On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 "Samuel W. Heywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > Learning to master the speaking and writing of English will be of > little economic benefit for those who lack skills and knowledge and > experience in the highly lucrative vocations.
The up-and-coming highly (actually, moderately) lucrative vocations are, more and more, including those with manual tasks. Further, all documents in America (work or otherwise) are always in English. Anyone (native born or immigrant) who doesn't have fluency in English is at a disadvantage in an environment where English is the norm. > An immigrant who is > is a manual laborer is not likely to be able to get a higher paying > job just because he learns to speak English. Employers for those kinds > of jobs only care about how dependable the laborer is and they care > about how well and how fast he can do the job. They don't care if he > can't speak English because that is not what he is paid to do. Incorrect on all counts. Immigrants learn English specifically because: - they can get more money for the same (types of) job - there are more jobs available to English speakers - employers desire (and some require) direct communication with employees > English speaking shopkeepers and merchants in foreign countries are > not very likely to benefit from my patronage. Perhaps you are the exception. > I have found that I can almost always get a better > deal from a merchant who doesn't speak English. My experience is that I get the best deals when I'm able to make small talk and tell jokes in the midst of the battering. > Most of my fellow Americans are aware of the fact that > there are much better deals to be had in foreign countries > by doing business with merchants who don't speak English. Actually, the merchants who speak English are able to wheel-and-deal in (at least) two languages. Therefore, they typically have more expanded supply lines and better bargaining ability than their (non English speaking) peers. The result is an economic advantage and, thus, lower wholesale prices. They are, therefore, able to afford deeper discounts. > Unlike me, most of my fellow Americans who travel in > foreign countries have much more money than I and > they don't care about the price. What they care most > about is the pleasure of being able to do business with > a merchant who knows how to communicate very well > with his American customers, even if they know that > the English speaking merchants charge much higher > prices for the Americans. Our shopping styles are vastly different. I usually follow the English-only shoppers around until they buy something I want. Because they only speak English, I know exactly what deal they negotiated. Afterward, I greet the merchant in a few words from his language, make some small talk, and strike a better bargain. If, as you claim, those merchants charge excessive prices to the American shoppers, then they have a greater profit margin and are better able to give a better discount. What IS significant is knowing what prices the LOCAL (knowledgeable) people pay. That has nothing to do with a merchant's ability to communicate in English, but depends solely upon knowing the local economic environment. And (to make this dialog 'computer related'), if you find a way to help the 'little guys' in that local environment to be more computer competent, then they will reward that effort by helping you negotiate the local marketplace. So, advocating and helping others learn English will yield a direct, and positive, economic benefit to you. And you might learn a few local greetings in the process. Bob Dohse - ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com
