Reply to What are the foreign language trends among children of elites now? What are some considerations in picking a language.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Spanish is everywhere.  Learn Spanish [/quote]

Yep. Helpful for so many careers to have some basic skills, at least. [/quote]

There's a weird stigma of Spanish as being the language of the poor.  [/quote]

Only if you're a racist jerk.  The rest of us learn Spanish because 700 mn people speak it in and around the USA, and it's a far easier language than Mandarin and more useful in the USA than French.[/quote]

Most of the world doesn't care about Spanish. Spanish is important here politically, but not elsewhere.
Mandarin, Russian and Arabic are the key languages the US State Department would like to cultivate.[/quote]

I think enough people speak Spanish here now that not speaking it feels like a disadvantage. There was some point about 10-15 years ago where it become clear that it is impossible to find a housekeeper that speaks English.  [/quote]

Everyone saying what you just said about "so many people speak Spanish here that not speaking it feels like a disadvantage", none of you have obviously ever been a position to hire someone where speaking Spanish is important beyond hiring your housekeepers.  For those of us in jobs where speaking Spanish is important because we serve a largely Spanish-speaking clientele or population, what you seem to not understand at all is most people hiring for jobs where Spanish is important we will choose native speakers over "Americans who learned Spanish in school" folks almost every time if the rest of the qualifications are met as well for the position. And given the GIANT # of native Spanish speakers that live in the US, including those with college and further advanced degrees or training, then finding a native speaker for almost anything is much easier than any other language in the US other than English.

Sure, being a medical professional or businessperson with a big # of Spanish-speaking customers means it is better to hire people who understand at least the basics, so that will give your kids an edge over those who don't speak it at all.  But for office jobs or executive jobs or major teaching jobs, native speakers are usually preferred because they are literally fluent and also can read and write fluently and translate industry-speak into Spanish as well where necessary.

In other words... In business or lifestyle situations where speaking Spanish is really really important, the Spanish most kids learn in middle or high schools is not going to be at the level called for by the job.  Those starting Spanish in PK3 and taught by native speakers, sure, that will probably be great.  But [/quote]

This is an interesting point I hadn't thought of.  [/quote]

Nope, not really true for two reasons:

1.  With the exceptions of some groups like Cubans in Florida, many immigrants from Latin America do not insist their children speak Spanish so as students progress in school they gradually start losing Spanish. It is NOT common for the youngest siblings (particularly if it is a boy) of Latino immigrants to be a fluent Spanish speaker. Kids are at school all day and aftercare speaking English, they go home and speak English to their siblings, and everything they watch on TV/Youtube/ TikTok is in English. I grew up in an immigrant household. I am the only sibling who speaks Spanish fluently. I also am the only sibling who would visit my parents native country in the summers and spent a year abroad studying in Spain. One siblings can understand and speak in Spanish but has to throw in English vocabulary and the baby of the family really doesn't speak or understand Spanish.

2. When getting hired, what is more important is how well you speak English and how competent you are at your job. Then all things being equal if the position calls for being bilingual or it is a benefit to being bilingual then they chose anyone who speaks Spanish. Often people hiring have no idea how much Spanish someone really speaks. I have been amazed that people with Hispanic last names that supervisors think speak Spanish fluently do not really speak Spanish fluently. [/quote]

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