Is it racist to expect immigrants to learn the language of the country?

Language mean communication. Be immigrant mean they gonna stay long in new destination country and if they not learn the local language they live, they gonna get trouble sooner or later. In some cases, country may need to provide free language education. This to avoid misunderstanding between local citizen and immigrant. In children education and services, I don't think immigrants have right to expect all local language change to their native language. They not owned the country, local people doe.

Its actually a requirement. Whats messed up is when so many of them come to your country and then most jobs require you to speak the foreign language before you can get hired.

I don't think it's anything to do with racism,to be honest...If you go somewhere you don't know or understand the local language,You will be at a social disadvantage..that applies if you are a visitor on holiday,where you can maybe get by with a phrasebook or local assistance,or if you are going to live and work in a country whose language is not your first..If you choose to LIVE in a country where you may (eventually) bring or raise a family,You need to understand the society,and having made that choice,Your New HOME's Language should be something to Learn..As for Education,the resources are not free...as legally established Migrant workers,they should be entitled to services available to everyone else..Adult evening classes are not free..a contribution should be made.

Hi Ankit, If they are going to live here and become citizens then I really wish they would learn the language. It would sure make things more pleasant for themselves as well as others who try to communicate with them. Should they expect all services and education to be provided in their native language? Um...no. I don't think offering them resources to learn the language though would be a bad idea though. If I were going to stay in another country then I feel it would be to my benefit to learn the language.

What has learning a language of the country where you decide yourself to go live, has to do with racism? I think you are stupid if you don't learn the language. If you don't learn it you will never be able to read letters from the governmen, tax, schools, electricity company, bank, etc etc. You always have to count and believe on what others say. I know my country is asking this now too. Weird thing is suddenly we are called racist although it's normal if you want to live in other countries. I have the feeling that nowadays everybody is shouting about racism or discrination way too easily. You are not allowed to say what is on your mind anymore.

I agree with the comment that to "expect"may be racist but to support and encourage will not be racist. In a new country where majority speak the native language, it will be easier to communicate and get help if you know the native language. Yet, it would be wrong to discriminate against an immigrant only because he has an accent.

To a point it might be because I for once I was refused admission to continue my study in Malaysia part of which I stated in the form that I speak English and not Bahasa. After I did my Diploma I applied to a University and refused even after having 3.3 and my CGPA but good enough a better University in a far more better country, Canada, took me!

I think it is alright for the immigrants to learn the local language. Since they need to adjust to the new life in the new country. It is nothing with the racism. They can keep their own language, but they also need to learn the local language and this is how they can have a better life in the new environment. I love China

Hi, I do not believe it is racist to expect a person living in a country to know the main language of that country. Regardless of ethnic background and race, most people who live in a multicultural nation have every right to express their culture, music, dress, food, language and so forth. I do believe that it is odd if you come across a person who has immigrated to a country and has lived there for a number of years, and still have no ability to communicate in that country's main language. I have seen other people get frustrated over the inability to communicate with one another. Take for example a person who spoke only Spanish trying to talk to a person who only spoke English. Depending on who's point of view you take either person could view the other as lacking the ability to communicate in their home country's language. I feel when one person goes a step further and believes the other person is either ignorant, stupid, or lesser of a human being that is when you know you have a problem. It is rather difficult to maintain objectiveness in ones life all the time, but I believe if a person strives for it, society can benefit and grow as a whole.

I think that immigrants definitely should make an effort to learn the language of the country they move to. It's not fair to expect the new country to just speak their language. Living in South Florida, we have a lot of Hispanics and sometimes I'm in a store and I ask an employee a question, they can't help me because they don't speak English. It's frustrating and although I don't think we have a National language, the majority speaks English and that's what we use. If I moved to Japan or another country I wouldn't expect everyone to speak English to me, I'd make an effort to learn some words that would help me out.

