Letter: There are many good reasons to be bilingual

Tuesday, July 17, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

In response to the letters by Susan Huff and Fred Schrumm, who argue it is ridiculous for American children to learn a second language they will not be using in the future, educated people around the world have this to say:

When you speak three languages you are trilingual.

When you speak two languages you are bilingual.

When you speak one language you are American.

Would it not be a good idea to let your children know if they are at least bilingual and of reasonable intelligence when they enter the business world, they can look forward to a minimum pay premium of 25 percent, just because they took the time to learn a second language?

Because one in five persons in Nevada is of Spanish descent, would it not be a good idea to be able to communicate with your neighbor with a simple hola, or buenas dias until your neighbor learned to say hello, or good morning? Would it not be a good idea to know that when you go on vacation and are able to communicate basically in the language of the country to which you are traveling, you will be admired and afforded premium service?

Pardon me (and I am over 40) for taking a UNLV extension course which provided me the opportunity to go to school in Mexico, live with a Latino family, learn their language, and helped understand a culture thousands of years older than ours.

WILLIAM FITZGERALD