Florida Drivers Test for Foreign Language Speakers

[Kar98 0]

The problem is the switch from the Cyrillic to the Arabic alphabets.

Yes, that would be a problem...

[Kinito_2k3 5]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

It was intentional Einstein!

A helpful answer might include something about the availability of picture tests or Russian language tests in the State of Florida. Your answer was in no way helpful other than making you feel somehow superior. It involved Texas & German situations and is in no way related to Florida Statutes or law.

She won't need a translator to understand roadsigns but it is highly probable that she would have difficulty with "Which way should you turn your wheels when parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should you turn them where there is not a curb?" Now I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking she is not going to see that printed on a road sign.

Stick to what you know. Stay away from things you know nothing about.

Я не ваш друг, я не ваш товарищ, вы тщеславный свинья

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

Thank you very much. I will check with the DMV next week to see if they will allow me to be there with her.

(Now that was a helpful answer!)

Where are the tricks in those questions? I can't see any, it's plain and simple. Now, the USA has ONE official language: english. Learning it is part of the immigration process and integration effort. I am sorry but speaking english is more than mandatory when driving, the test is just an anecdote. What if she gets pulled over by the police, will she need an interpreter?

[NavarreMan 10]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

It was intentional Einstein!

A helpful answer might include something about the availability of picture tests or Russian language tests in the State of Florida. Your answer was in no way helpful other than making you feel somehow superior. It involved Texas & German situations and is in no way related to Florida Statutes or law.

She won't need a translator to understand roadsigns but it is highly probable that she would have difficulty with "Which way should you turn your wheels when parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should you turn them where there is not a curb?" Now I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking she is not going to see that printed on a road sign.

Stick to what you know. Stay away from things you know nothing about.

Я не ваш друг, я не ваш товарищ, вы тщеславный свинья

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

Thank you very much. I will check with the DMV next week to see if they will allow me to be there with her.

(Now that was a helpful answer!)

Where are the tricks in those questions? I can't see any, it's plain and simple. Now, the USA has ONE official language: english. Learning it is part of the immigration process and integration effort. I am sorry but speaking english is more than mandatory when driving, the test is just an anecdote. What if she gets pulled over by the police, will she need an interpreter?

Exactly which Florida Statute makes it mandatory to speak English while driving? She is learning English. She speaks it very well actually. But reading a DMV test is difficult for her. If she did get pulled over by the police I am sure she could communicate well enough to deal with the situation. By your standard, all foreigners who travel to America must speak English to drive. I feel certain there are millions of tourists who a fully capable of handling the task of driving without speaking the English language just as I am capable of driving in numerous countries overseas without speaking their native language.

If you insist on going down this road I encourage you and a couple of others to go and start your own thread about who should or should not have the right to posses a driver's license in America. That is not what this thread is about. It is about an immigrant who is here legally, trying to get information about alternative methods of taking the State of Florida Learners Permit Exam so I can get her on the road and teach her how to drive. This will enable her to become a more productive part of our society, and allow her more freedom to do things she needs to do without depending on me for her transportation. As a matter of fact, it will allow her to drive herself to her ESL classes. I am not alone in this endeavor. There are thousands of people like my wife who are working hard to learn the language and assimilate into our society. And there are folks like you who are eager to prevent that from happening.

Your profile does not specify where you are from but I am guessing that you too are not from Florida and therefore probably have little to offer in the way of constructive advice. Thankfully, there are states out there that recognize that not everyone in the world was born speaking English and there are legal immigrants, who, with a little consideration and help, can become productive members of our society.

[milimelo 4,210]

The problem is the switch from the Cyrillic to the Arabic alphabets.

Yes, that would be a problem...

I agree. Big problem.

[sam1 1]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

It was intentional Einstein!

A helpful answer might include something about the availability of picture tests or Russian language tests in the State of Florida. Your answer was in no way helpful other than making you feel somehow superior. It involved Texas & German situations and is in no way related to Florida Statutes or law.

She won't need a translator to understand roadsigns but it is highly probable that she would have difficulty with "Which way should you turn your wheels when parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should you turn them where there is not a curb?" Now I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking she is not going to see that printed on a road sign.

Stick to what you know. Stay away from things you know nothing about.

Я не ваш друг, я не ваш товарищ, вы тщеславный свинья

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

Thank you very much. I will check with the DMV next week to see if they will allow me to be there with her.

(Now that was a helpful answer!)

Where are the tricks in those questions? I can't see any, it's plain and simple. Now, the USA has ONE official language: english. Learning it is part of the immigration process and integration effort. I am sorry but speaking english is more than mandatory when driving, the test is just an anecdote. What if she gets pulled over by the police, will she need an interpreter?

Exactly which Florida Statute makes it mandatory to speak English while driving? She is learning English. She speaks it very well actually. But reading a DMV test is difficult for her. If she did get pulled over by the police I am sure she could communicate well enough to deal with the situation. By your standard, all foreigners who travel to America must speak English to drive. I feel certain there are millions of tourists who a fully capable of handling the task of driving without speaking the English language just as I am capable of driving in numerous countries overseas without speaking their native language.

