Does it bother you when foreigners don't speak English in front of you? (SORRY, DOUBL

[Laura]

As many posters have mentioned, it is VERY rude for people to exclude others from the conversation by speaking another language unnecessarily. I've also been in a situation where two people were speaking Spanish (Spanish is not their primary language, English is) just to show off to others and be secretive. It is like having two people in the room whispering to each other. Very rude.


Wait a minute... I just noticed this thread is from April!

 

[phamton]

This enables them to not HAVE to learn English (which, last I checked was the official language here).

As I said before, if I moved to another place where a different language was spoken as the "official" language, you can bet I'd learn it and not expect everyone to accomodate me.

Just an FYI, English is not the official language of the USA. We don't have an "official" language.

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html
http://ask.yahoo.com/20011107.html

 

[auntpolly]

So, you're in Italy, and you jump on the bus -- it's you, the bus driver and another passanger. The bus driver decides to practice his English on you. You're being rude to the other passanger then.

 

[dmfuru]

I think the employees in the nail shop were rude. They are in a business where they are providing a service to you and on you. Their attention should be on you and only you. I'm not saying that they have to make polite conversation with you. I just don't want them to be destracted and hurt me or cut my nails the wrong way. Also, it's nice to have some peace and quiet while you get a manicure or pedicure as it's suppose to be a relaxing type of thing.

 

[aprilgail2]

It totally ticks me off!! I am annoyed that this year all the posters are school and flyes are printed in English and SPANISH!! Let them learn to speak and read English if they want to live here!! There are kids in the school who have familes that only speak Polish..why aren't the posters and such in Polish or Chinese ect....why is it that the Spanish people get preferred treatment?????

 

[Goofyzgurl]

Does it bother me? Nope. I go to a nail shop where vietnamese is their primary language and yes, they talk and laugh, so what, I'm paying them to do my nails, they don't have to talk to me. Are they talking about my feet...maybe..they have been a little crusty lately because I like to walk outside without shoes...but I don't care. Just as long as they're doing my feet/nails...or driving the cab, I don't care what they're saying. There are worse things to worry about...they can talk about me to my face in another language or they can talk about me behind my back in english, it really doesn't matter to me. Just as long as people do what I'm paying them to do.

 

[magicmouse2]

Yes - I was brought up in a multi racial family and only spoke English. I had severe problems because of this..

 

[Disney Doll]

First of all, if oyu are living and working in this country, you need to learn English.

Second of all, if you are in the company of someone who does not understand another language that you speak, it is rude to speak that language to a 3rd party, thus leaving one party out of the conversation.

I had a friend when I was growing up whose mother would do this...speak to my friend in Austrian while I was standing there. I would do one of two things...I'd either keep interrupting their conversation every 15 seconds by asking "What did you say? What does that mean?" or I'd say "It is rude of you to speak in a foreign language to each other while I am standing here, so I am leaving now". Then I'd leave. Believe me, either approach makes your point.

 

[phamton]

...speak to my friend in Austrian

Do you mean German?

 

[auntpolly]

I hope you all remember these rules of etiquette when you are in countries in which English is not the native language!

 

[aprilgail2]

I hope you all remember these rules of etiquette when you are in countries in which English is not the native language!

Well if I LIVED in a country where they did not speak English I would sure as heck learn their language!!!
It is rude for them to come and live here and not learn our language!!

 

[chyam]

It bothers the hell out of me! I not only work with alot of people who speak Spanish, but also Bosnian. I think it is rude rude rude! It's one thing if they are sitting at a break table amongst themselves, but something entirely different when they speaking it with myself in between. Quite frankly I feel that they wanted to come to this country then they should speak the language, I don't think we should spend millions of dollars teaching them in their native tongue in "our" schools either. Send them to english class and then drop it. I just feel everyone wants the benefits of the United States but does not want to be part of this country. I know it sounds harsh but I know if I wanted to move to another country I would take the time to learn their language. I had two Bosnian women holding a conversation with me in between them the other day, it made me so mad I told them that they were RUDE, no one knows if they are talking about you or blowing up the building! It was getting so bad in our building that the head of one dept. told (mostly Spanish) people that he would not tolerate it in the work place, it was ok on their breaks but not in the dept.....don't know if that was legal or not, but quite frankly I think he felt that they got hired speaking English they should speak it.

