It is VERY hard to be successful in America if you cannot speak fluent English.
I took 2 years of German prior to going to Germany, and spoke German exclusively while I was there. The family I stayed with was cool enough to teach me some limited Plattdeutsch (a Northern Germany regional dialect..kind of a Dutch/German mix). I learned some Dutch by listenting to Radio Nederland Weredomroep on a shortwave radio.
In my high school (late 1970's) German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Norweigian were offered.
Our school was 50% Caucasian, 30% Black, and 20% Latino. While Latino kids spoke some Spanish in the hallways, they ALL spoke English...very well.
Of the Caucasian kids...most came from Yougoslavian, German, Polish, Armenian, Lithuanian, Norweigian, Finn, Greek, and Irish backgrounds, and many spoke their own mother language in addition to perfect English.
Now, that same school district is 10% Caucasian, 10% Black, and 80% Latino.
Any school district that graduates kids who cannot FLUENTLY speak English in America are doing those kids a terrible disservice.
All kids need to be ready to go out in the real world and be successful.
Unless you plan to work in a Latino Groceria all your life...you are unprepared for the real world here.
I can see someone who is only here to work a year and split not learning the language...but if one plans to put down roots and stay here, learning fluent language is the only way to succeed.
I'd like to see them succeed. That's America.
68ROX
