English Required?

[Peng Fei 25]

I'm an American citizen and my fiancée is Chinese. We've applied for the K1 visa and she will be having her interview in a couple of weeks. We only speak Chinese as she doesn't know any English , I heard this wasn't a problem but could it be a problem for the interview considering we're not the same race ? 

Edited August 8, 2019 by Peng Fei

[Crazy Cat 39,212]

Normally, interviewees are given the option of either English or his/her local language.............it won't be an issue since you both communicate using a common language.......

[jeanieCZ 228]

How about the AOS stage? I suppose the interview is conducted in English?

[Crazy Cat 39,212]

Just now, jeaniecz said:

How about the AOS stage? I suppose the interview is conducted in English?

In English, since it will be conducted at a local USCIS office.........you can normally take a translator.

[jeanieCZ 228]

1 minute ago, missileman said:

In English, since it will be conducted at a local USCIS office.........you can normally take a translator.

I kinda wonder what's the point of having LPRs who don't speak the local language (I mean no offence to anybody!). 

[Peng Fei 25]

2 minutes ago, jeaniecz said:

I kinda wonder what's the point of having LPRs who don't speak the local language (I mean no offence to anybody!). 

Because when we began dating language wasn't a barrier. It was much easier for us to conduct our life in Chinese. We initially didn't have plans to have our life in the US but things change. She can't speak English yeah it's a minor inconvenience, but in the same way I learned Chinese while being in China, she will learn English while being in the US. 

[aaron2020 11,651]

10 minutes ago, jeaniecz said:

I kinda wonder what's the point of having LPRs who don't speak the local language (I mean no offence to anybody!). 

Lots of LPRs don't speak the local language in the US which is English.  This is why they are allowed to bring a translator to their AOS interview.  Speaking English is not a requirement to immigrate to the US.  

Edited August 8, 2019 by aaron2020

[nosleep 130]

12 minutes ago, jeaniecz said:

I kinda wonder what's the point of having LPRs who don't speak the local language (I mean no offence to anybody!). 

No offence taken, but I think there will always be immigrants who won't learn the language and will remain in their own social circles, but I believe there are also many who try very hard to adapt.

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

1 minute ago, nosleep said:

No offence taken, but I think there will always be immigrants who won't learn the language and will remain in their own social circles, but I believe there are also many who try very hard to adapt.

My wife is one of those people who have tried very very hard to adapt and perfect her English. When we moved to our new house our neighbor was surprised to learn that my wife is from the Philippines because "you don't have a accent at al", which my wife was very happy about. 

 

But it goes without saying that if you move to a country then you should at least learn the basic language of the land in order to converse with different people. I know I have lived in several countries and have picked up the local languages in order to help smooth the transition. So now I know a smattering of Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog, and Cebuano. 

[jeanieCZ 228]

Ok, I see I might have caused some offence while that was not the intention at all. 

 

English is not my first language, more like my third actually, and is far from perfect, I definitely speak with an accent that immediately reveals my Slavic origin. My wife-to-be was born in the Philippines and speaks flawless, accentless American English which I am jealous of! 😜

 

But it looks like that my initial response to this topic launched an off-topic discussion, which I didn't intend, so please ignore what I said.

[Thunderbolt 162]

5 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

My wife is one of those people who have tried very very hard to adapt and perfect her English. When we moved to our new house our neighbor was surprised to learn that my wife is from the Philippines because "you don't have a accent at al", which my wife was very happy about. 

 

But it goes without saying that if you move to a country then you should at least learn the basic language of the land in order to converse with different people. I know I have lived in several countries and have picked up the local languages in order to help smooth the transition. So now I know a smattering of Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog, and Cebuano. 

Same for me :) I'm all over the map with my 'local' languages. Arabic, German, Spanish, Russian, Thai. And of course English is my second language :)

When I met my now wife, her English was so so. After dating and talking every day for 3 years she got better. Now she's been living in US for 6 months and her English is excellent.

I can't imagine her not speaking English. In that case I would have to quit my job and do everything for her.

To the OP. It's better if your wife will start learning English while still in China. At least the basics. It will be much easier for her to later learn when she comes to US.

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

1 minute ago, Thunderbolt said:

Same for me I'm all over the map with my 'local' languages. Arabic, German, Spanish, Russian, Thai. And of course English is my second language

When I met my now wife, her English was so so. After dating and talking every day for 3 years she got better. Now she's been living in US for 6 months and her English is excellent.

I can't imagine her not speaking English. In that case I would have to quit my job and do everything for her.

To the OP. It's better if your wife will start learning English while still in China. At least the basics. It will be much easier for her to later learn when she comes to US.

Same here as well. When we first met her English was so so at best but what really got her was sarcasm and accents. When she first came to the USA she could not understand my father at all due to his strong accent. But eventually she grew to understand it and by the time he passed away they were the best of friends. She is not a native English speaker at all it is I think number 3 or 4 in the list of languages of fluency when we first met.

 

Learning English would greatly help in order to get around. 

[Hank_ 9,172]

9 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Same here as well. When we first met her English was so so at best but what really got her was sarcasm and accents. When she first came to the USA she could not understand my father at all due to his strong accent. But eventually she grew to understand it and by the time he passed away they were the best of friends. She is not a native English speaker at all it is I think number 3 or 4 in the list of languages of fluency when we first met.

 

Learning English would greatly help in order to get around. 

 

Since 1974 English has been taught in schools from grade 1 in the Philippines. 

 

Now a days many of the private schools not only teach in English but require English be spoken on campus at all times.    Our oldest nephew started to forget some Tagalog words because of speaking English continually.

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

17 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

Since 1974 English has been taught in schools from grade 1 in the Philippines. 

Now a days many of the private schools not only teach in English but require English be spoken on campus at all times.    Our oldest nephew started to forget some Tagalog words because of speaking English continually.

But yet the English proficiency in the Philippines is actually going down. Not to mention a fair amount of people I know can read it but can not converse in it that much. 

[Hank_ 9,172]

8 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

But yet the English proficiency in the Philippines is actually going down. Not to mention a fair amount of people I know can read it but can not converse in it that much. 

Find that hard to believe being English is taught in school ..  I know with my nephews as each started school it wasn't long after that they were talking to me in English and not Tagalog.      I can see where many older people would not speak English, I have a couple aunts that don't.

 

But for the most part only ones that have issue with speaking English are those that don't use it .. you know the saying - Use it or Lose it.