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LOOK: Twitter Bot Corrects Grammar For Outraged English Advocates

Updated November 26, 2012 at 7:38 AM

If you want to force people to speak English, perhaps you should learn the language first.

A Twitter feed drew attention over the holiday weekend for turning the tables on outraged nativists who don’t like hearing people speak foreign languages in English-speaking countries.

Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski pointed in a Nov. 23 tweet that a flood of users were telling foreign language speakers “your in America, speak English.”

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It didn’t take long for a bot bearing the image of Captain America to appear with the mission of correcting the English advocates' grammar.

It's "you're." As in, you're embarrassing yourself. RT @paigeparr: your in america...speak english.
— Your in America Bot (@YourInAmerica) November 26, 2012

Twitter wasn’t the only social networking site that saw an explosion of anti-foreign-language activity. American Strong, a patriotic website that sells clothing, posted an image on Nov. 18 of a jacket reading “I will not be forced to learn a foreign language to accommodate illegals in my country.”

Of course, no one is forcing the wearer of the jacket to learn a foreign language -- but that didn’t stop it from going viral, with over 165,000 likes by Monday.

Latino Rebels responded:

You guys still feeling a bit stung by the 2012 vote? Here's a quick reminder: the more you accept the fact that this country is changing and that (gasp) the vast majority of Americans love this country, too, the better we can heal. But if you want to just express your hate with viral Facebook memes that make you feel superior, go crazy. We promise that when the United States gets more diverse, we will still make room for you at the table. We will need the diversion.

Stand out in a competitive job market

<p>   <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">A rising number of employers prefer individuals who can speak Spanish fluently. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'ＭＳ明朝'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">A 2013 survey of high level managers and executives conducted by <a href="http://www.strategy-business.com/advertorial/Rosetta-Stone-Language-Means-Business?gko=126ea">Strategy + Business </a>found that 96 percent of respondents “</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; background: white; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">thought language skills are either “very important” or “somewhat important” for professional success in the current business environment.” </span>    </p> <p> </p>  <p> </p> — A rising number of employers prefer individuals who can speak Spanish fluently. A 2013 survey of high level managers and executives conducted by Strategy + Business found that 96 percent of respondents “thought language skills are either “very important” or “somewhat important” for professional success in the current business environment.”

Expand your horizons

<p>With 329 million native speakers, <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=size">according to Ethnologue</a>, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world after English. Get to know your hemispheric neighbors in Latin America, and fake your with through Portuguese in Brazil with your new language skills. </p> — With 329 million native speakers, according to Ethnologue, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world after English. Get to know your hemispheric neighbors in Latin America, and fake your with through Portuguese in Brazil with your new language skills.

Do your job better

<p>Doctors, lawyers and social workers work with diverse individuals and families day in and day out, many of whom may speak Spanish. According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf">U.S. census</a>, 12.9 percent of Americans speak Spanish at home. </p> — Doctors, lawyers and social workers work with diverse individuals and families day in and day out, many of whom may speak Spanish. According to the U.S. census, 12.9 percent of Americans speak Spanish at home.

Communicate with your children

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">By 2050, the U.S. will be the <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2011/02/us-will-be-biggest-spanish-speaking-country-by-2050-says-scholar.php">largest Spanish speaking country</a>, according to the</span> Association of Spanish Language Academies. That means that if if you have children in the next decade or so, they will likely speak the language or at least have friends who speak Spanish. Now, wouldn't you like to understand what your children and their friends are saying to one another when they're not speaking English? </p> — By 2050, the U.S. will be the largest Spanish speaking country, according to the Association of Spanish Language Academies. That means that if if you have children in the next decade or so, they will likely speak the language or at least have friends who speak Spanish. Now, wouldn't you like to understand what your children and their friends are saying to one another when they're not speaking English?

Work abroad

<p>   <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'ＭＳ明朝'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">If working abroad or traveling for work is one of your career goals, learning how to speak Spanish fluently will help you get there. In an increasingly global market, being bilingual will help you speak with international clients, negotiate business deals abroad, and collaborate with experts across the globe.  </span>    </p> — If working abroad or traveling for work is one of your career goals, learning how to speak Spanish fluently will help you get there. In an increasingly global market, being bilingual will help you speak with international clients, negotiate business deals abroad, and collaborate with experts across the globe.

Improve your cognitive skills

<p>Not only does learning a second language improve your brain, but it helps your mind stay sharp longer. That's right -- several <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=0">studies</a> show that speaking being bilingual improves cognitive skills unrelated to language.</p> — Not only does learning a second language improve your brain, but it helps your mind stay sharp longer. That's right -- several studies show that speaking being bilingual improves cognitive skills unrelated to language.

Keep your brain young and healthy

<p><span style="color: #474747; font-family: Cambria, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 26px; background-color: #ffffff;">Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium recently </span><a style="color: #2467a8; text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.12s; transition-duration: 0.12s; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease-out; transition-timing-function: ease-out; font-family: Cambria, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 26px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://users.ugent.be/~wduyck/articles/WoumansSantensSiebenVersijptStevensDuyckInPress.pdf" target="_blank">published a study</a><span style="color: #474747; font-family: Cambria, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 26px; background-color: #ffffff;"> that added to the growing evidence that bilingualism can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and it "contributes to cognitive reserve and postpones the symptoms of dementia."</span></p> — Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium recently published a study that added to the growing evidence that bilingualism can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and it "contributes to cognitive reserve and postpones the symptoms of dementia."

Become a more independent person

<p>Ever find yourself in downtown Laredo, Texas or somewhere in Miami without an English speaker in sight? Learning to speak Spanish will help take care of that problem. </p> — Ever find yourself in downtown Laredo, Texas or somewhere in Miami without an English speaker in sight? Learning to speak Spanish will help take care of that problem.

Make new friends

<p>    </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Latinos are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Though English may be the country’s most commonly spoken language, many Latinos in the U.S. come from Spanish-speaking households. Learning Spanish may help you get to know your neighbors and make new friends.</p> — Latinos are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Though English may be the country’s most commonly spoken language, many Latinos in the U.S. come from Spanish-speaking households. Learning Spanish may help you get to know your neighbors and make new friends.

Improve your English

<p>    </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Learning the Spanish can help boost your vocabulary by familiarizing you with English words that have Latin roots.</p> — Learning the Spanish can help boost your vocabulary by familiarizing you with English words that have Latin roots.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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