It suggests they believe they’re on par. All else being equal, you’re right.
With Scandinavia in particular, there’s an issue in that immigrating is really hard. Which is to say, we require you to learn our language and culture. Terrible taskmasters, we are.
It’s really easy to emigrate from a country in the European Union to Sweden (presumably also Denmark, but not Norway because it’s not in the union). I mean, I’m doing it at 3 AM while browsing the web! Is there a legal requirement to learn the language for immigrants from outside the EU, or did you mean you can’t make it in practice without speaking the language? I would expect that sitting around in a country for five years automatically teaches you its culture.
The first, with Norway, in practice. If you have particularly valuable skills they’ll overlook it, and being western helps, but immigration has pretty much had it with third-world immigrants lately.
I believe (I’m an expat, so haven’t followed that closely) that we just added a requirement to join some natives on cultural trips of various kinds, too. Going hiking, that kind of thing...
Is there a legal requirement to learn the language for immigrants from outside the EU, or did you mean you can’t make it in practice without speaking the language?
The second, mostly.
Are there any countries to which that doesn’t apply?
You’re saying it wouldn’t be that hard to live in the US without speaking English? That doesn’t sound very likely to me (though I’ve never been there).
(Or do you think that all people who might consider moving to the US because they think that’s a better place to live in already speak decent English?)
You’re saying it wouldn’t be that hard to live in the US without speaking English? That doesn’t sound very likely to me (though I’ve never been there).
Ethnic conclaves are probably what Baughn is thinking of. I have the impression that this could be true in the China and Koreatowns in the biggest cities, and there are probably places where you can live happily knowing only Spanish. (I gather from Amy Chua’s World on Fire that there are many such conclaves throughout the world; it helps to be a wealthier minority.)
It suggests they believe they’re on par. All else being equal, you’re right.
With Scandinavia in particular, there’s an issue in that immigrating is really hard. Which is to say, we require you to learn our language and culture. Terrible taskmasters, we are.
It’s really easy to emigrate from a country in the European Union to Sweden (presumably also Denmark, but not Norway because it’s not in the union). I mean, I’m doing it at 3 AM while browsing the web! Is there a legal requirement to learn the language for immigrants from outside the EU, or did you mean you can’t make it in practice without speaking the language? I would expect that sitting around in a country for five years automatically teaches you its culture.
The second, mostly.
The first, with Norway, in practice. If you have particularly valuable skills they’ll overlook it, and being western helps, but immigration has pretty much had it with third-world immigrants lately.
I believe (I’m an expat, so haven’t followed that closely) that we just added a requirement to join some natives on cultural trips of various kinds, too. Going hiking, that kind of thing...
We do take our hiking seriously.
Are there any countries to which that doesn’t apply?
Yes, most notably the USA.
You’re saying it wouldn’t be that hard to live in the US without speaking English? That doesn’t sound very likely to me (though I’ve never been there).
(Or do you think that all people who might consider moving to the US because they think that’s a better place to live in already speak decent English?)
Ethnic conclaves are probably what Baughn is thinking of. I have the impression that this could be true in the China and Koreatowns in the biggest cities, and there are probably places where you can live happily knowing only Spanish. (I gather from Amy Chua’s World on Fire that there are many such conclaves throughout the world; it helps to be a wealthier minority.)