Spanish Speaking Grandpa Gets Isolated On Christmas Because He Didn’t Learn English, Goes Viral On Twitter
Learning another language is hard! There are lots of things that influence the level of success you are likely to have, and it turns out that some people’s brains are simply not wired for linguistic excellence. Your education, family background, self-confidence and the difficulty of the target language are obviously going to have an effect too.
Image credits: mrhernandezz31
Jose Hernandez went on Twitter and shared the heartbreaking story of a grandpa who just wasn’t able to take the step of learning English, and it cost him the ability to communicate with his own family.
Image credits: mrhernandezz31
In the modern world, where people travel and migrate much more frequently than they used to, the importance of being multi-lingual has grown. For one reason or another, the value of being able to communicate in another language has never quite been recognized in mainstream American culture and is more likely to be viewed with suspicion rather than admiration in some areas. This family, with Latin American heritage, have obviously integrated well into life in the United States and have become accustomed to speaking English, and only English, with each other.
Image credits: mrhernandezz31
This sad, but surprisingly common story prompted some really interesting reactions, revealing what life is like growing up in an immigrant household and the importance of language to one’s identity. It also showed the difference in people’s opinions on where the blame lies for this problem. What do you think?
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I'm not even gonna read the damn thing. Communicate with Grandpa however you need to. He's not going to be here forever.
The grandpa should also make the effort to learn the language of the country where he is living! I don't understand those people who live for 10 or 20 years in a foreign country and don't make the slightest effort to acquire a minimum, al least for an everyday conversation. I think it's a problem of attitude. Here in the north of Spain many poor people emigrated to Germany in the 60's and 70's. They had unqualified jobs, and worked like mules. Some can speak reasonably good German, while others can't say a word. The difference? Some wanted to integrate and learn so they made the effort. In this case, the grandchildren don't really need Spanish, but the grandpa obviously needs English. How long has he been living in the USA?
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"Should This Grandpa Learn English Or His Kids Learn Spanish? Viral Tweet Sparks Discussion" → it should work both ways. Although it should be easier for the youth to learn a new language, they should be the ones to make the effort for his sake. But it is not impossible to acquire a foreign language, at least a basic conversational level, at an old age either (depends on the individual), so he should try and see whether it works or not (but he should be guided to not feel bad in case he could not learn).
At the opposite end of the spectrum is India, here almost everybody is Bilingual. This is the minimum. Depending on where you are, you will find lots of trilingual , quadlingual people as well. I can read, write and speak in 4 languages myself, and so can my friends. My sister is pentalingual (is this a word?) because she is learning Spanish.
Croatia is also very multilingual. I myself have 2 native languages (Croatian and Italian), which made it easier for me to learn English and Korean (which is now my default language that I use here in Korea). I used to study German as well, and was good at it too, but I forgot most of it, as my life path didn't make me use it much. I understand the basics of grammar, but my vocabulary is too poor to make conversations. But anyway, while not every Croatian can, it is still very common for Croatians to speak at least 3 languages, 4 is the standard for those who work in tourism, 5 is "wow!"
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I don't know why it's not important to teach children a second language at a young age in the US. We wait until high school to begin teaching a second language and it just doesn't stick as well for most people by then. We should be teaching a second language in elementary school.
I think a lot of it comes down to if a immigrant has an economic reason to learn English then they will. I lived with a group of college students from China. They planned to stay in the US and worked hard to better their English. Some of them brought their wives who did not work. These women never really got the opportunity to be in close proximity to people who spoke English.
With a little effort on both sides they could have communicated. Signs, drawings, pointing at objects and even using google translate would have narrowed the communication gap. But both parties chose to be passive and not make any effort. Last year I was on holidays with my family in another country. My 4 year old niece made friends with a local girl in less than 0.5 seconds. They couldn't understand each other but they were chatting away without any problems. If children can do that, adults may at least make an effort to do that.
