Posted by
The Conservative Hispanic on Friday, August 31, 2007 9:13:28 PM
"'
White power' chanted during immigration discussion
at school" reads the headline for
Colorado's 9news.com.
It started with a simple question and ended with
at least one student chanting "white power" in a classroom.
It happened
Tuesday in a classroom at Holy Family High School, the Catholic school that sits
at the corner of 144th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Broomfield.
The
classroom discussion started with the question: Why do students need to learn
Spanish?
My first thought is, "What are these kids hearing from their parents?"
What a shame.
But looking closer at the story, the teacher's question deserves further
analysis. I have to ask myself, "Why would the teacher ask the question in the
first place?" Note that the teacher asked why the students "
needed"
to learn Spanish. The question was not "
How
would students benefit from learning Spanish?" So, perhaps we should look
at language usage around the world
So,
would a student "need" to learn Spanish? According to About.com,
who has compiled data from the CIA fact book, these are
the
most popular or widely spoken languages in the world.
The 10 Most
Popular Spoken Languages in the World
Here's a listing of the ten most
popular languages spoken worldwide, along with the approximate number of primary
or first language speakers for that language.
1. Mandarin Chinese - 882 million
2. Spanish -
325 million
3. English - 312-380 million
4. Arabic - 206-422 million
5.
Hindi - 181 million
6. Portuguese - 178 million
7. Bengali - 173
million
8. Russian - 146 million
9. Japanese - 128 million
10. German -
96 million
2. EnglishNumber of speakers: 508
million
While English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official
language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all
around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the
Caribbean,
Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about
English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already.
Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world.
It places Spanish on the #4 spot with 392 million speakers right after
Hundustani with 497 million speakers.
3. HindustaniNumber of speakers: 497 millionHindustani
is the primary language of
India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of
dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that
the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of
English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing
the
most popular language in the world. If you're interested in learning a
little Hindi, there's a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry
in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of
action/romance/musicals every year.
To say "hello" in Hindustani, say
"Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).
4. SpanishNumber of speakers: 392 millionAside from
all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about
every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba,
and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many
English words are borrowed from the language, including: tornado, bonanza,
patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme.
To say "hello" in
Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).
So, if a student has aspirations to do business in Central or South
America, one could certainly agree that at some point in his or her academic
career, Spanish language training would be a "need." Or, if this story was about
a Sunday school class considering "missionary" opportunities within the
community or in a foreign country, it could be said they would have a "need" to
learn Spanish. Otherwise, the fact of the matter would remain that learning a
second language is most certainly valuable, but perhaps not a need.
But,
then again, perhaps I am playing with semantics.
I'm not saying this specific classroom case
has anything to do with politics, but as a citizen of Hispanic heritage, I have to say that
socialist and liberal leaning "Latinos" are starting to wear me thin by all their whining. From demanding
legalization for illegal immigrants, or more
"representation", to demanding more "rights" for this or that -- its all
the same Liberal mantra -- "give the
government more power to fix everything." Which of
course we all know doesn't work that way.
But I digress...the
real important question America needs to be asking our invited guests from all
around the world is, "Why do you need to learn English?" Of course, as an
American, I have always been extremely proud of my language. So much so, I my
friend's thought me to be "stuck up" when I was growing up as a Missionary Kid
in Honduras. I probably was stuck up, not because of my English, but just
because I was... But I can tell you that among all my childhood friends still
living in the various Central American countries I lived in, those that mastered
English at an early age are now much more financially successful overall. It's
just a practical thing.
Now, going
back to those language numbers...perhaps we should start including Mandarin
education at early grades. At one point, all of America's manufacturing and
other service providers in China might start demanding we meet with them at
their language. Will all the safety concerns going on, perhaps its time
American's starting taking a closer look at their Chinese operations. Of course,
having a mastery of Mandarin might be helpful...of course, most business men all
over the world tend to speak English (unscientific observation...feel free to
correct me with the facts if I am wrong).
In short, I don't think an America's children have a "need" to learn
Spanish.
Because my wife's Spanish language skills are basic, chances
are our kids won't be picking up Spanish at home. They might get some from
Grandma and Grandpa on my side of the family (...its more like a horrible mix of
Spanish and English often called "Spanglish"). I certainly intend to encourage
them to learn Spanish, or another second language. Because we will be home
schooling, I might even require a second language. I also intend to encourage my
children to be open to a Missionary calling (in our community or in the foreign
mission field)--knowing Spanish would be valuable.
The fact is that
considering the wealth of educational resources, the diverse nature of our
population, and the globalization of our economy, I could certainly see a LOT of
value in America's children learning Spanish. But more important than their
language skills, I intend to educate my children to love their country and
heritage.
HT:
Drudge Report