English

This past Tuesday I was in Manhattan as I already described in a previous writing. I used the subway for my mode of transportation which I think is the best way to get around the City. I am not in love with the system but as far getting somewhere the subway is the best mode of transportation.

So there I am sitting in an almost empty subway car and kind of enjoying the trip when a Hispanic mother and her teenage son get on the train. She had an Apple smart phone in her hand and dressed pretty fairly. Mother and son were conversing in Spanish.

She suddenly turned to me and asked if I spoke Spanish. I said no but the lady sitting next to me sais she did. Long Spanish conversation ensued and finally she got off at the next stop.

What happened was the she wanted to the Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Unfortunately she was travelling in the opposite direction and getting further and further away from her destination. It seemed she had no idea how to get to where she wanted to go and neither did her son. Getting off the train and changing travel direction was the remedy and I hope she eventually found Grand Central Station.

Why did I write this?

Because this person was not a tourist, she didn't look like somebody who just got in this country or city. So how come a person as young as she was can not speak the language of the country she is staying in?

People live in New York for decades never learn English because they live in their on enclaves, work with their own nationalities or just don't want to learn the language.

I feel absolutely no sympathy for these people whenever they get in the bind. I would never dream of settling in let's say Finland and not learn Finn so why other people get away with it?

It is just plain wrong. I came from another country, didn't know any English went to night school and made every effort to learn the language.

Learning English is an equal opportunity possibility.