That's what bugs me too! There was a News story a few months back about Chinese descendents, they live her legally but they refuse to learn English because they don't have to. We're making everything with translations for everyone so they dot' have to learn our language. It's frustrating. I used to work in a Supermarket and half the people I'd serve in a shift were immigrants, let's say I'd serve 50 people, maybe 5 of the 25 immigrants could speak and understand English well enough to do the transaction. I had this one group who had like a hundred kids between them come in every few days to buy nappies. A 30pack of nappies is about $15.00, they'd buy 4 or 5 depending, then try and pay me with a $50 note. I'd explain for ages that they needed more money to buy the amount they wanted but they couldn't understand. I basically had to use the nappies to get them to. I'd take away one or two packs and hold up the $50 above the remainder while pushing the others away. After about 5mins of that they'd hand me more money for the rest. Ugh! I quit there because I couldn't handle it.

There needs to be a world wide rule that if you want to enter a country to live you MUST learn enough of the language to get by, not just yes and no. And the currency. Currency is just as important. My partner wants to go to Japan for a year when we can afford it. We're going to learn the language so that we don't have to try and find someone who speaks English. We'll be in their country, we should use their language. If the rest of the world did that there wouldn't be any communication barriers with immigrants.

I feel like that, too, Triad. If you're going to go to another country, then you should make an effort to speak the language the inhabitants of that country speak. After all, why should they automatically be required to know yours? It's annoying when immigrants here don't even try to learn English, just as it's annoying when English-speaking people go to other countries and expect everyone to know English, without even trying to learn that other language. I mean, even if you're bad at languages, you can at least pick up enough to get by.

English is a difficult language to learn, but many people manage to learn it, so it can be done. You don't have to be fluent, but you do have to know enough to be understood and for you to understand what is being said to you in English. Some people feel they understand English better than they can speak it and therefore are self conscious about speaking the language. I can sympathize with how they feel. I lived in the Azores for a couple of years and was never able to speak Portuguese. Quite frankly, it was embarrassing for me. But it had to have been some 'mental block'! Not that I didn't try, I did! The locals knew that I was trying and they in turn didn't mind my not speaking it much beyond the basic "helllo" (ola), "thank you" (obrigada) and "goodbye" (adeus).

As it turns out, I'm bilingual ~ I speak my native language which is English and I also speak Spanish. In fact I spoke Spanish to the people in the Azores and was able to get by that way. The key here is that I at least tried to communicate to them, and they realized that I didn't expect them to understand me in English. (I didn't want to be an "ugly" American) Many immigrants, illigal or not, just don't bother, when in our country. Or, they use their kids as translators. I suppose that's OK for awhile, but they really should be learning the language to the best of their ability.

You know, there was a time when illegal immigrants heard the words "la migra!" (i.e. the Immigration authorities) they'd scatter in all directions to avoid being caught and deported. Now, it isn't a threat to them at all. In fact, nowadays, they just might be given a green card if caught (said with tongue in cheek!).

Go figure!

I think immigrants should learn the language before they go there, but I don't agree with comments above saying that it's annoying to translate everything. I think some people come to a country without learning how to write, but can speak that language. (maybe just a trip? i don't know o_0) Anyway on the main topic about illegal immigration then I don't support it, it would have taken less effort to go there illegally. ^^
-IceRain