e.thePeople : Article : English Not First Language

e.thePeople : Article : English Not First Language: "Modern civilization includes many advanced technological and awe-inspiring conveniences. We've come a long way since the 'horse and buggy' days. We can communicate around the world in seconds, where it use to take days and weeks. We can travel from one side of the earth to the other with relative ease.

Because of these modern conveniences, migration within countries, from one country to another, and from one continent to another, is as simple as getting on a plane, bus, train, or riding in a car. Migration has, and continues to change the social and cultural make-up of almost every country on earth.

It has become common to hear several languages spoken in a single community. This would be fine, except for the many obvious problems caused by a lack of communication between those speaking different languages. In almost all cases where this issue becomes a problem, the solutions are very expensive. We can see this in our own country, especially in states that border Mexico.

In some countries, such as the U.S., government services, state and local services, and many private businesses are adapting to the language barriers. These changes are not easy, cheap, or looked at favorably by the citizens of the host country.

This brings me to a situation now occurring in Scotland, where a difference in languages is causing similar problems to our own.

There's no way to stop migration, or the many problems that it causes. But, I would suggest that the host countries, demand that the immigrants learn new languages, and adapt to changes at their own expense. The burden on the citizens of the host countries is an unfair taxation, to say the least.

( source - http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/lates... )"