Speaking English

A question that has been going through my mind in the past few days has to do with speaking English. This question has a couple different branches that I wish I could answer or receive an answer.

The first question is in regards to speaking English properly, in this I am talking about people born in this country who speak English as a first language. I work in a hospital, where most of the people employed there are professionals of one sort or another. In a professional environment, being able to speak proper English is necessary. Now, as I work in Georgia, most of the people I come in contact with have a deep Southern accent, but most people still speak properly. Yes, people have Southern ways of saying things and local colloquialisms, but this isn't my concern. When I worked in St. Louis, in the Midwest, there was local accents there as well as local colloquialisms, and again this isn't a problem. My biggest concern is the fact that so many people do not have a good grasp of proper English. Not only is this skill required for a professional, the lack of this skill makes people sound uneducated, lazy, and lacking respect.

The second question is in regards to people who move to this country who have spoken another language as their first language. I have no problems with people immigrating to the U.S. (legally) however, I do have a problem with people who choose to move here, live here, and work here, yet do not make any attempt to learn English. I understand that learning a second language takes time and effort, yet basic, conversational English should be relatively easy. I had a girlfriend who went to Spain as an exchange student for a summer, and she said it was VERY EASY to pick up a language if you were saturated in it, day in and day out. I would imagine the reverse would be true as well, and have had this confirmed by people I have talked to from other countries. I am not talking about fluency, just conversational.

If anyone can give me insight or opinions, please post and let me know.