Coca-Cola Super Bowl Commercial

[Vonz90]

So, you think the US started with a common language?

In a completely homogeneous sense no. But we were closer to it than most of Europe certainly and the fact that what the central language was going to be was not really a question made it easier to more towards than if that was a point of contention.

Again, to use Germany as a reference, I am sure a higher percentage of US residents in 1776 spoke English than spoke Hochdeutsch in the German states. (Consider it was invented only around 1550). And just for reference, if you speake one of the major dialects only, you cannot communicate with someone speaking another one. Heck, there is a lot of argument that Platt is not even in the same language family.

So, we did not have a common language, but if you were setting out from your home to do business, go to university, go to the state or higher government, there was no argument about what language would be used. That is how it became the common language. This is a common American culture evolved.

If you don't think there is a common American culture, spend some time in a foreign country with a bunch of random Americans from all over the place.

[Aglifter]

Different perspective, I suppose - I'm PA Dutch, as I have said earlier. In many German speaking areas, prior to WWII, English was taught as a foreign language, in HS.

Many of the PA Dutch still speak their archaic Germanic language at home. (Its "Dietsche", as they pronounce it, more or less.)

I find that I have more in common w. rural Latin Americans, or Europeans, than say, life long New Yorkers.

[Termite]

Not an empire, a federation.

Rather an important difference there.

Or as Franklin said, a Republic.

[skb12172]

Different perspective, I suppose - I'm PA Dutch, as I have said earlier. In many German speaking areas, prior to WWII, English was taught as a foreign language, in HS.

Many of the PA Dutch still speak their archaic Germanic language at home. (Its "Dietsche", as they pronounce it, more or less.)

I find that I have more in common w. rural Latin Americans, or Europeans, than say, life long New Yorkers.

As someone on here wrote, and it may have been you, a society does not function according to its exceptions.

[Yogimus]

DRUNK REPLY:


Fuck you. I for one am proud to live in a nation that has foreigners sing patriotic songs in their own tongue VOLUNTARILY, and fuck you for insinuating that such a thing is shameful.

[NVGdude]

I actually believe that all of the "foreigners" singing in said commercial are US citizens.

Heck a couple of the languages being used are native American languages that are ONLY spoken in the US. Keres (Aboriginal language only spoken in New Mexico) has fewer than 5000 native speakers.