Should Spanish be a required course in American schools?

[Alexi]

....How does this lead to the issue of birth control? o.O

 

[Grinning Calamity]

....How does this lead to the issue of birth control? o.O

Some people from Mexico have children just to become citizens of the U.S(The woman gets pregnant and has the baby in U.S. territory). Also, the population of Spanish people is high and growing quickly, and many of them are coming here. (The U.S.)

Im not trying to be racist, that's just how it is. (Sorry if that's mean)

 

[Adriane]

Mexicans have absolutely nothing to do with the Spanish.

This shows just how ignorant you are.

EDIT: Oh, and following your logic, this isn't England, either. (Referring to US)

 

[The Quicker Picker-Upper]

Training should not begin until compulsory education has finished. Without proper education one cannot choose wisely the sort of training one wants.

A school should create informed and educated adults who are ready to do in the world whatever they wish. No school should digress from its purpose of education.

It's 3:08 in the morning, so I'll keep myself from screwing up horribly by keeping this uber short.
Why can't a school provide more than just a general education? What's wrong with allowing a pre-College/University/whatever course and simply adding an hour or two onto the school day? If a year could get cut off from college by simply using optional classes, wouldn't that be a good thing? What if someone begins training later on, only to learn what he's training for isn't for him?
When in doubt/tired as hell, use questions. :D

However, if you're in, say, Texas, where lots of people speak Spanish, it'll be better to learn Spanish.

As a Texan, I can say that most people here are already bilingual, although there still are a few people that speak just Spanish, especially in the desert. Knowing Spanish is a requirement for all jobs that require social interaction, so schools better teach it, unless unemployment is suddenly a wanted thing. Again, the only reason I'm taking French instead is because I have a very hard time with Spanish, and although I avoid it now I'll probably have to take it later on anyways. Ah well, better trilingual than bilingual.

 

[cheesecake]

No, but yes, you should be learning some other language. Even if Spainish is good to know in the U.S, they shouldn't teach some Mexican-food-hating kid how to speak it.

 

[Abufi]

sure o.o well maybe if there's an alternative language in addition to spanish. you have to take either spanish or french at my school, and it makes sense to me there. i think making it mandatory to learn spanish and not giving you any other choices like french, german, or chinese is pushing it a bit, so yes if there was another choice like french, but you did have to choose one. it is very useful to learn a second language, and it's rather easy to learn one like spanish or french if you're an english-speaker, i think. so yes, as long as you have a choice but it's required that you choose one.

 

[Adriane]

No, but yes, you should be learning some other language. Even if Spainish is good to know in the U.S, they shouldn't teach some Mexican-food-hating kid how to speak it.

Mexicans have absolutely nothing to do with the Spanish.

This shows just how ignorant you are.

This. Much less Mexican food.

 

[Mirry]

I don't think that Spanish should be a required class in American schools, although it certainly can be a useful language to learn (I myself take Spanish in school). I think if learning a foreign language is to be compulsory, though, it should be taught in elementary school instead of high school. :3

What's wrong with allowing a pre-College/University/whatever course and simply adding an hour or two onto the school day? If a year could get cut off from college by simply using optional classes, wouldn't that be a good thing? What if someone begins training later on, only to learn what he's training for isn't for him?

Actually, at my school there's a program where you can sign up to take a class at a local college. You can earn credits which may be transferable to whichever college you want to go to. I signed up for this program myself, and hopefully I'll get to take Latin. :P

 

[Dark Tyranitar]

No. Just...no.

Spanish is useful to know in some states, where the Spanish-speaking population is high, but I think that people coming to the United States should be required to speak English well, rather than making born citizens have to learn Spanish.

Having said that, I agree with Mirry. Learning a foreign language should be compulsory, and it should be a part of the curriculum from very early on in elementary school.

 

[Adriane]

No. Just...no.

Spanish is useful to know in some states, where the Spanish-speaking population is high, but I think that people coming to the United States should be required to speak English well, rather than making born citizens have to learn Spanish.

Having said that, I agree with Mirry. Learning a foreign language should be compulsory, and it should be a part of the curriculum from very early on in elementary school.

I'm confused. It seems like you're trying to be anti-Spanish/pro-language at the same time here. The percentage of Spanish speakers is relatively high in nearly all states. Much moreso than any other language as a whole, really. So how exactly does that relate to your second statement? Since it looks like (from the first paragraph) that you're going for practicality here.

 

[H-land]

I'll just be short and to the point.
I didn't read the whole thread, because I'm just justifying a vote here.
I voted for the third option, "A language should be required", because I believe that knowing multiple languages is useful, but that someone shouldn't be forced to learn a language that they don't want to. Since I, for example, am learning Spanish, and really enjoy it, but my sister was taking Spanish (since they didn't offer German at school), and she hated it. So she's learning German on her own, and she's cool with that.
...And that's all I have to say without seeing what's been said.

 

[Yenaa]

I personally think Spanish should, seeing as it's 'said' Spanish is the American second language, after English.

 

[Ruby]

Quicker, what exactly do you mean by 'training'? A first-year university course in Latin or Maths is not training. Do you mean vocational courses?

 

[Vyraura]

I agree with Harlequin, surskitty, etc. Yes a language, but you shouldn't do more than recommend Spanish.

Also, in Canada, French is the 'Official' language of the government, though English is also an official language. Also everyone (>90%) in Quebec speaks it, and you really should learn it, but you don't have to.

 

[Crowned Clown]

Third option.

Why are schools shoving down foreign languages down American throats when they struggle with their native language themselves? Even though Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the US shouldn't Americans improve on their English before they move on to other languages? Well, that's me. English is too easy for me so therefore I can concentrate on other languages. In my school you have to take French half the year and Spanish the other half up until 8th grade, then you choose which one to take in 8th. :P

 

[1. Luftballon]

Learn a language, but if somebody is shoving Spanish down my vocal chords, then that's just going to cause me to not want to learn it, which is actually counterproductive.

Why are schools shoving down foreign languages down American throats when they struggle with their native language themselves?

What? You have the word 'down' in there twice.

Even though Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the US shouldn't Americans improve on their English before they move on to other languages?

If you are referring to all those people who say things like 'I ain't never took English,' then yes. Learn the most spoken language before learning the second most spoken language.

Well, that's me. English is too easy for me so therefore I can concentrate on other languages.

'so therefore' is somewhat awkward, don't you think?

 

[Vyraura]

I personally think Spanish should, seeing as it's 'said' Spanish is the American second language, after English.

So what about all the people who do not live in the american southwest, and might want to learn a different language?

 

[Ice tiger]

NOOOOOOOO! never in America we speak english if your in america learn friggin english! i shouldnt have to learn another language! i was born here.

 

[Autumn]

(without reading the topic, really)

I'm not fond of the Spanish language - that's why I'm taking French. But there are many people in this country who speak other languages as their native language, even if they don't speak English or speak their native language when in English-speaking public.

I do think there should be more emphasis on language (not necessarily Spanish, but just any language) in school. It's a pretty good life skill, if you ask me. But that's just me.

Conversations in languages that aren't your native language sound like they'd be fun too 8D

 

[nastypass]

i was born here.

Then learn whatever language the natives spoke near you 100+ years ago