My grandfather had zero English. He never thought he'd stay, so he didn't learn, and everyone at his job spoke something he *could* speak (he had four languages total). DO NOT diss the family who were raised to "fit in" (as I was, and I am still scolded if I slip with my accent!), or the older family who simply had no time/energy left. THey aren't all here working desk jobs. Try working 16 hours a day, six days a week, at hard physical jobs, and tell me ... You want to add a *fifth* language to the list when you can get by on a mere *four*? Sure, go for it. On what money and time? In pre=internet era? Geez. No perspective, no respect, no clue ... For us to belong, our ancestors sacrificed a lot, and people whinge "Go learn a language" as if it's a snap of the fingers. Wow. Just... Wow...
NO ONE said Grandpa lives here....HELLO!!! He could just be visiting. I never met my grandmother or grandfather (passed before I was born) and was unable to communicate with her because my father didn't teach his children spanish. Even though I took it in high school I never became fluent, my dad wanted his children to be as american as possible. I met my tia and tio first the first time 2 years ago and they do not speak english and came for a visit and we had to have others translate for us.
My daughter is mixed Russian and Peruvian and we speak all 3 languages at home. My doctor encouraged us to not even use English at all if we wanted her to internalize the other languages but my husband and I only communicate in English (grandparents supply the other languages). So as much as I wanted her to, she is growing up monolingual despite her background. Abuela only speaks Spanish, Baba mostly speaks Russian. It's tough when there's a language barrier and learning when you live at home and don't go out much is definitely difficult. In my husband's family, only Spanish is spoke at home. I guess what I'm trying to say is.. it's tough from both sides of the generation gap and a lot of factors go into everything. It's definitely unfair to make assumptions or blanket statements like the ones in this post. Should, would.. it all depends on the situation and neither option (to learn English or Spanish) is as straightforward as you might think.
Also since it seems people who don't know another language are commenting like learning a new language is easy: I speak Spanish with my in laws, Russian with my mom, English at home. Getting to the poibt where you can communicate in another language is NOT easy.
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I speak two languages even though I grew up with only English. I witnessed a family where the grandkids couldn't speak with grandma. It was sad to see. Therefore, I sympathize with the grandpa here.
So if Grandpa doesn't speak any English, and his kids barely speak Spanish, what happened during their entire childhood/young adulthood?
1) Probably some struggling. Lots of gesturing, exclamations of frustrations, lots of explanations, and probably minimal communication between the parents. Maybe an older sibling, who has a better grasp of the language acts as a translator between the adult and the younger sibling 2) Maybe the children only know the basic, enough for day to day conversations, but not enough to be considered fluent (etc, read entire paragraphs, write essays). Again, they never had in depth conversations, just enough to live with each other. 3) Children can forget Spanish due to lack of use. Source: Someone currently living in a household where all three generations speak different languages (Grandparents: fluent in 1 language) (Parents: fluent in their language and grandparents' language) (Children: fluent in their language, an okay grasp on parents' language, completely unable to speak grandparents' language)
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A lot of people were so hateful sounding because Grandpa didn't speak English. It's not always easy- and some people just don't have the capability for learning.
It's not any easier for the kids to learn Spanish either. And why should the majority learn the minority's language? It should be the other way around. Those who say people should be bilingual really mean native English-speakers should be bilingual while putting no such expectations on non-English speakers.
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I'm an American with Scottish blood who at one time spoke Spanish, French and Italian. And could read Latin and Greek. But I had a brain aneurysm and all of it is gone. It took a long time to learn how to write my name again, then finally how to communicate clearly when talking. Some times it's injury, sometimes it's age. My husband is Mexican/German (self-described "Beaner Schnitzel") and speaks no Spanish except for, "Do you sell any fire crackers and how much do they cost?"...to his father's dismay. But our son is soaking up Spanish like a sponge thanks to his grandpa. Every family has a unique story.
I wonder why his own children barely speak Spanish. If he can't speak english, then how where they communicating when his kids were little? This does not make sense! I live in Germany, but was born in Poland. My parents spoke only Polish with me and I have no problem speaking with relatives who can't speak German. This is how it should be in my opinion. My first language is German now and I am better at it than Polish, but I can speak both (plus English obviously). In Europe you can be proud to speak more than one language. Two are standard. Not only for migrants. If you go shopping in Germany you will hear many different languages spoken openly without fear on the streets. And I will damn well teach my children as well. My 3 year old speaks German and English already. When my second is born next year, I will teach her Polish
My great grandfather spoke Yiddish and Polish. My grandmother speaks a little Yiddish, and my father knows only a few expressions. That said they found ways to communicate. Where there is a will there is a way. His adult children who only spoke a little bit of Yiddish made an effort not to leave him out. Interestingly there was never an expectation that he speak English. He did just fine in the US for decades without it.
