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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: irina]
#137196
08/05/2017 04:46 PM
08/05/2017 04:46 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,852 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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OK, I could be wrong on that, but my statement was based on what I read in the papers, which is that most Dutch side residents, especially young people, do not read Dutch. I could be wrong. Most SXM residents definitely speak more languages than US residents, that's for sure.
Carol Hill
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: irina]
#137198
08/05/2017 04:50 PM
08/05/2017 04:50 PM
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Posts: 82,852 Central Florida!
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OK, as I said, I was basing on what I read in the papers. And of course, not all SXMers go to school...
Carol Hill
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: irina]
#137200
08/05/2017 07:47 PM
08/05/2017 07:47 PM
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OK, I think the point was that probably the official language of St. Maarten should be English. That's all.
Carol Hill
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#137201
08/05/2017 09:25 PM
08/05/2017 09:25 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,649 Brookfield, CT.
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This thread would be funny if it weren't so sad.
I'm always amazed at the linguistic abilities of so many St. Maarteners I meet and come to know. I don't know the numbers statistically but I'm under the impression that school is mandatory for legitimate St. Maarteners and I really have no idea about those youngsters living on the island as illegal residents. I do recall there were serious arguments about this a few years ago and I assume these young people are educated as well but I don't know this as fact.
But at the same time, here at home in CT., school is mandatory for all young people up to the age sixteen and I'm often appalled at the number of young people born and raised here that can't speak their native English fluently, never mind having the ability to speak in three or four other tongues as so many of the island residents do.
I'm always impressed when I speak to some of the maids at our timeshare who manage to speak English, French, Spanish and Papiamento. I can only vaguely recall some of the high school French words I learned so many years ago and most of the ones I recall aren't even conversational in polite company! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />
I think the original premis of the article was a good one - it would certainly simplify things for everyone if English was made the official language of the Dutch side of the island and if all the legal docs, deeds, licenses, laws, etcetera were printed in a tongue all could comprehend, even we pathetic US citizens who mostly speak only English. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: Kennys]
#137203
08/06/2017 11:17 AM
08/06/2017 11:17 AM
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Posts: 14,649 Brookfield, CT.
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You were one of the many I was thinking of. It always amazes me that our front desk staff at the Towers are, at the very least, all bi-lingual and most have many different speaks. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: irina]
#137205
08/06/2017 01:22 PM
08/06/2017 01:22 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,649 Brookfield, CT.
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i,
I understand that but in reading one of the articles I read, I thought that was one of the reasons Sarah wanted the change and one of the things she wanted to happen. It probably won't happen quickly (if at all?) with all the other island issues but it wouldn't be a bad thing, for sure.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: ProfLangue]
#137209
08/10/2017 08:28 AM
08/10/2017 08:28 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,852 Central Florida!
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Well, no. Official documents can be official ONLY in ONE language. It is so difficult understanding statutes or interpreting them sometimes, if there were official documents in two different languages for the same document, can you imagine the conflicting results, when judges try to interpret the same statute in two different languages?
Carol Hill
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Re: Sarah wants English as official language
[Re: jaxon60]
#137211
08/10/2017 09:27 AM
08/10/2017 09:27 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,852 Central Florida!
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Really?? Wow, as a lawyer, I am surprised. Languages all have different nuances and the same phrase in different languages can be totally different.
Carol Hill
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