Politically incorrect rant of the day

[avanta7]

Dear client,

Is it too much to ask that, if you've been in this country long enough to qualify for benefits, you learn to speak English? Or at least bring someone with you who speaks English, especially if the letter I send you specifically requests you do so?

Sincerely,

A peeved barely bilingual public servant

Comments

[antof9.livejournal.com]

My dad, who came to the U.S. at age 21, thinking that when they said he was eligible for "the draft" thought that they were talking about a breeze and nodded, would send you a hug. He never did understand why someone living in this country wouldn't learn the language of the country (or any other country in which they might be living, either).

[mojosmom.livejournal.com]

thinking that when they said he was eligible for "the draft" thought that they were talking about a breeze and nodded

Oops! That would certainly be an incentive to learn!

[antof9.livejournal.com]

Yes! That, or the fact that 6 months later he WAS drafted, and ended up in Germany, a handful of hours from his family in Holland! That is NOT why he went to the U.S.! (he came for education)

On the other hand, he did get educated and he did learn English, among many other languages. When he died he spoke almost 10, and he was working on one of his many post-graduate degrees (in fact, this is totally random, but you've reminded me that I just got back from a visit to my mom where I decided that I would make an attempt to contact his doctoral professor to see if there's a possibility of receiving his PhD post-humously. He was very close, but no one in the family ever asked. And DU didn't offer. Thanks for the reminder!) Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying that although I wished he'd spoken one of the many languages he knew to us when we were kids, he saw a bunch of immigrants around him who couldn't speak the language of the country, and refused to speak anything but English at home. We all speak that really well, but just a little of one of the other languages might have been preferred too!