Do you find it rude - when people are talking in a different language infront of you?

bledd · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:33

not at all

Raymond Lin · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:34

I've done it.

SB118 · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:34

Bill101 said:
The funniest thing is that when I walk into a room the two Ukrainians stop speaking English and start whispering in their own language!!!!

They're talking about you, not to you

Weebull · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:36

The two Dutch guys at my place occasionally crack into their language to share a joke or something with each other. It doesn't bother me, since they don't do it all the time, and they talk to us just as much as each other.

Plus, it means one of them isn't shouting in English for a bit less of the day.

yak.h'cir · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:40

It would be rude if they were doing it to talk about you, otherwise not at all!

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:43

At alton towers the indians (and the like) talk english then make noises at either other when they dont want us to hear what they are saying. At loughborough tesco you see 2year old children and they speak chinese but not english....how on earth do they expect to get on well in schools?!

Weebull · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:45

Not to sidetrack, but at only 2 years old, I think they have plenty of time to get to grips with the English language, if they haven't already, which, being born here, I imagine they have.

misterPK · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:47

I'm thinking about taking an evening course in Polish, and not just so i can eavesdrop on my neighbours. I figure that with the influx of migrant workers it'll look good on my CV and be usefull should i need to talk to the yard staff.

Plus there are some pretty attractive Polish girls out there...

PK!

Greenlizard0 · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:55

No I don't find it rude at all. Plenty of my English friends start speaking French or whatever language they can mutter out, whenever they meet people of other nations. It's a good way to help bolster each others' skills.

Inquisitor · 2 Jul 2008 at 11:57

mglover070588 said:
At alton towers the indians (and the like) talk english then make noises at either other when they dont want us to hear what they are saying. At loughborough tesco you see 2year old children and they speak chinese but not english....how on earth do they expect to get on well in schools?!

Nothing wrong with that. Early childhood is the best time to learn a new language and there's nothing better than learning it by being surrounded by those who speak it

mike5678 · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:03

In many London boroughs you will struggle to find someone that speaks a word of English.

Crimefighter · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:11

If you know the people its defintely rude.

Only exception being if one is trying to make a point to another, and doesnt know English well enough to make it.

Steve2000 · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:11

I don't find it offensive at all. I find it annoying though when two foreign people talk about me right infront of me in Punjabi. It's rather discourteous, but still, not enough to offend me.

DampCat · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:16

Slinwagh said:
Yes, when in England you should speak English, if you can't speak the native tongue you should learn too.

Like we do when the thousands of us move to spain each year to open English restaraunts with full english breakfasts and roast dinners?

No, i wouldnt find it rude. There are more languages than just English in the world.

funkeh · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:19

Lol at this thread, 99% of the brits that live around here cant/wont even try to speak french, they all sit in an English huddle usually, makes me wonder why they bothered moving here tbh.

wordy · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:24

DampCat said:
Like we do when the thousands of us move to spain each year to open English restaraunts with full english breakfasts and roast dinners?

Well thats rude aswell, you go to live somewhere, you make the effort to fit in/learn the language etc. Being English isn't an excuse.

My opinion is if you move to another country you should want to embrace it's culture, live there for what the country is, not how much money you can make from it.

Col_M · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:32

I have this every day in my office there is me and two Czech girls (well one is Slovak to be exact), they always speak in Czech and I don't really mind. I'm in their country after all so I just have to put up with it really

My gf also talks on the phone/skype to her mum in Russian too. The only time it irritates me is when we go out to a bar with her friend who is also Russian and they talk in Russian all the time, then I'm told off for being quiet and not joining in

It has improved my nag-reflex though, my ability to ignore women talking is at an advanced level, an excellent preparation for marriage

wordy · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:39

funkeh said:
Lol at this thread, 99% of the brits that live around here cant/wont even try to speak french, they all sit in an English huddle usually, makes me wonder why they bothered moving here tbh.

That would get my back up too, I'd give my left nut to live the south of France, especially palces like where you are and St Paul Du Vence etc

Kemik · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:39

Yes. I've had it at Uni where I've been talking to two Chinese students and they suddenly start talking to each other in Chinese right in front of me. For all I know, they could be insulting me.

jas72 · 2 Jul 2008 at 12:40

Virdi said:
Hi,

Say for example - Two people or even two of your friends / colleagues are talking in French infront of you, and you obviously don't understand French.

Would you find that rude?

Could be French - Could be any other language....

I work in the EU I'd be offended all the time hehe.