Did no one consider sitting with him? They might not be able to talk much, but just being close to him might have helped him feel more included.
IMHO, it isn’t just about language. It is also about preserving your culture. And I think people should respect their elders and make an effort to speak their native language, although, I know that not everyone has the ability to learn a language. For my job, I had to learn a second language, and before I was even hired, i was tested to see if I had the aptitude to learn another language. Some people can’t get the hang of math (me!), even though I am well-educated.
Not much different than it was for the german or itallian immigrants. With each generation parts of the old world they left behind are gone. It's just part of going to a new land and new life, the "new life" leaves a lot of the old behind.
Speaking as a second generation immigrant, both sides need to put in effort. It's not hard at all to learn simple phrases and questions. You don't even need to learn them, maybe just memorize. And your loving relatives that just want to speak to you will definitely not criticize you for using notes when you communicate. Learning a new language can be hard, but a little effort each day simplifies it so much.
The way I see it, you should at least know enough to get by in the language of the country you're in. If I was to move to Germany/Italy/Spain/Russia (or wherever), I would at least try to learn a bit of the language. Or have I missed the point?
That's an option if you work and come into contact with the new language. But imagine if you are at home most of the time or you work but everyone around you speaks your native language, and the grocery down the street is staffed by people speaking your native language. You never get a chance to or a need to learn the new language but your kids do. And their kids don't even know your native language anymore because they never had any need to use it. That's what happens here.
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Um, I would never up and move to Germany, live there for years until I'm an old man, raise a family, and never attempt to learn to speak German. This is one reason so many Americans don't want more immigrants here. The Tweet says, "this is why you should teach your kids Spanish." It should read, "This is why you should learn the language of the country you move to."
Funny how one guy says that English is "the harderst languaje to learn". HAHAHAHAHA Impressive amount of ignorance.
I keep seeing this opinion on the internet and every time I wonder where it came from. Because it's definitely not true. English is one of the easier to learn languages. Barely any grammar compared to most other European languages. Most verbs have regular conjugations. Only the spelling is a nightmare.
Load More Replies... The whole situation is so sad. I cannot imagine growing up not talking to my dad and now being an adult, not being able to tell him about how things are going. I have so many questions regarding his kids - did the kids not talk to their dad growing up? Do they not talk to him now? I do not understand how his children do not speak Spanish if that is the only language he knows. I just feel sad reading this.
They might not know Spanish because they spend more times talking to friends than to their parents. Because school forces them to read English, study English, learn English, but they were never forced to learn Spanish the same way. Maybe because all the books and movies they read and watched were English and not Spanish. Language barriers within an immediate family is 100% possible. ~someone in the exact same situation
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Now I feel like trash because I don't have the resources nor motivation to learn a new language.
Here’s an idea. How about the people in the family who are bilingual translate a conversation between the grandchildren and the grandfather? I would think the grandchildren could spare some time to sit with their parent and grandparent and have a translated conversation. At a family gathering people can use some energy to make the grandparents feel like part of the celebration. After all, whose hard work made this possible?
Everyone saying you should learn spanish as a second language... seem to ignore the spanish speaker who wasn't willing to learn English as a second language in the decades he was in the country... yeah, okay then.
Can I let you know about this enormous community of guys from USA, immigrats in latin american countries that NEVER learned spanish? Not even after getting the citishenship? Or is way too shocking for you?
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Strange that his children weren't taught Spanish considering he didn't know English. What did they speak growing up? I can't imagine he didn't speak Spanish to them? Did they actually forget or just choose not to continue to speak Spanish - and forget the language. That's hard to believe. I wish I was brought up with another language but my parents being 2nd & 4th generation Americans, they only spoke English as well.
It is not strange that they weren't taught Spanish. After all, I bet schools only taught English, not Spanish. Not speaking the same language as your parents is a feeling many nonbilingual second-generation immigrants know. As your parents are 2nd and 4th generation, I understand this is strange to you, but it's a very very common occurrence, and frankly, entirely believable.
