It is not only respectful, but it is necessary to learn the language of a country that you plan on living in or traveling to. As Americans, we feel that everyone should know English whether they are in our country or whether we are traveling abroad. Since English is so commonly used, it often feels like it is the universal language that should be known by all. Although I understand that English is one of the more common languages spoken, i believe that we should take it upon ourselves to learn the languages in order to broaden the network of people we are able to communicate with. I have little tolerance for those who come to America and cannot speak English and do not even attempt to learn it. In order to not be hypocritical, I am a strong believer in being multi-lingual so that traveling abroad can be less stressful. Along with learning the language of the country you are in, I believe that you should also immerse yourself in their culture and ways of life. Having an open mind and abiding by the common courtesies of the country you are in is essential.
In our discussion today about our counties beliefs about immigration, our group seemed to be open to others coming to our country as long as they abided by our laws and learned about our history and culture.
Here is an article about different cultural etiquette.
I totally agree that if you are traveling to another country you should be aware of their customs. Being able to speak the language helps a lot but i don't think that its absolutely necessary if a person is only visiting. If a person is planning to be a resident of that country then they really do need to learn the language because its just common sense.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mean immerse oneself into to the culture of the foreign country I'm assuming that one would keep their own at the same time. Sure, one may need to change his/her self. But I think it can work by being multi-lingual and multi-cultural. Or at least some sort of hybrid culture. Like the U.S. many keep their own culture but also adopt some US cultures at the same time, well sorta.
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