I dont expect them to learn the language but they should learn it. If I go to another country I think they would want me to learn their language. I would feel uncomfortable going to a country and not understanding anything! I think it is the right thing to do. And I think there should be a certain amount of time given for them to learn it or leave.

hi ankit, it seems like you woke up a lot of mylotter with this question.. But I am a little confused with what learning to speak the language of the place you are living has to do with racism.. If I moved to China , what the hell would I do if I don't know any chinese language...I would feel like a real fool...this would mean I would have to ALWAYS depend on someone else to let me know whats going on even around me...to read signs , to do anything and everything... I think when you moved to another country there is no question about not learning language...its a real necessity to be able to to communicate...just my opinion///

I do not think it is racist to expect them to learn our language. They are moving to different country and should have to make an effort to be able to communicate. I understabd it is difficult moving to a completely different country but really in essence it would be easier if they would learn to communicate. That being said, I don't think they should be judged on their attempts on our language, but should be helped and incouraged. It greatly effects a person when they are laughed at when attempting a new language. I was laughed at while learning french many years ago and am still self concious to this day when speaking in french

It isn't racist to want immigrants to learn the common language of the country. I think it should be enforced more even at a basic level so we can at least meet at some common understanding. If you are going to live in a country, stay there and progress, you NEED the common language there in order to function. It would be behooving really for the immigrant to learn it and problematic not to. This goes for all ethnic backgrounds, including native English speakers. It is also not racist to think an entire country should mold itself to suit every non-native as this creates problems in and of itself including a lot of confusion. It WOULD be racist to force them to conform to our way of life because we see theirs as "offensive" but language is just there so they can understand and communicate well within the country.

hi.. The immigrants definitely have the right to expect all the services.. but it ain't necessary to expect it to be in their native language. It would be a colossal task for the Govt of that country to accomodate and teach the immigrants... It is NOT racist to expect the immigrants to learn the local language. On the contrary, at one stage this must become the necessity for those immigrants to learn the local language...

I don't know if it is racist, but if one wants to move to a different country, he or she should learn the language and not expect the whole country to learn the immigrants language.

No, I don´t think this is racist, if one person migrates to another country, it can be for a multitude of reasons, but regardless of what his/her situation is, in the bottom they are finding a new live, or, new oportunities in life, so, they should show a little respect (at least) for the country they have choose to live, so, I don´t feel it is racist to expect that. In adition to that, I feel that the goverment, when facing a large population of a certain people with diferent language or idiosyncrasy, should provide the means, acording to its posibilities, for this people to integrate, and even provide some services in their language. Education in their native language, I feel this like an obstacle for their future integration to their new society instead.

Communication skills are the most important skills a person would need to acquire in order to survive in a foreign country. So, I think that any immigrant should learn the language of the country they're going to live in. Now that I've said that, I think that there is absolutely no racism in expecting any person in a particular country to know the language of that country. Racism is treating people in rude ways, often related with dissing them, due to them belonging to a particular race, religion, country, tribe, etc. To answer your questions; No, countries are not obligated to providing services in languages other than those spoken natively in the country itself. Although most governments nowadays provide education in more than one language. Because countries are not obligated to providing any service in more than one language then immigrants shouldn't expect them to. Any person moving to a new country must know that they must learn lots of new skills to live there, and that learning those skills is not easy. Have a nice day and a nice time myLotting.

Hi Ankit, I live in Europe and my answer to your question is no! I am leaving since 12 years in another country and at the age of 36 I started to learn the new country language. When I went to US to study I learned English language, what i am trying to say is : if we decide to move in another country for studies or work or another life chance we MUST learn and respect that country language and rules. This is not racism to me it is common sense.

Expecting an immigrant to learn the native language is not racist at all. If there is an official language, or languages, then the people who will be residing there should be expected to know the language(s). The children of immigrants should not have classes specifically tailored in their native language either simply because that defeats the purpose of an official language. Rather, they should be taught the language(s) of that specific country, or at least the most common one used.