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Google translate is an immediate solution for them right now. Followed by duolingo with its easy game-like program. They could all play Pictionary with Spanish words for the holidays using google translate
It's a bit more complicated, grandpa should've learned at least broken English and the kids and grandkids should know basic Spanish. I'm Chinese, my parent came over to the US when they were in their late 20's. I would always rent English / Chinese learning tapes for my mom. My dad went and got his bachelors degree and worked with a bunch of White guys. So he learned English, but apparently he only speaks it when he wants to. I'm still the translator at most times.
Both. Grandpa needs to learn English and his children and grandchildren need to learn spanish. So they practice and start talking instead of just pretending the other doesn´t exist.
Difficult one, Having just spent Xmas with my GF's Parents staying in our flat that only speak Polish, I fully understand how the grandad feels, but having tried learning Polish(in case we have children) in a country(England) in which it's not the native tongue it's hard to feel motivated, so I get where the kids are coming from. I guess the way I see it, it would make more sense for the Grandad to learn english as it will benifit him beyond just family gatherings.
One of my parents is Slovak, but never taught me and is not close to any Slovak relatives and therefore I'm not close to any either (plus distance barrier) I agree it's hard to learn a langue that's not the native one to you
Load More Replies... Maybe I’m reading way too much into this post, but did grandpa just come off the boat? Unless you were introduced to your kids when they were adults, there is no way you don’t speak at least one mutual language. I call BS on this.
It is possible to not have a mutual language. ~someone in the exact same situation
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Dude, there are apps that can translate spoken words. Problem solved. And who are those people that believe that an elder will dedicate time to learn a foreign lanuage in the last years of his life just for the holiday table chit-chat? And chastising them for "not wanting it bad enough"? Also, ever crossed your mind that the grandpa knows english but is introvert?
What would gramps do if he were deaf? I think he just doesn't like you. Get over it.
Well it's a little more complicated than just who should lean what at the stage they are currently in. The Grandfather definitely should have learned English when he moved to the US. But considering he is now a old man its not realistic to expect him to do so. Leaning languages is a young person thing. And it would definitely benefit the grandkids the most to be able to speak Spanish and English. Even though I believe the Grandfather to be the one who dropped the ball, it's had for me to expect him to pic it up at his age.
Language has NOTHING to do with it. What's a smartphone for if you cannot use it for translation!? It doesn't matter if he or they don't speak each other's language just BEING with him would mean a lot. Instead these a******s talk around and over him and pretending he's not there. I'd have waked out of that place ASAP!
Except everyone in Japan DOES learn English so your point is moot.
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I'm not even gonna read the damn thing. Communicate with Grandpa however you need to. He's not going to be here forever.
The grandpa should also make the effort to learn the language of the country where he is living! I don't understand those people who live for 10 or 20 years in a foreign country and don't make the slightest effort to acquire a minimum, al least for an everyday conversation. I think it's a problem of attitude. Here in the north of Spain many poor people emigrated to Germany in the 60's and 70's. They had unqualified jobs, and worked like mules. Some can speak reasonably good German, while others can't say a word. The difference? Some wanted to integrate and learn so they made the effort. In this case, the grandchildren don't really need Spanish, but the grandpa obviously needs English. How long has he been living in the USA?
Load More Replies... "Should This Grandpa Learn English Or His Kids Learn Spanish? Viral Tweet Sparks Discussion" → it should work both ways. Although it should be easier for the youth to learn a new language, they should be the ones to make the effort for his sake. But it is not impossible to acquire a foreign language, at least a basic conversational level, at an old age either (depends on the individual), so he should try and see whether it works or not (but he should be guided to not feel bad in case he could not learn).
At the opposite end of the spectrum is India, here almost everybody is Bilingual. This is the minimum. Depending on where you are, you will find lots of trilingual , quadlingual people as well. I can read, write and speak in 4 languages myself, and so can my friends. My sister is pentalingual (is this a word?) because she is learning Spanish.
