Asian women and the English language.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I don't think it was right to single out Asian women specifically but I do think all immigrants should be encouraged to learn the language. It would surely be better for them and for everyone else.

Yes they should, but this is not encouraged because people are too afraid to say it. Instead we continue to print offical forms, and offer translation services, which is both divisive, as well as patronising to the people who have made an effort to learn the language of the country in which they live.

[cherokee]

I agree with willow ,asian women shouldnt be singled out here.. But yes being able to speak at least enough of the enlish language to get them by should be part of the visa settlement, but on the other hand there are so many of our own younger generation that cant speak it so how can that be an example to imigrants etc

[Bazf]

Jack Straw is asking all Asian women to speak english? does he realise how many countries are in Asia? I know about 20 women from Hong kong and they speak better english then he does. Maybe he was taking about women from another part of Asia, but in fact was stereotyping them all in to the same bracket. People actually vote for idiots, I am amazed how uneducated some politicians are.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Bazf

Jack Straw is asking all Asian women to speak english? does he realise how many countries are in Asia? I know about 20 women from Hong kong and they speak better english then he does. Maybe he was taking about women from another part of Asia, but in fact was stereotyping them all in to the same bracket. People actually vote for idiots, I am amazed how uneducated some politicians are.

He is asking them to speak English to get a settlement visa so presumably he means in the UK. As far as I know Tony Blair is only in charge of the UK, George Bush is in charge of the rest of the world

[tadah]

Its a pain in the ass when you have a delivery for someone with an asian name and they cant even understand "just sign at the botoom please in the big box".

[Bazf]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

He is asking them to speak English to get a settlement visa so presumably he means in the UK. As far as I know Tony Blair is only in charge of the UK, George Bush is in charge of the rest of the world

What has that got to do with anything?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Bazf

I know about 20 women from Hong kong and they speak better english then he does.

Bless him he's an Essex lad, we shouldn't really hold that against him.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Bazf

What has that got to do with anything?

Because this makes it look like he is asking all the women in Asia to speak English

Jack Straw is asking all Asian women to speak english? does he realise how many countries are in Asia?

[Lampman]

Personally,I find the fact that people from the Indian sub-continent are unable to speak English a surprise.After all we did have a presence there for a couple of hundred years.
One reason may be that the immigrants may be largely uneducated in any way.This was explained to me once by a Newsagent,who thought that the influx of so called village dwellers was the problem.These people had received little education in their own countries so struggled once they came here;
before the PC brigade get on my case the Newsagent in question was himself from India.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Lampman

Personally,I find the fact that people from the Indian sub-continent are unable to speak English a surprise.After all we did have a presence there for a couple of hundred years.
One reason may be that the immigrants may be largely uneducated in any way.This was explained to me once by a Newsagent,who thought that the influx of so called village dwellers was the problem.These people had received little education in their own countries so struggled once they came here;
before the PC brigade get on my case the Newsagent in question was himself from India.

I was actually pondering the same thought last night in bed. I've known Asians were the women don't live so segregated a life, and therefore don't have problems accessing education. Perhaps it's because a lot of the people that came/come here as immigrants are from rural areas, were their background, both spiritually and geographically, keeps them isolated from education.

I still think pandering to people who don't speak English, by translating everything into other languages, is both patronising and in the long term unhelpful.

[Lampman]

Yes I agree Garinda,where does it stop,we now have road signs in Polish.It's nearly as bad as Wales!

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Lampman

It's nearly as bad as Wales!

They only do that because Shirley Basssey, Charlotte Church, and Tom Jones don't speak Welsh.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Bazf

Jack Straw is asking all Asian women to speak english? does he realise how many countries are in Asia? I know about 20 women from Hong kong and they speak better english then he does. Maybe he was taking about women from another part of Asia, but in fact was stereotyping them all in to the same bracket. People actually vote for idiots, I am amazed how uneducated some politicians are.

Well he's not allowed to say "Pakistani" is he even if he means that because that's not PC.

[mani]

what about the men?

what if they cant speak english?

[grego]

I think the women were used as an example because thats who they've come into contact with, I think it should apply to anyone who wants citizenship.