This is interesting- everyone should read:
http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2007...y/131-
35.0.html
English only law is probably forbidden in the Southwest by the Treaty of Hildago Guadalupe with Mexico. In any case, there is hardly a need for it, at least where I live, in a state with about the same Hispanic population as with others of European descent. Somehow, people of good will, and with maybe a bit of patience, manage to get the gist of what they're saying across.
I've lived in Germany, and I didn't speak a word when I got there, a rural area with fewer English speakers than urban areas. Never picked much of it up either, I don't seem to have an aptitude for acquiring new languages, but somehow, things always worked out, it just took a bit longer.
Free or low cost English classes for adults who don't speak English, however, needs more emphasis, I think. It's hard for an adult to learn a new language, or at least that's my experience. They need all the help they can get.
My attempts to learn Spanish have not been successful either, to say the least, and most people I know speak at least basic Spanish. It's embarrassing to have to get a always handy someone to translate a letter or something for me. But, people of good will love to help people struggling with understandings, and their help cements friendships.
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