[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] Sounds good to me ;)

Russell Senior seniorr at aracnet.com
Mon Jun 17 23:44:04 UTC 2002


>>>>> "Richard" == Richard Langis <richard.langis at sun.com> writes:

Richard> Should we cater to the 27 different languages that the DMV
Richard> prints manuals?  I don't think so.  Those people should learn
Richard> to READ ENGLISH *before* they learn how to drive on our
Richard> roads.

Should you have to learn French before you can drive on French roads?
I've successfully driven in France, Italy and Spain, I can't speak
French, Italian or Spanish worth a lick, though I do drag around an
excellent French/English dictionary ... I have to, I married her!

If France or insert-country-of-choice-here had a large community of
English speakers that I could live amongst and interact with, then
there is less reason to learn the "local" language.  As it happens,
the US doesn't have an "official" language.  At various times, in
various regions, English wouldn't have been it anyway.  Sure, today
English is the "dominant" language, but that is completely arbitrary.

If you want to and can't communicate with some one because you don't
share with them fluency in a particular language, then that is as much
your fault as theirs, and you are deprived of the value of that
communication as much as they are.  The "official english" people,
IMHO, are trying to leverage "power" (from being a member of the
"dominant culture") into making such failures "the other guy's fault".
To me, that is just a mark of personal laziness.  And I say that as a
monoglot.

-- 
Russell Senior         ``The two chiefs turned to each other.        
seniorr at aracnet.com      Bellison uncorked a flood of horrible       
                         profanity, which, translated meant, `This is
                         extremely unusual.' ''                      




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