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[clhw AT InfoAve.Net (clhw)]

Why did they have to fight for it?
In South Carolina, as long as they can pass the tests. including a sign
recognition one, they can get a driver's license, whether or not they know
English. They can have a translator present. Instruction books in many
languages exist in several states. I helped about 4 former Soviets whose
English was limited study a Massachusetts instruction book written in
Russian and compare it to the South Carolina one. They passed the written
English tests (except one of them for whom I translated) on the machines
rather than a live tester. They could take their time. They had to
understand what the road examiner said to pass. Most of them had drivers'
licenses in the former Soviet Union, which are much more strict than
anything in the US.

One Khmer/Cambodian refugee here explained the Deer Warning sign:
"Littl aneemal come boom,boom, boom (with bouncing hands) SLOOOOO DOWN!"
I thought it was a very accurate understanding and he had seen deer on our
property, but the examiner did not pass him. He got his license on the
second attempt.

There are many people in our area who were born here, somewhat educated
here in government schools, and cannot read English. They are still able to
have oral testing.

The unique thing about the device Tvoivozhd posted about was that the
Oriental languages are very tonal, where most of the Occidental languages
are not. Such devices have existed for several years for Spanish, German
and French, for example, but not Oriental ones.
Lynn


>----- Original Message -----
>From: Tvoivozhd<mailto:tvoivozd AT infionline.net>
>
>> Not understanding of course, just  translation---you still better
>>understand foreign customs, and this won't read street signs.
>> *Device translates spoken Japanese and English*
>
>I wish I could remember where I read (or filed)
>an article from Boston, I think it was, where a
>driver who could not read English *successfully*
>fought for and got a driver's license ...