Tuesday, December 9, 2008

English Fluency Increasing for US Hispanics

The US Census found that hispanics are becoming more fluent in English. This is good news when you consider miscommunications and the educational system. According to the report, fluency depends upon region and Los Angeles County, which has a high percentage of hispanic residents, saw a decrease in the number of Spanish speakers that have trouble with English. We're talking about a drop from 21 percent in 2000 to 19.6 percent in 2005-07.  

Despite some of the cultural implications - homogenization of cultures, for instance - this news means fewer communication misunderstandings and the ability to share ideas. It also means Spanish speakers can get better jobs and receive better educations. 

Originally reported by US Today

3 comments:

Lisa said...

I saw your blog at the "Blog Of Note" page.
Glad they are learning the language!
Enjoyed my visit!

The Baroness said...

That is wonderful. It's a good sign that they are settling in to their lives in our country and I couldn't be happier. I live in TX, where there are a lot of Hispanic people, and I think that this is going to make things a lot easier for them, even though we are trying to meet them halfway by learning Spanish as well!

Unknown said...

That's a good improvement. However, there are lots of people who know the language, but have accents that are quite incomprehensible. Maybe accent training should also be considered.