. I often get people asking if I speak Spanish and I tell them why I can’t speak, but can understand what the words in Spanish mean. All because I did not want to look different in a school where people were primarily white back then I lost a valuable tool. I don’t recall many
Spanish is my native language, however, my mother advised my siblings and I to speak only English. This was because she was afraid that we would be rejected from professional careers if our English wasn 't unaccented, fluent, and similar in refinement to the working class whites. With time, I became a fluent English speaker with a developed Central American accent but like, any other young girl, I thought nothing of it. That is until one event, in particular, occurred that would cast a shadow of embarrassment onto my Spanish language. This event not only led me to desert my entire native language but a sense of my cultural identity, as well.
Taking the Spanish course in school is great for jobs out there who is looking for people that are bilingual. Some people don’t understand that if you can become bilingual you can actually make more money than others who only speak one language. I know taking Spanish is a way of demonstrating you to the real reality world we live in. The reason being is you interact with other non English speaking people. “ If you speak English and Spanish, you get an additional of 1.5% higher than the normal average only English speaking employee.bestcolleges.com You are gaining benefits from taking a simple Spanish course and have a great chance of becoming very
The major languages in the United States are English, Spanish, and Chinese, with these last two quickly gaining prominence, and about 17.9 percent of Americans speak a language other than English at home. Keeping this in mind, it is almost essential today to learn a second language. Being bi-, tri- or multilingual has many advantages, the more obvious being that one can communicate with exchange students, immigrants, and fellow online gamers, chatters, and forum users, as well as to bridge cultures and societies through lingual commonality and better understanding. It also can give a person a fresh eye for their own society and culture, and even improve understanding of the mechanics of one's own language, all by comparison.
Anyone who studies Spanish will tell you it is an interesting foreign language. Not only because of the sound of it, pronunciations and the articulation but also because it is new to them. Spanish people do not study Spanish if they already know it. However, Spanish like other foreign languages has advantages and effects that are desirable and essential to a learner that one dare not ignore. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the entire world. It has millions of native speakers and more in different continents.
learning English for me was a struggle when I got to the United states. because the transition between the two languages is very harsh and for Spanish speakers it makes it much harder. For example Spelling – In Spanish, words are spelled exactly how they sound. They don’t have any