Bush Kicks Off National Foreign Language Initiative

American Forces Press Service ^ | Jan 5, 2005 | Gerry Gilmore

[SouthernFreebird]

We're too busy tryng to decipher all the spanish, gringo.

[SandRat]

Full transcript of President Bush's remarks

[boomop1]

We might as well learn beings they demand we accommodate them when they come here. no room for Jesus in this country.

[sonofagun]

President Bush today kicked off a new national program designed to increase the number of Americans fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindu, Farsi, and other critical-need languages.

What we need is a new national program designed to increase the number of Arabs, Chinese, Russians, Indians, Pakistanis and Mexican who are fluent in English.

[B4Ranch]

What we need is a new national campaign designed to make English the national language! I get more fed up with this globalist everyday.

[claptrap]

Bush should take his Iranian counterparts tack and tell
the world"It is to costly for us to use your silly little dialects, Learn English or you wont be riding on our train!

[dsc]

"What we need is a new national campaign designed to make English the national language! I get more fed up with this globalist everyday."

At home, yeah. But when dealing with people from other countries, you're at a disadvantage if you don't speak their language.

[dsc]

Is there a list of the priority languages?

[B4Ranch]

My days for international travel are done with. If I need a translator, I'll hire one.

[joesnuffy]

Heck...I'm still waiting for them to start teaching math and science at a level comparable to the rest of the civilized world...how far down the line are American kids on that score.

Math and Science first....language is nice...but not at the expense of, or without, the three R's and and Science for crying out loud.

[Willie Green]

Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.

-- Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), Kansas City Star (April 27, 1918).

[BlackbirdSST]

Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country. -- Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), Kansas City Star (April 27, 1918).

Oh Willie, you ole isolationist you, LOL! Message to Jorge Arbusto, read my tagline. Blackbird.

[Sender]

Now before y'all get all worked up over non-English speakers, no one would argue that immigrants to America should learn English and speak English. Duh.

But don't be too quick to dismiss the idea of Americans learning other languages. Knowing another language enriches you, makes you more valuable. Knowing one of the critical languages makes you dangerous to potential enemies.

I just might start learning Arabic. It won't make me any less of an American, I still speak fluent English. If I knew Arabic, I could annoy and distress the m* f*s that are threatening my country. Yeah, I like that. Other languages are a good thing. It doesn't take anything away from you to learn one.

[Sender]

When I took night classes in the 'critical language program' they were defined as Arabic, Brazilian, Portuguese, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Swahili, and, Russian. Other 'critical languages' may include Korean, Hindi, and Modern Greek. They are basically languages that aren't being taught in most American schools.

The best definition I can come up with for 'critical languages' is:

A critical language is a language that is not usually found in foreign language study programs in most universities and colleges in the US. These languages are often spoken in nations which are for political, cultural, or economic reasons in the forefront of US foreign policy concerns, and are therefore important to know.

In other words, how you gonna know if they're talkin' bout your mama (or WMD) if you don't know what they're sayin?

[TheForceOfOne]

How do you say "Get the hell out" in spanish?

[Clemenza]

Americans need to overcome their hostility to "foreign" languages. I fully support this initiative and hope that most school districts someday make foreign language study mandatory from the second grade on.

[Sender]

That crafty Bush has been working on this since 2002, it turns out. Good for him.

[Clemenza]

I've found that my knowledge of Spanish (which I learned, on my own, starting at 16) has been a tremendous advantage for both personal and professional purposes. Even when you are dealing across the table with folks who may be fluent in English, you still get alot further when you speak their language.

[Iscool]

More of Bush's global village initiative...