Croatia is also very multilingual. I myself have 2 native languages (Croatian and Italian), which made it easier for me to learn English and Korean (which is now my default language that I use here in Korea). I used to study German as well, and was good at it too, but I forgot most of it, as my life path didn't make me use it much. I understand the basics of grammar, but my vocabulary is too poor to make conversations. But anyway, while not every Croatian can, it is still very common for Croatians to speak at least 3 languages, 4 is the standard for those who work in tourism, 5 is "wow!"
Load More Replies... I don't know why it's not important to teach children a second language at a young age in the US. We wait until high school to begin teaching a second language and it just doesn't stick as well for most people by then. We should be teaching a second language in elementary school.
I think a lot of it comes down to if a immigrant has an economic reason to learn English then they will. I lived with a group of college students from China. They planned to stay in the US and worked hard to better their English. Some of them brought their wives who did not work. These women never really got the opportunity to be in close proximity to people who spoke English.
With a little effort on both sides they could have communicated. Signs, drawings, pointing at objects and even using google translate would have narrowed the communication gap. But both parties chose to be passive and not make any effort. Last year I was on holidays with my family in another country. My 4 year old niece made friends with a local girl in less than 0.5 seconds. They couldn't understand each other but they were chatting away without any problems. If children can do that, adults may at least make an effort to do that.
My grandfather had zero English. He never thought he'd stay, so he didn't learn, and everyone at his job spoke something he *could* speak (he had four languages total). DO NOT diss the family who were raised to "fit in" (as I was, and I am still scolded if I slip with my accent!), or the older family who simply had no time/energy left. THey aren't all here working desk jobs. Try working 16 hours a day, six days a week, at hard physical jobs, and tell me ... You want to add a *fifth* language to the list when you can get by on a mere *four*? Sure, go for it. On what money and time? In pre=internet era? Geez. No perspective, no respect, no clue ... For us to belong, our ancestors sacrificed a lot, and people whinge "Go learn a language" as if it's a snap of the fingers. Wow. Just... Wow...
NO ONE said Grandpa lives here....HELLO!!! He could just be visiting. I never met my grandmother or grandfather (passed before I was born) and was unable to communicate with her because my father didn't teach his children spanish. Even though I took it in high school I never became fluent, my dad wanted his children to be as american as possible. I met my tia and tio first the first time 2 years ago and they do not speak english and came for a visit and we had to have others translate for us.
My daughter is mixed Russian and Peruvian and we speak all 3 languages at home. My doctor encouraged us to not even use English at all if we wanted her to internalize the other languages but my husband and I only communicate in English (grandparents supply the other languages). So as much as I wanted her to, she is growing up monolingual despite her background. Abuela only speaks Spanish, Baba mostly speaks Russian. It's tough when there's a language barrier and learning when you live at home and don't go out much is definitely difficult. In my husband's family, only Spanish is spoke at home. I guess what I'm trying to say is.. it's tough from both sides of the generation gap and a lot of factors go into everything. It's definitely unfair to make assumptions or blanket statements like the ones in this post. Should, would.. it all depends on the situation and neither option (to learn English or Spanish) is as straightforward as you might think.
Also since it seems people who don't know another language are commenting like learning a new language is easy: I speak Spanish with my in laws, Russian with my mom, English at home. Getting to the poibt where you can communicate in another language is NOT easy.
Load More Replies... I speak two languages even though I grew up with only English. I witnessed a family where the grandkids couldn't speak with grandma. It was sad to see. Therefore, I sympathize with the grandpa here.
So if Grandpa doesn't speak any English, and his kids barely speak Spanish, what happened during their entire childhood/young adulthood?
1) Probably some struggling. Lots of gesturing, exclamations of frustrations, lots of explanations, and probably minimal communication between the parents. Maybe an older sibling, who has a better grasp of the language acts as a translator between the adult and the younger sibling 2) Maybe the children only know the basic, enough for day to day conversations, but not enough to be considered fluent (etc, read entire paragraphs, write essays). Again, they never had in depth conversations, just enough to live with each other. 3) Children can forget Spanish due to lack of use. Source: Someone currently living in a household where all three generations speak different languages (Grandparents: fluent in 1 language) (Parents: fluent in their language and grandparents' language) (Children: fluent in their language, an okay grasp on parents' language, completely unable to speak grandparents' language)
Load More Replies... A lot of people were so hateful sounding because Grandpa didn't speak English. It's not always easy- and some people just don't have the capability for learning.