If you insist on going down this road I encourage you and a couple of others to go and start your own thread about who should or should not have the right to posses a driver's license in America. That is not what this thread is about. It is about an immigrant who is here legally, trying to get information about alternative methods of taking the State of Florida Learners Permit Exam so I can get her on the road and teach her how to drive. This will enable her to become a more productive part of our society, and allow her more freedom to do things she needs to do without depending on me for her transportation. As a matter of fact, it will allow her to drive herself to her ESL classes. I am not alone in this endeavor. There are thousands of people like my wife who are working hard to learn the language and assimilate into our society. And there are folks like you who are eager to prevent that from happening.

Your profile does not specify where you are from but I am guessing that you too are not from Florida and therefore probably have little to offer in the way of constructive advice. Thankfully, there are states out there that recognize that not everyone in the world was born speaking English and there are legal immigrants, who, with a little consideration and help, can become productive members of our society.

I checked the Florida DMV website, and they have the handbook written both in Spanish and English. So I assume they give the test in both languages. Here where I live in North Carolina, the test is given in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and I believe in Russian too. I know it does not help you whether North Carolina let you take it in different languages or not, but it will give some people an idea that speaking English is not a requirement to drive in the US. Good Luck.

[NavarreMan 10]

I checked the Florida DMV website, and they have the handbook written both in Spanish and English. So I assume they give the test in both languages. Here where I live in North Carolina, the test is given in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and I believe in Russian too. I know it does not help you whether North Carolina let you take it in different languages or not, but it will give some people an idea that speaking English is not a requirement to drive in the US. Good Luck.

I thank you for you research on the matter. This too is good and helpful information. Washington State and California have the Drivers Manuals on-line in several languages (including Russian) to help those that qualify by status for drivers licenses. I believe this extends to the exams as well. Your efforts are appreciated.

[Kinito_2k3 5]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

It was intentional Einstein!

A helpful answer might include something about the availability of picture tests or Russian language tests in the State of Florida. Your answer was in no way helpful other than making you feel somehow superior. It involved Texas & German situations and is in no way related to Florida Statutes or law.

She won't need a translator to understand roadsigns but it is highly probable that she would have difficulty with "Which way should you turn your wheels when parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should you turn them where there is not a curb?" Now I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking she is not going to see that printed on a road sign.

Stick to what you know. Stay away from things you know nothing about.

Я не ваш друг, я не ваш товарищ, вы тщеславный свинья

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

Thank you very much. I will check with the DMV next week to see if they will allow me to be there with her.

(Now that was a helpful answer!)

Where are the tricks in those questions? I can't see any, it's plain and simple. Now, the USA has ONE official language: english. Learning it is part of the immigration process and integration effort. I am sorry but speaking english is more than mandatory when driving, the test is just an anecdote. What if she gets pulled over by the police, will she need an interpreter?

Exactly which Florida Statute makes it mandatory to speak English while driving? She is learning English. She speaks it very well actually. But reading a DMV test is difficult for her. If she did get pulled over by the police I am sure she could communicate well enough to deal with the situation. By your standard, all foreigners who travel to America must speak English to drive. I feel certain there are millions of tourists who a fully capable of handling the task of driving without speaking the English language just as I am capable of driving in numerous countries overseas without speaking their native language.

If you insist on going down this road I encourage you and a couple of others to go and start your own thread about who should or should not have the right to posses a driver's license in America. That is not what this thread is about. It is about an immigrant who is here legally, trying to get information about alternative methods of taking the State of Florida Learners Permit Exam so I can get her on the road and teach her how to drive. This will enable her to become a more productive part of our society, and allow her more freedom to do things she needs to do without depending on me for her transportation. As a matter of fact, it will allow her to drive herself to her ESL classes. I am not alone in this endeavor. There are thousands of people like my wife who are working hard to learn the language and assimilate into our society. And there are folks like you who are eager to prevent that from happening.

Your profile does not specify where you are from but I am guessing that you too are not from Florida and therefore probably have little to offer in the way of constructive advice. Thankfully, there are states out there that recognize that not everyone in the world was born speaking English and there are legal immigrants, who, with a little consideration and help, can become productive members of our society.

I am the immigrant Go brush your teeth, I don't prevent anyone from assimilating. What I know though, is that by going down this road then you create opportunities for people not willing to integrate, to be able to be part of the society but with the intention of sucking what it has to offer. Not saying that your significant other is in this case but it creates opportunities for it. That said, it might sounds harsh, but if she has to improve her reading before being able to take the test, then so be it.

[morocco4ever 63]

I suppose that all immigrants should have to study the English language for a minimum 5 years before they should be allowed to get a drivers license....#######.

[Kinito_2k3 5]

And now insults, better and better and on top of that, absolutely not my point -

Edited May 23, 2009 by Kinito_2k3

[BabyBlueSusie 1]

I really cannot believe some of the responses that the original poster got here. It's a little ridiculous.

First of all, someone said that the USA has one official language, and that is just not true. Do your research, America has NO official language, and that is the exact reason why people are allowed to take the test in many different languages. In NY, the test is offered in at least a dozen languages, and I am grateful that they do.

