Presidential Campaign

I am glad to see that Langauge learning is a campaign issue.

I do think that it is time for People from the US to stop thinking that everyone in the world should speak English. We do need to get serious about teaching second and third langauages here.


Checkpoint
The Candidates Speak Off the Cuff, and Trouble Quickly Follows
Larry Richter
New York Times
July 11, 2008'



"Start with Mr. Obama. Answering a question that touched on bilingualism at one such forum in Powder Springs, Ga., on Tuesday, he said, “I agree that immigrants should learn English.” But then he went on to poke fun at those who argue that “we need English only” and Americans who “go over to Europe, and all we can say is ‘merci beaucoup.’ ”


“Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English — they’ll learn English — you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish,” he said. “You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language.”
Mr. Obama’s comments were a slight variation on a theme that he regularly sounds in his stump speech: the need for young Americans to be able to compete in a globalized economy with their counterparts around the world. He often accompanies that with criticism of school districts that have reduced or eliminated elective offerings, like foreign language instruction, because of budget constraints."