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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

So you're just going to duck out now? How did your wife learn English? Most of the immigrants I know and deal with at work are learning English on the fly and from very patient native-English-speaking neighbors and coworkers and individuals they encounter in the community. They are immersed in English and have no choice but to learn it if they intend to survive in this country.

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She went to the local middle school, signed up for English as a second language, paid the fee, and went to class 2 nights a week.

If it is their desire to live here, it is their obligation to learn the language.

What do you think Mexico would say, if someone told them, that they need to learn English, so that it will be much easier for Americans when we visit or move to their country?

The illegal invasion from our southern border is costing our Nation a great deal, and the answer to this enormous problem, is to require us to speak their language.

All I can do is scratch my head, and wonder, why the hell would we do that!

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Originally Posted by progunr

She went to the local middle school, signed up for English as a second language, paid the fee, and went to class 2 nights a week.

If it is their desire to live here, it is their obligation to learn the language.

What do you think Mexico would say, if someone told them, that they need to learn English, so that it will be much easier for Americans when we visit or move to their country?

The illegal invasion from our southern border is costing our Nation a great deal, and the answer to this enormous problem, is to require us to speak their language.

All I can do is scratch my head, and wonder, why the hell would we do that!!

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They need to learn English and they ARE learning English. No one is refusing. As I told someone else here, I'm against bilingual education. Immersing oneself into whatever language is the best way to learn it. If I move to China, I will learn Mandarin Chinese. It won't happen overnight, but I will learn it. I see nothing wrong with Americans learning Spanish or any other foreign language to better communicate with immigrants. I see nothing wrong with posting additional signs and giving helps in another language. Don't worry, progunr. All those immigrants will learn English.

We agree!

There is nothing wrong with someone learning a second, or third language.

As long as it is their choice to do so, and not because it has been mandated by some elitist, who was able to smooth talk his way into the White House.

That is where this all started, for some reason it turned into a "just learning another language" debate and moved away from the original topic.

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Originally Posted by progunr

As long as it is their choice to do so, and not because it has been mandated by some elitist, who was able to smooth talk his way into the White House.

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There is no elitist mandating (or who will mandate). You have taken a few words out of Obama's speech and whipped up a war of words. You've taken a button and knitted a sweater around it. All will be well, progunr, all will be well.

You sound like a sweet person.

Too bad you've gotten into the Obama Koolaid.

Yeah, him and his socialistic ideals are totally harmless.

Have another drink.

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Originally Posted by progunr

You sound like a sweet person.

Too bad you've gotten into the Obama Koolaid.

Yeah, him and his socialistic ideals are totally harmless.

Have another drink.

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Even excon likes me, so I must be okay.

And I'm a Republican at heart, but one who votes with her head. Obama might just surprise you and end up making you proud, progunr. I will pray that will happen.

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elitist

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And who's elitist? Certainly not the Current Occupant and McSame...

Incredible! Obama wants children to be bilingual and learn Spanish, yet he has admitted not being bilingual himself! It's a clear-cut case of do as I say not as I do. YOU Do it, but not I! Why should I?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Even excon likes me, so I must be okay.

And I'm a Republican at heart, but one who votes with her head. Obama might just surprise you and end up making you proud, progunr. I will pray that will happen.

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All right, Wondergirl, that's enough. What is it about the Republican Party that you like most and dislike most? What is it about the Democrat Party you like most, and dislike most? If you are an elitist Republican, I can see why Obama's comments about children learning a second language wouldn't matter: "You need to make sure your child can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language. It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German." That's a crock. Our kids better be learning English, history, math, and science.

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Originally Posted by George_1950

Our kids better be learning English, history, math, and science.

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I was a humble schoolteacher and believe languages should be first taught in the early grades when it is much easier for children to learn them (and not waiting until high school). Phonics and handwriting and geography should return to the curriculum, along with the regular classes in science, math, English, and history, as you mentioned. Art and music would be excellent additions. All of those were taught in my grade school and high school curricula. Has the school day gotten shorter since the 1950s, that those are missing from today's education?

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Originally Posted by SkyGem

Incredible! Obama wants children to be bilingual and learn Spanish, yet he has admitted not being bilingual himself! It's a clear-cut case of do as I say not as I do. YOU Do it, but not I! Why should I?!

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You say Obama wants CHILDREN to be bilingual. Nothing wrong with that! So he's not doing it?? --he's forbidding his daughters to be bilingual and learn another language like Spanish? Please post proof of that.

Nothing wrong with be bi-lingual, if it is by choice. No one should be forced to learn another language. It may help if the culture you are liiving in speaks a certain language, but force is never the answer. And I don't personally agree with anything Obama says.

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Originally Posted by thisnthatshoppe

Nothing wrong with be bi-lingual, if it is by choice. No one should be forced to learn another language.

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As far as know, taking a language in high school has always been a choice. If kindergarteners are taught German for fifteen minutes a day, is that considered forced?

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Originally Posted by thisnthatshoppe

Nothing wrong with be bi-lingual, if it is by choice. No one should be forced to learn another language. It may help if the culture you are liiving in speaks a certain language, but force is never the answer. And I don't personally agree with anything Obama says.

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Um, I think there are children in school against their will. They don't want to get up in the morning or do homework or sit still in class. Is that forced education? Should we let them run loose on the streets instead?

My children in high school are required to take 3 years of a foreign language. They also were taught Spanish in the middle school. They may be teaching it in the elementary school now.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Um, I think there are children in school against their will. They don't want to get up in the morning or do homework or sit still in class. Is that forced education? Should we let them run loose on the streets instead?

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Now, there's an idea. At the beginning of class each morning, remove those that are not prepared or don't want to be there and let them dig-up dandelions, cut grass, and rake the school yard in fair weather; and make the floors and walls spotless in bad weather.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Has the school day gotten shorter since the 1950s, that those are missing from today's education?

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What is missing in today's education from the 1950s is, in a word, discipline. This HBO movie is definitely worth the time to watch: HBO Documentaries: Documentary Films Series: Hard Times: Synopsis
Of course, I love it when the libs try to place blame for poor performance of schools on George Bush and "No Child Left Behind".

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Originally Posted by George_1950

What is missing in todays education for the 1950s is, in a word, discipline.

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Discipline begins with the parents and US parents these days don't give a crap about their kids, they are too busy trying to appear wealthy. In my opinion it is not up to the teachers to raise my child.

Needkarma. Maybe some U.S. parents don't give a crap about their children but I do and I take offense to a blanket statement like that.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Discipline begins with the parents and US parents these days don't give a crap about their kids, they are too busy trying to appear wealthy. In my opinion it is not up to the teachers to raise my child.

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I couldn't disagree more. US parents have given a blank check to education, which gets poorer and poorer. The education establishment is run by elitists, like the Obama crowd (and maybe McCain as well, who knows?); elitism has replaced pragmatism. I've been in a 6th grade classroom recently; the students have no fear of their teachers because corporal punishment has been banned in that county. When I was in 6th grade, a teacher would take a misbehaving student into the hallway and wear them out for all to hear. The effect was dramatic; we need that back.