It's not any easier for the kids to learn Spanish either. And why should the majority learn the minority's language? It should be the other way around. Those who say people should be bilingual really mean native English-speakers should be bilingual while putting no such expectations on non-English speakers.
Load More Replies... I'm an American with Scottish blood who at one time spoke Spanish, French and Italian. And could read Latin and Greek. But I had a brain aneurysm and all of it is gone. It took a long time to learn how to write my name again, then finally how to communicate clearly when talking. Some times it's injury, sometimes it's age. My husband is Mexican/German (self-described "Beaner Schnitzel") and speaks no Spanish except for, "Do you sell any fire crackers and how much do they cost?"...to his father's dismay. But our son is soaking up Spanish like a sponge thanks to his grandpa. Every family has a unique story.
I wonder why his own children barely speak Spanish. If he can't speak english, then how where they communicating when his kids were little? This does not make sense! I live in Germany, but was born in Poland. My parents spoke only Polish with me and I have no problem speaking with relatives who can't speak German. This is how it should be in my opinion. My first language is German now and I am better at it than Polish, but I can speak both (plus English obviously). In Europe you can be proud to speak more than one language. Two are standard. Not only for migrants. If you go shopping in Germany you will hear many different languages spoken openly without fear on the streets. And I will damn well teach my children as well. My 3 year old speaks German and English already. When my second is born next year, I will teach her Polish
My great grandfather spoke Yiddish and Polish. My grandmother speaks a little Yiddish, and my father knows only a few expressions. That said they found ways to communicate. Where there is a will there is a way. His adult children who only spoke a little bit of Yiddish made an effort not to leave him out. Interestingly there was never an expectation that he speak English. He did just fine in the US for decades without it.
Did no one consider sitting with him? They might not be able to talk much, but just being close to him might have helped him feel more included.
IMHO, it isn’t just about language. It is also about preserving your culture. And I think people should respect their elders and make an effort to speak their native language, although, I know that not everyone has the ability to learn a language. For my job, I had to learn a second language, and before I was even hired, i was tested to see if I had the aptitude to learn another language. Some people can’t get the hang of math (me!), even though I am well-educated.
Not much different than it was for the german or itallian immigrants. With each generation parts of the old world they left behind are gone. It's just part of going to a new land and new life, the "new life" leaves a lot of the old behind.
Speaking as a second generation immigrant, both sides need to put in effort. It's not hard at all to learn simple phrases and questions. You don't even need to learn them, maybe just memorize. And your loving relatives that just want to speak to you will definitely not criticize you for using notes when you communicate. Learning a new language can be hard, but a little effort each day simplifies it so much.
The way I see it, you should at least know enough to get by in the language of the country you're in. If I was to move to Germany/Italy/Spain/Russia (or wherever), I would at least try to learn a bit of the language. Or have I missed the point?
That's an option if you work and come into contact with the new language. But imagine if you are at home most of the time or you work but everyone around you speaks your native language, and the grocery down the street is staffed by people speaking your native language. You never get a chance to or a need to learn the new language but your kids do. And their kids don't even know your native language anymore because they never had any need to use it. That's what happens here.
Load More Replies... Um, I would never up and move to Germany, live there for years until I'm an old man, raise a family, and never attempt to learn to speak German. This is one reason so many Americans don't want more immigrants here. The Tweet says, "this is why you should teach your kids Spanish." It should read, "This is why you should learn the language of the country you move to."
Funny how one guy says that English is "the harderst languaje to learn". HAHAHAHAHA Impressive amount of ignorance.
I keep seeing this opinion on the internet and every time I wonder where it came from. Because it's definitely not true. English is one of the easier to learn languages. Barely any grammar compared to most other European languages. Most verbs have regular conjugations. Only the spelling is a nightmare.
Load More Replies... The whole situation is so sad. I cannot imagine growing up not talking to my dad and now being an adult, not being able to tell him about how things are going. I have so many questions regarding his kids - did the kids not talk to their dad growing up? Do they not talk to him now? I do not understand how his children do not speak Spanish if that is the only language he knows. I just feel sad reading this.
