From The Road
July 11, 2008 4:53 PM

Obama: "I don't speak a foreign language. It's embarrassing!"

By
Maria Gavrilovic
Topics
Barack Obama
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(DAYTON, OHIO) "I don't speak a foreign language. It's embarrassing!" Barack Obama exclaimed today at town hall meeting here. Obama, who often touts his time growing up overseas, made the confession while speaking about the importance of teaching foreign languages in schools.

Obama came under fire by conservative groups earlier this week, after he said that more Americans should learn a foreign language.

At town hall meeting in Powder Spring, Georgia on Tuesday, Obama said, "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?"

The group Americans for Legal Immigration, which says they're "supporting candidates who make illegal immigration reduction a top priority", blasted Obama, saying that he has "stepped on a political land mine by stating Americans should be forced to learn to speak Spanish."

Obama brushed off the criticism today, saying that immigrants should learn English but that Americans should learn a foreign language as well. "You know, this is an example of some of the problems we get into when somebody attacks you for saying the truth," he said, "which is we should want children with more knowledge."

Add a Comment See all 21 Comments
by Adamdetx December 7, 2011 10:45 AM EST
Hey Guys, I thought this was so funny I put together these T-shirts just for the occasion
http://www.cafepress.com/aweinspiring/8354053
http://www.cafepress.com/aweinspiring/8354025
I'll have some made up in other languages soon.
Reply to this comment
by horobey November 23, 2010 12:51 PM EST
Hi everybody.

I teach Russian for any person from any country who can speak English.
I focus my lessons on speaking and listening (Spoken Russian), then on reading. I do believe that "Practice makes perfect".
Learning a new language can be challenging, but with repetition and practical exercise it becomes easier and more fun. I think the best way to master any language is to learn it like a child (listen, repeat and speak).
I am an English teacher and a leader of American English Club. It makes your learning Russian easier. I had work experience in Canada and currently I have a student from Canada at my home.

Russian is not as difficult as it seems to be:) Join my lessons and tutorial and learn how to speak and think in Russian while having lots of fun!

If you're learning Russian or eager to master it, you can contact me.
http://www.verbalplanet.com/publicviewprofile.asp?tr_id=10009462642&lang=RUS&currency=USD
Good luck!
Reply to this comment
by dioliver August 14, 2010 11:40 AM EDT
I totally agree. I speak three languages (english, portuguese and spanish)and that makes a big difference in my life, because I can communicate with many people in many different countries around the world.
Obama is completely right about american kids learn a foreign tongue, that's necessary in the contemporary world.
Reply to this comment
by mcgregwood August 25, 2010 1:51 AM EDT
I am learning Portuguese right now because I have to, my in-laws will not learn English for me. I know Portuguese and Spanish have similar words and phrases. With that said, do you sometimes mix up your Spanish and Portuguese? Was it easier to learn Portuguese since Spanish has similarities? After I learn Portuguese I am thinking about learning Spanish.
by Sanzalure June 15, 2010 12:42 PM EDT
People who know only one language miss out on something real big. It is like having only one eye, one hand or one leg. You can get by, but you miss a lot of what life is all about.

Serge Grenier
Reply to this comment
by heathentongue April 13, 2009 4:02 PM EDT
It sounds to me as if Obama is just being self-deprecating to make a point. According to various sources including his book Dreams From My Father he speaks Bahasa Indonesia at a conversational level, as well as a bit of Spanish, Luo (the language of his father's people), and presumably a smattering of ?lelo Hawai?i (though that technically is not a "foreign" tongue). Maybe he's forgotten too much to feel comfortable claiming any fluency.
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by PKooros March 31, 2009 9:52 PM EDT
How is what Obama said at all offensive? Kids SHOULD be learning at least one foreign language. Utah has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, perhaps this is related to the Mormon church's practice of training their young members for international missions (2 years for everyone), with extensive language training. Utah is an unexpected center of international business now, for exactly this reason. Arguing that learning something threatens nationalism irrational. Why should children learn anything more than they need to be a factory worker, or burger flipper, or janitor? Because they might want to be something more! Otherwise, get used to the Europeans, or Chinese, or Koreans being the engineers designing the new technology, the businessmen building international commerce, with many doctors and professionals enriching their societies.

The prejudicial nativist comments of some here that "illegals should go back to where they came from" is just not responsive to what direction American education should go. Its as useful and responsible as if I said "Go back to Europe" to them. Being ignorant and uneducated is not an American value, is not Christian, and not good for the nation.
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by mail4trish July 14, 2008 1:23 PM EDT
As an immigrant I am appalled by the statement made by Senator Obama. One of the fundamental benefits of US citizenship is the right to make our own choices.I reserve my right to choose which second, or in my case third language I learn. I learned English when I came to America without any special free classes. All Americans should be unified by a common language, those who come here and choose not to learn our language is not citizens, they are invaders.
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by quidquid-2009 July 13, 2008 5:39 PM EDT
Wow, way to put words in Obama''s mouth! While I am a Mccain supporter and I believe that there are other education reforms that should be of higher priority than foreign languages, Obama did NOT say that he wanted to make learning Spanish mandatory. He simply said that Americans would greatly benefit from learning more languages, and the most obvious first choice would clearly be Spanish for obvious reasons. I entirely agree that Americans should be minimally competent in at least one other language, although there are more important educational reforms that need to be addressed first.
We need to stop being so elitist about English and get over ourselves already. NEWSFLASH: AMERICA HAS NO OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. To impose an official language would be and completely antithetical to the basis of what this country was founded upon.
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by pjones501 July 12, 2008 2:50 AM EDT
Better find a new candidate while you still can Democrats. Anybody want to make a little bet about how many more times Obama sticks his foot in his mouth before the Convention??? (just kidding...about the betting part)

He''s ashamed that most American''s can only speak one language? There they go with that being ashamed of America again. Too bad he wasn''t ashamed when his minister shouted, "GOD DAAAAAAM AMERICA",
......Oh yeh, and the issue of Obama''s patriotism.....look for it to come back, big time.
Reply to this comment
by pjones501 July 12, 2008 1:38 AM EDT
More specifically, Obama said we should all learn Spanish.

I don''t know if I should laugh
or cry.
Reply to this comment
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