Domino's Pizza store tells staff 'speak English'

Craterloads said:
Do people get offended when someone speaks another language around them?
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It's depends:

If it's a deliberate exclusion then it's somewhat rude. More so than, for example, overtly ignoring you in order to dismiss you as unworthy of their attention.

If it's a language they're more comfortable with and they're visiting, no problem. For example, a little while ago I had a couple of German people who were visiting England ask me for some local information. One of them spoke English well, the other didn't. We got chatting about various things and they sometimes spoke German with each other. It was almost always the one who wasn't fluent in English who started, so they were probably asking the other how to say something in English, but it was probably sometimes just because German was their native language so they'd speak it by default. No problem - they were visiting. It was polite of them to speak English at all.

If someone is temporarily resident in a country, then it's polite (and usually very useful) to use their language but I wouldn't be offended by people not doing so. Learning a foreign language is usually a difficult thing to do.

If someone is living permanently in a country, then they should use that country's language (or one of them if it has more than one) as their native language. I am offended if they don't. You take your language to a foreign country if you're conquering it. You take its language(s) to you if you're emigrating to it. It's an important distinction.
 
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Craterloads said:
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Surely during work there are occasions that are not taking part in a team or team work, for example dominos. If people have skills greater than yours does that mean they are not fitting in? Should people with higher IQs be forced to dumb down, or not use big words you don't understand?
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It's certainly useful. I do exactly that at work because I think it would be rude to speak in a way that my coworkers wouldn't understand or wouldn't be comfortable with. It's not about IQ (which I think isn't a good measurement of intelligence anyway). It's just that I've read a great deal more than they have (often just a function of time, since I'm a lot older than most of them) and I had some advantages in education. I try to adjust my vocabulary to fit in with whoever is around at the time.
 
Angilion said:
It's certainly useful. I do exactly that at work because I think it would be rude to speak in a way that my coworkers wouldn't understand or wouldn't be comfortable with. It's not about IQ (which I think isn't a good measurement of intelligence anyway). It's just that I've read a great deal more than they have (often just a function of time, since I'm a lot older than most of them) and I had some advantages in education. I try to adjust my vocabulary to fit in with whoever is around at the time.
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It's unfortunate you feel compelled to change yourself so you can fit in / be accepted by others. Personally I'm a believer of being yourself, believing in yourself and not worrying what others think of you.
 
Angilion said:
It's depends:

If it's a deliberate exclusion then it's somewhat rude. More so than, for example, overtly ignoring you in order to dismiss you as unworthy of their attention.
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These are overtly negative things, I'm sure most people have better things to do than purposely annoy you and is most like paranoia, self consciousness and insecurity. There are many non sinister reasons why someone may wish to speak another language from time to time.

If someone is living permanently in a country, then they should use that country's language (or one of them if it has more than one) as their native language. I am offended if they don't. You take your language to a foreign country if you're conquering it. You take its language(s) to you if you're emigrating to it. It's an important distinction.
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Take what where and conquer what? who is talking about emigrating? There are plenty of people who are from this country yet can speak other languages with English being their native tongue. Just because someone is incapable of doing something doesn't mean you shouldn't in case you offend them. I've never not not walked in front of a paralysed person.

I'm sure most people attitudes on this forum is they don't have time for people being offended for the sake of being offended.

Edit: It is enlightening seeing others perspectives on the matter though and how everyone differs.
 
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Conscript said:
This thread is a bit of an eye opener.

Cant believe some of the comments in here, basically suggesting that speaking in any language other than English should be prohihited.
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Should defiantly be prohibited in public. Disgusts me here people talking in other languages when there in public areas. It's the height of ignorance. Simple as that.
 
Haggisman said:
Call me old-fashioned, but surely anyone moving to a country with the intention of living and working there should ensure they are fluent enough to speak the local language without difficulty?
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This is the hilarious irony of multi-cultural Britain. :D

I would say that in my many years experience of being an expat, around 90-95% of English, American, Australians (insert native speaking English country here) have zero, and I mean zero (other than perhaps long-forgotten French or German lessons at school), knowledge of the local language when they go to another country to work. This is because, invariably, the secondary or unifying language of the company is. English.

Let us not forget that in world standards we are truly, truly linguistically blessed for being born in England, and we take our language for granted despite going everywhere around the world and largely expecting others to speak it.

However I do fully accept that England and it's native inhabitants are proportionally very low on multi-lingual people (there's no drive for us to learn other languages because we already have the jackpot), so I personally do think that anyone living and working in England SHOULD speak English.

I was just pointing out the irony of your statement. :D

android guy said:
Should defiantly be prohibited in public. Disgusts me here people talking in other languages when there in public areas. It's the height of ignorance. Simple as that.
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You poor, poor little ignorant man. Most immigrants can probably spell better than you, too. :(
 
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android guy said:
They are in UK - Speak English - Which part of speak English don't you understand?
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I understand what you're saying. What I'm asking is how you can seriously be offended by people not speaking English in public? Why is there a correlation between the country you are in and the language you speak?

If people want to speak to each other in another language whilst they are here, that's their right. What business is it of ignorant bigots like you? They aren't talking to you (although if they needed to, I'm sure they would be able to in the home language - a courtesy I reckon most English people wouldn't be able to replicate if they were abroad in a similar situation).

If you are so sensitive that the very act of hearing a foreign language whilst in your own country offends you, buy some earplugs, don't try and enforce your small minded views on everyone else.
 
android guy said:
They are in UK - Speak English
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How exactly is it affecting you? they're talking to each other - what does it even have to do with you? what if they are using sign language (BSL or not) - you going to have the same stance then? also, where does this end? people can be speaking in English but about something that you don't understand, should they be made to be kept quiet to or are you mainly focused on the foreign types?
 
Freefaller said:
Guys... it's my fault, I speak "foreign" regularly out and about on the street!! :eek: :(

Sorry.
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I normally don't, but do quite feel like finding android guy and doing it just to spite him.

I don't think i've ever used this word on these forums before, but i'm calling troll (on android guy. Not Freefaller. Freefaller is awesome).
 
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