Learn English or else

[johnlambert]

what do you tyhink about this?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/12022007/344/jobless- must-learn-speak-english.html

Personally, I agree

[Kathyan]

So do I john. But won't stopping their benefits be against their 'human rights'?

[johnlambert]

Yes it would, but why should we subsidise people who cannot be bothered to learn english. It's about intergration isnt it?

[sp1814]

Cautiously optimistic about the proposals - anything that results in the pay gap between ethnic minorities and the indigenous population shrinking is a good thing.

[vehelpfulguy]

One could ask why they are here in the first place if they cannot or will not speak English.

If we had bothered to set up some strict border controls to decide who to allow in to the country, instead of allowing anyone and everyone who turns up at the border, we would not have this problem.

Yet again this Labour government (and the Tories before them) have allowed this country to go downhill by their lack of management of our borders.

[efc]

I agree. I believe that in order to claim unemployment benefit you have to show that you are doing your best to find employment. If the language is a barrier then you should also be doing your best to remove that barrier! I don't think that benefits should be cut, I believe they should be stopped!
If I went to another country to work I would like to think that I would do my best to learn that language.

[johnlambert]

People coming to the UK as a last resort against political persecution and in fear for thier lives should be welcomed, however, they also have a resposibility to learn our language and culture

[jake-the-peg]

Seems reasonable - and no contrary to what you may hear in some newspapers there is no human right to draw the dole.

[Kathyan]

Jake, I had my tongue firmly in my cheek when I wrote that! Further to the border control, hasn't that been taken away by the EU?

[jake-the-peg]

Ah you need a smiley ;c)

Nope we didn't sign up to abolishing border control - that was the Schengen agreement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreemen t

We cited our special security issues with respect to Northern Ireland.

Rather amusing when you consider the only country you can travel to from the UK without a passport is ...er... Ireland!

[Goodsoulette]

Well if someone is refusing to learn to speak English then thats all well and good but what if they just cant. My friends mum, is Italian, she doesn't even speak Italian its a dialect Italian that is used in a very small area. She can say about 10 sentences, yet all her children speak perfect English, it has always baffled me. She was a cleaner her whole life, worked really hard and never needed to learn to speak English as she only integrated with her friends and family from the same region.
I think it's a brilliant plan as long as the means are provided.
The local bus company has taken on a lot of polish and portuguese drivers, their English really seems to be improving a lot over the last few months but they also employed translators and people with TEFL qualifications to help these guys.

[Goodsoulette]

oh and a little note to that, despite never being able to speak English, only knowing what things weigh in grammes etc etc she has not once been told to go back to where she came from because her skin is the "right" colour. I am sure is she was asian that would be different.

[Oneeyedvic]

I agree as well

[brionon]

It would be a good idea if the English learned to speak English. Bring back the letter 'T' in words like butter .
I find,living in mainland Europe, that most children speak their language better than English children speak English. In fact many children from Scandinavia speak English better than our children.

[brionon]

Kathyan, Go through Customs some day. Then you might find that the EU has no say in Border Controls nor on bent Bananas.

[johnlambert]

As you said goodsoulette, that lady worked hard all her life. however, the whole point oif benefits (JOBSEEKERS alowance) is that the recipient activley seeks work.
I owned a business in Leicester until I sold it last year, I employed several Polish temps, had they been unable to speak english, I would never have employed them

[horselady]

In my job we get lots of .asian children who have to speak to us on the phone because only their mother is at home and she can speak no English. The children speak perfect English, strange that the women can't or won't learn

[sp1814]

Perhaps the reason why some immigrants don't learn English is that it's preferable not to hear what some English people are saying about them.

[Lindylou]

A lot of immigrant women are actively discouraged/prevented from learning English by their male relatives. Its easier to keep them under control. They have no way of finding out their legal rights of living in Britain. And I bet this will cause howls of disagreement now!

[Eastender]

They do know english ie "Where's the local DHSS office". Its far to late the country is in Ruins.