If the DMV didn't think it was safe for people to obtain a license by taking the test in a language other than English, then they wouldn't offer the test in those languages. Honestly, only a very basic understanding of English is required to read road signs, and other than that, there is really no safety risk at all. As long as one can read a stop sign, yield sign, and maybe like 5 or 6 other signs that actually have text on them (most just have pictures or numbers), one's language abilities are no indicator of driving ability.

I think the responses that the original poster received were ill informed and rude. I think it is especially insensitive coming from USCs that are married to immigrants, or immigrants themselves. You would think there would be a little more compassion, given that we are all in the same situation, and we all have different needs as an immigrant to a new country. There is no need to mock someone for asking a simple question.

Is it so unreasonable to think that even if one does speak English, it still might be easier for them to understand a written test in their native language? I speak Italian quite fluently, and know that I would still have trouble taking a written test in the language. I can read it just fine, but the nuances of language can sometimes get you.

[BabyBlueSusie 1]

I checked the Florida DMV website, and they have the handbook written both in Spanish and English. So I assume they give the test in both languages. Here where I live in North Carolina, the test is given in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and I believe in Russian too. I know it does not help you whether North Carolina let you take it in different languages or not, but it will give some people an idea that speaking English is not a requirement to drive in the US. Good Luck.

I thank you for you research on the matter. This too is good and helpful information. Washington State and California have the Drivers Manuals on-line in several languages (including Russian) to help those that qualify by status for drivers licenses. I believe this extends to the exams as well. Your efforts are appreciated.

In NY, they offer the test in Russian as well, but not the manuals (those are only Spanish and English).

Also, in Indiana, the test is only offered in English, but they provide interpreters for certain other languages. This is also a possibility, so you can ask them about that when you call.

[trillium13 84]

And now insults, better and better and on top of that, absolutely not my point -

Some people are not going to get your point, because it's not the answer they want to hear, and you are not 100% agreeing with them. Therefore, everything you say is wrong.

[bora bora 1]

In Florida you can only take the test in English or Spanish. I did some research when my husband was going to take his test because he didn't know English when he arrived from Brazil. The DMV allowed him to take the test with a translator (though it couldn't be me) since he couldn't take it in English yet. He did so, but didn't pass - he said he thought that the translator (our neighbor) didn't know how to translate everything very well. So for about a week my husband studied the Spanish test and then passed the computer test and driving test on the same day. I was really proud of him, especially since he speaks Portuguese, not Spanish.

Although I believe that immigrants should learn the language of the country they live in (be it in the U.S. or any other country), I don't think it is fair to expect someone to know the language before/when they arrive. My husband was not working for his first 4 months here because he didn't have his EAD - he was BORED. He was so happy when he got his DL because he gained a lot of freedom and loves to drive. That would not have been possible the first year had he not been allowed to take the test in Spanish (though not his native language).

Edited May 23, 2009 by bora bora

[NavarreMan 10]

And now insults, better and better and on top of that, absolutely not my point -

Some people are not going to get your point, because it's not the answer they want to hear, and you are not 100% agreeing with them. Therefore, everything you say is wrong.

No - you don't get the point. The answer is not right because it doesn't answer the QUESTION. Perhaps you don't read and understand English as well as you think you do. I never asked if anyone had an opinion about whether she should be able to take the test. I only asked for information if there were alternatives to how she took the test. I guess that is not the question you wanted? All other topics here are without basis and moot as they only reflect rediculous, narrow-minded opinions. Seeing as how you and your clueless SO have seen fit to hijack this thread away from its original post, expect the same. TAR's are being calibrated and it will be an interesting ride for you two.

You had the option of either staying out of this because you had no constructive information to provide or jumping in like an idiot and pronouncing your close-minded opinion and derailing the thread. You chose the latter. And in doing so you have shown that your conceit has no boundaries. Congratulations, many people, now and in the future could have benefited from good, insightful and helpful information to this issue. Perhaps you need to go back and research the history of why this sight was created.

Now do you get the point?

[NavarreMan 10]

I checked the Florida DMV website, and they have the handbook written both in Spanish and English. So I assume they give the test in both languages. Here where I live in North Carolina, the test is given in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and I believe in Russian too. I know it does not help you whether North Carolina let you take it in different languages or not, but it will give some people an idea that speaking English is not a requirement to drive in the US. Good Luck.

I thank you for you research on the matter. This too is good and helpful information. Washington State and California have the Drivers Manuals on-line in several languages (including Russian) to help those that qualify by status for drivers licenses. I believe this extends to the exams as well. Your efforts are appreciated.

In NY, they offer the test in Russian as well, but not the manuals (those are only Spanish and English).

Also, in Indiana, the test is only offered in English, but they provide interpreters for certain other languages. This is also a possibility, so you can ask them about that when you call.

Thanks, I printed out the manual from Washington State in both English and Russian so she can study from both. I figured they would be significantly the same with mostly differences in DUI and insurance laws. She's slugging away at it but it is giving her a tough time.