Koreans learning Spanish in L.A.

The L.A.Daily News reports that the English language could be on the way out in Los Angeles:

A Korean immigrant - by way of Argentina - Martin Paik writes a column, "Hola Amigo," in the Korea Times that provides conversational Spanish lessons in Korean. He doesn't speak English and finds little reason to, living in Los Angeles.

"In California, Spanish is more important than English," said Paik, a Seoul native. "I haven't found any inconvenience because I don't speak English. ... I don't need to speak English. If you can speak Spanish, you can drive, employers can have clients, you can order in restaurants, you can do anything."

Paik receives his credit card bills in Spanish and orders his office supplies in Korean. He teaches Spanish in Korean at a school he runs in a largely Latino neighborhood near Koreatown.

Most of the 200 students at Martin Spanish School speak little or no English. The only hint of English in the instruction books - which he wrote himself - are on the cover page.

You wonder how is it that someone can become a U.S. citizen without speaking English?