Languages (was Re: [Sca-cooks] globetrotting)

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In a message dated 5/20/02 7:01:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
goldberg at bestweb.net writes:


> As far as Americans not learning languages... I think it's another aspect of
> the "ugly American" syndrome. We're so self-absorbed and self-important that
> our educational system doesn't recognize the benefit in learning other
> languages. The fact that less than 25% of our border is shared with a
> country that speaks another language doesn't help, either. (Yeah, I know
> about Quebec - they don't count, the official government language of the
> nation is still English). Of course, I'm hardly one to comment, since the
> only two languages I've studied in any depth are both dead (Latin and
> Yiddish).
>
> Avraham

Agreed. Being in the "educational" system, I hate it when our language
teachers don't give a damn. And they only offer 5 languages (Latin, German,
French, Japanese and Spanish). I think everyone should learn Spanish because
of the increasing amounts of Latin immigrants in America and Latin since 60%
of our language is made up of it. I took one year of Spanish, then two years
of Latin, and am now taking another year of Spanish and i'm glad I have the
opportunity. Luckily, being a Texan, I grew up around Spanish and Spanish
culture.

Misha
Disgruntled Youth of the "educational" system.