Are Americans arrogant as far as language?

Actually I thought the French were the ones who expected visitors to speak French. America has not imposed English being a second language in other countries, economics has. The best reason for immigrants to learn English in the US is to get ahead more esaily and quickly. Many of those who try to maintain foreign languages in schools, etc. do so because it allows them to maintain power and influence over the emmigrants that they would lose if the immigrants learned English. I expect and hope that immigrants will maintain their heritage and identity in the US, but learning English does not prevent this, if anything it helps them to do so by helping them to get ahead. I haven't run across places in the US where visitors are expected to speak English, but many Americans do not speak other languages because it has not been required of them due to enconomis or other reasons. However, many do speak other languages but which one(s) would you have them choose, German, French, Japanese, Dutch, one of the Chinese dialects, Swahili, you get the idea. On a trip I took to California last fall, I encountered a very nice Japanese couple who did not speak English and, although we could not communicate by language, when I passed them on the stairs which happened several times we had a very pleasant exchange of nods and bows which left me feeling good and with great memories.

Unfortunately, Americans are arrogant in many ways. Don't get me wrong, I love my country and believe that no matter who may be our current leader this still is the best nation in the world, but sometimes "we" sometimes get a bit full of ourselves, don't you think? I always used to automatically agree with those who have pushed for English to be made our official language until Hillary Clinton explained in one of the recent debates that IF English were the "official" language there would likely be people not getting necessary medical treatment because there isn't anyone at the hospital to interpret for them. Yes, when someone chooses to move here from another country they should be willing to learn our language but it's not something they can do instantly or overnight. And no one should die because they didn't speak English well enough to tell someone their symptoms! Also, when I was in school there was more emphasis on learning a foreign language than there seems to be today. It's definitely a "small world" today and it's getting smaller. I wish we could...PLEASE pardon the expression...just learn to get along! Hopefully, once we replace our ARROGANT President we can be less arrogant as a nation.

Of course Americans are arrogant. But we all knew that already. This is my opinion. I think Americans should make an effort to know a little of the language when they are traveling, but it does make sense that areas that profit from a lot of American tourism might make more money if they speak English. It is also my opinion should one want to move to another country and live (no matter that country be America, Italy, France, India wherever) that one should learn the language before going, or have at least a decent command of it when you go and make a real effort to learn it ASAP. Immigrants to any country should not expect that country to change its language for them.

I think it's a sign of respect that say if an American does go to a different country they should at least know a few basics of the language of the country they're in, and particularly should master the language if they plan to live there permanently. I do get ticked off however, when people who do move to this country NEVER learn English. My neighbor downstairs from me is a perfect example. Now I don't know how long she's been in this country, but she's been in the building for at least ten years and can hardly speak the most basic of English--yet her son does speak it. You mean in ten years she couldn't have learned some of the language?? On the other flip of the coin I can give you a perfect example of the speak English only attitude as it happened in my own family...my grandmother of Irish ancestors married a person of Spanish/Mexican blood...when he "joined" the family, he was forbidden to speak Spanish since the attitude was hey, you're in America, you must speak English only...now that attitude is completely way off base and wrong to. A person shouldn't forget their roots or language if they come from another country and move here, but they should also make the effort to learn English as well. No??

I think it's stupid to expect someone who just got here to speak perfect english. Heck, there are some people that are BORN here and can't speak perfect english! I think the ones that move here should at least have a little knowledge of english. If you are going to drive on our streets, you need to be able to read the language. If they plan on staying here, they should learn the language. When my husband was in the military, we went to Europe. I didn't expect anyone to know english. I learned a little German. Not enough to carry on a long conversation, but enough to get by. I didn't expect the country to cater to us just because we were there. I was the visitor.

of course we are arrogant, not just about language (when most of us can barely speak english) then we expect everyone to speak it as well, however, most other countries (industrial) in the world children are expected to be bilingual, we only have to take 2 years of a foreign language to graduate highschool, thats just silly. i took 7 years of spanish and i still continue to study it, i think that the world will eventually be multi-lingual and if you want to suceed in it, you MUST adapt, to think that English is the only way is just silly http://www.marketingpond.com/p.cgi/18201

I didn't think that Americans are arrogant as far as for the English. Beside that, I always have the thought that the US peoples really friendly to me. But, I'm still think that the "body language" is the most universal use language...

It's not that we are arrogant, but that we are impatient. We want you to learn english and learn it NOW because we don't want to spend the time to wait for you to slowly get out what your trying to say. It's the truth, ya know?

Yea it is true. Most americans are ignorant when it comes to such things. People I know think immigrants that speak broken english are stupid, I think this is really ignorant. No one can learn a language instantly. If these same americans would travel to another country most would expect everyone to speak english to them and not learn the native language at all.

nice qn.. s

It is right to expect to make an effort to be able to speak another language fluent enough for the speaker to convey his ideas clearly and to be understood well enough, but it would be an injustice to replace the native language by some foreign language for internal activities within the country itself.