They might not know Spanish because they spend more times talking to friends than to their parents. Because school forces them to read English, study English, learn English, but they were never forced to learn Spanish the same way. Maybe because all the books and movies they read and watched were English and not Spanish. Language barriers within an immediate family is 100% possible. ~someone in the exact same situation
Load More Replies... Now I feel like trash because I don't have the resources nor motivation to learn a new language.
Here’s an idea. How about the people in the family who are bilingual translate a conversation between the grandchildren and the grandfather? I would think the grandchildren could spare some time to sit with their parent and grandparent and have a translated conversation. At a family gathering people can use some energy to make the grandparents feel like part of the celebration. After all, whose hard work made this possible?
Everyone saying you should learn spanish as a second language... seem to ignore the spanish speaker who wasn't willing to learn English as a second language in the decades he was in the country... yeah, okay then.
Can I let you know about this enormous community of guys from USA, immigrats in latin american countries that NEVER learned spanish? Not even after getting the citishenship? Or is way too shocking for you?
Load More Replies... Strange that his children weren't taught Spanish considering he didn't know English. What did they speak growing up? I can't imagine he didn't speak Spanish to them? Did they actually forget or just choose not to continue to speak Spanish - and forget the language. That's hard to believe. I wish I was brought up with another language but my parents being 2nd & 4th generation Americans, they only spoke English as well.
It is not strange that they weren't taught Spanish. After all, I bet schools only taught English, not Spanish. Not speaking the same language as your parents is a feeling many nonbilingual second-generation immigrants know. As your parents are 2nd and 4th generation, I understand this is strange to you, but it's a very very common occurrence, and frankly, entirely believable.
Load More Replies... Google translate is an immediate solution for them right now. Followed by duolingo with its easy game-like program. They could all play Pictionary with Spanish words for the holidays using google translate
It's a bit more complicated, grandpa should've learned at least broken English and the kids and grandkids should know basic Spanish. I'm Chinese, my parent came over to the US when they were in their late 20's. I would always rent English / Chinese learning tapes for my mom. My dad went and got his bachelors degree and worked with a bunch of White guys. So he learned English, but apparently he only speaks it when he wants to. I'm still the translator at most times.
Both. Grandpa needs to learn English and his children and grandchildren need to learn spanish. So they practice and start talking instead of just pretending the other doesn´t exist.
Difficult one, Having just spent Xmas with my GF's Parents staying in our flat that only speak Polish, I fully understand how the grandad feels, but having tried learning Polish(in case we have children) in a country(England) in which it's not the native tongue it's hard to feel motivated, so I get where the kids are coming from. I guess the way I see it, it would make more sense for the Grandad to learn english as it will benifit him beyond just family gatherings.
One of my parents is Slovak, but never taught me and is not close to any Slovak relatives and therefore I'm not close to any either (plus distance barrier) I agree it's hard to learn a langue that's not the native one to you
Load More Replies... Maybe I’m reading way too much into this post, but did grandpa just come off the boat? Unless you were introduced to your kids when they were adults, there is no way you don’t speak at least one mutual language. I call BS on this.
It is possible to not have a mutual language. ~someone in the exact same situation
Load More Replies... Dude, there are apps that can translate spoken words. Problem solved. And who are those people that believe that an elder will dedicate time to learn a foreign lanuage in the last years of his life just for the holiday table chit-chat? And chastising them for "not wanting it bad enough"? Also, ever crossed your mind that the grandpa knows english but is introvert?
What would gramps do if he were deaf? I think he just doesn't like you. Get over it.
Well it's a little more complicated than just who should lean what at the stage they are currently in. The Grandfather definitely should have learned English when he moved to the US. But considering he is now a old man its not realistic to expect him to do so. Leaning languages is a young person thing. And it would definitely benefit the grandkids the most to be able to speak Spanish and English. Even though I believe the Grandfather to be the one who dropped the ball, it's had for me to expect him to pic it up at his age.
Language has NOTHING to do with it. What's a smartphone for if you cannot use it for translation!? It doesn't matter if he or they don't speak each other's language just BEING with him would mean a lot. Instead these a******s talk around and over him and pretending he's not there. I'd have waked out of that place ASAP!
Except everyone in Japan DOES learn English so your point is moot.
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