 

[Mrs.D]

How on earth could you possibly tell the difference?

You can tell the difference because tourists are usually not working.

It's rude when coworkers converse with each other in English and ignore their customer. Just as rude, if not ruder, when done in a foreign language because then there is that feeling that they might be talking about you.

 

[auntpolly]

Well if I LIVED in a country where they did not speak English I would sure as heck learn their language!!!
It is rude for them to come and live here and not learn our language!!

The situation in the cab - we don't know where the lady lived, do we? And the nail girls, I'm sure they speak English, but it might be difficult. I don't know if any of you know how stressful it is to speak a language that is not your native language all day long. I do. I go to Italy for long periods of time. I love the language, but it is exhausting!

 

[Sleepy]

A lot or people do speak English in Europe, but some not very well. I've been learning Italian, and I think I've gotten pretty good, but you can bet that if I've been speaking it all day, I am exhausted from it, and it I ran into someone to speak English to awhile, it would be a lovely break. That's probably what it is in the OP -- people for whom English is not their native language, and just are relieved for the chance to speak freely for awhile. That's nice ! You should be happy for them.

These words are so true. I live it everyday. I will never think bad thoughts about a person in America speaking a language other than English. Living here has taught me this. They just want the ability to speak their own language. If they have something to say to you, they will speak English if that is your language. Otherwise, I view it as inability to listen in on another's conversation....which is rude too.

 

[Talking Hands]

No it doesn't bother me. It can be funny at times when they don't realize that I understand what they are saying as I am multilingual. I had a girl call her Mom and complain that I was stealing the room cards from the hotel in Spanish when she had no idea I understood. I just waited and then informed that the hotel had given them back to me to give everyone as a souvenir. Boy was she shocked. We had carpooled to a conference together. Never again.
People tend to speak Spanish, Creole and English around here, so I am really used to hearing other languages being spoken.

 

[Free4Life11]

Yes!!!! I used to work at a daycamp during the summer and even the directors were getting mad at these three Middle-Eastern girls who always had conversations in the morning with us all the room! They would laugh and I thought it was really rude because I was convinced they were talking smack about me. They finally made a rule though, english only.

 

[Free4Life11]

Quite frankly I feel that they wanted to come to this country then they should speak the language, I don't think we should spend millions of dollars teaching them in their native tongue in "our" schools either. Send them to english class and then drop it.

ITA!!!!

I worked in summer school once in a first grade bilingual class. Half the kids did not know the ABC's! All our materials were in english and the teacher herself, who was a Mexican immigrant, said a lot the kids do poorly beacuse the parents wont learn English. It made her so mad and considering she herself immigrated and learned the language she had every right ot be mad. Every note that we went home with the kids had to be translated into Spanish...we tried doing them in English but some of the kids would just forge their parents signature on the notes!

I did it a few years later and recognized many of the kids from first grade bilingual (now in third/fourth grade) and the they all had trouble reading, writing, etc. I am so against bilingual education. Learning a language at a young age is the best thing to do anyways!

 

[PixieDust32]

 

[ibouncetoo]

In the OP's taxi cab sceanerio, yes, I think that was rude for the two of them to exclude her. In the nail salon, however, I don't think so. When I'm getting my nails done there are often several conversations going on around me and I don't assume I'm included in any of them unless someone speaks directly to me, so two employees chatting in their language doesn't bother me. I just recalled a time however when the lady doing my pedicure spent the entire time talking on the PHONE (headset) and that really bothered me for some reason (no matter what language she was using).

Once at the office I walked by a couple of coworkers on their break who were speaking Spanish and laughing wildly. I told them not to be so sure their conversation was private. When they asked if I spoke Spanish, I said yes and proceeded to rattle off every 1st year Spanish class phrase, bits of song lyrics, touris phrases (check please, where's the bathroom) that I could think of. But I had them rolling on the floor when I went into the Disney monorail spiel!