The Way It Should Be!
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New immigrants should be required to meet a minimum standard of English.
I'd come prepared with a few phrases I had taken care to learn, and a handy phrasebook.
Would you be ok having those same standards applied to brits who choose to travel abroad?
Do you have any idea how many brits are currently traveling and teaching english in asia right now? Do you know how many of them bother to even learn the most BASIC level of their hosts language?
Brits abroad almost never bother to learn the languages and yet foreigners all over the world bend over backwards to accommodate us...They try to help us with their few words of english.
God forbid someone take a few extra minutes in the post office...
Absolutely. I think that would be a fantastic idea. It would certainly help to improve the reputation of Brits overseas. (I'm Australian, by the way).
When my wife and I went to Turkey a few years ago, we took care to learn a few words as best we could. When we arrived, we found that everyone insisted on speaking to us in English anyway, but we still used what we'd learned whenever the opportunity arose.
People always appreciate it when they can see that you've made an effort to pick up some of their language; I think you'll find that most cultures consider it a mark of respect.
Oooh, thousands, probably.
No, but I can guess that it's not many. My little sister spent a few years in Japan as an ESL teacher, and she worked hard to learn Japanese. She became quite fluent in it, too. Her colleagues and students were absolutely delighted. That's the way to do it. You don't just rock up to another country and start barking at them in your native tongue.
Yes, because they've sensibly learned that English is now an international language, and you'll need to know it if you have any hope of dealing with the rest of the English speaking world, which is where most of the money can be found.
Just as French was once the language of diplomacy, so English has become the lingua franca of commerce, industry, science, diplomacy and technology. This has been tremendously beneficial to countries in which English is not the native language, because it enables them to communicate with each other in a common tongue. That is precisely why so many nations now teach English as a compulsory language in their primary and secondary schools.
It's not merely about taking a few extra minutes in the post office. It's about making some sort of effort to integrate with the country which you are seeking to make your new home.
If you think it's rude that Brits don't bother to learn the native language when they go abroad for their holidays, how can you not consider it rude when foreigners come here to live and don't bother to speak English?
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Caporegime
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Nottingham is only a hours drive for me. I need to buy this guy a pint 
When I go on holiday I always try to learn a basic grasp of the language, if not fully conversant then at least few catch all phrases. So if those buggers are coming over here to live then the least they can do is attempt to speak the bloody language.
What really irks me is that in certain 'enclaves' in this Country you can walk around and not hear a word of English spoken. Why they're coming here to live if they're not trying to integrate is beyond me. In my opinion, it just draws more suspicion there way, which in turn gives them more to moan about.
What we should do is make it mandatory for people who want to settle or work here to take English lessons as part of their eligibility to stay.
What really irks me is that in certain 'enclaves' in this Country you can walk around and not hear a word of English spoken. Why they're coming here to live if they're not trying to integrate is beyond me. In my opinion, it just draws more suspicion there way, which in turn gives them more to moan about.
What we should do is make it mandatory for people who want to settle or work here to take English lessons as part of their eligibility to stay.
What about tourists ?
Pointless if he knows what someone want, to moan about language, you're no better than the bloody Wallonians in Belgium, who stubbornly keep speaking that arse language called French even though they clearly understand what I said in Dutch, I want to give them some money for a chip and the bloody seller refuses to talk back to me in Dutch, even though he clearly understood me, I simply walked away, I didn't know French back then I was 14... I never understood what's the big deal if people understand each other, it's the same type of moaning as when people moan about spelling or Internet slangs, even though they clearly understand what the guy's saying.
What do you care, it's not like they're talking to you. Why are you bothered what they say to each other? I hate it when people understand what I'm saying in a private conversation, hence I still speak Polish to my parents, it's none of anyones business when I say to them... I'm happy I can speak to my family in private actually rather than anyone in the streets understanding every word that's going between us. I don't care if my mate speaks Iranian or whatever to his parents, or my other mate Turkish to his, as long as he speaks Dutch to me it's none of my business.
Pointless if he knows what someone want, to moan about language, you're no better than the bloody Wallonians in Belgium, who stubbornly keep speaking that arse language called French even though they clearly understand what I said in Dutch, I want to give them some money for a chip and the bloody seller refuses to talk back to me in Dutch, even though he clearly understood me, I simply walked away, I didn't know French back then I was 14... I never understood what's the big deal if people understand each other, it's the same type of moaning as when people moan about spelling or Internet slangs, even though they clearly understand what the guy's saying.
What do you care, it's not like they're talking to you. Why are you bothered what they say to each other? I hate it when people understand what I'm saying in a private conversation, hence I still speak Polish to my parents, it's none of anyones business when I say to them... I'm happy I can speak to my family in private actually rather than anyone in the streets understanding every word that's going between us. I don't care if my mate speaks Iranian or whatever to his parents, or my other mate Turkish to his, as long as he speaks Dutch to me it's none of my business.
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Tourists can be forgiven (to a certain extent) because they're only visitors. But they should still make an effort, out of common decency.
Soldato
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Forget tradition and other irrational stuff.
Either we all learn every language just incase or people working in England learn English.
I wouldn't consider working in another country without learning their language.
Going on holiday isn't the same as it is only usually for a short time.
The choice is obvious.
Either we all learn every language just incase or people working in England learn English.
I wouldn't consider working in another country without learning their language.
Going on holiday isn't the same as it is only usually for a short time.
The choice is obvious.
What? Have you ever been to Shelton? It happens to be in England and where I work! So, unless you have experience of these people blabbering on in some foreign language you have no right to comment. I work with them everyday, so unless you know better I suggest you get back to sorting your own crap out and stopping the Muslims from killing anyone they disagree with in the street.
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The whole thing struck me as pretty puzzling to be honest. If it were me working there, I simply wouldn't understand someone if they weren't talking English. I'm just not really sure how there's even an issue with the guy's point of view.
Oh no, you hear them every day and you think that gives you the right to moan ? The UK isn't the only country with cities where you can't understand a word on the street in places, it happens here too, get over it. I don't know why I should care that in certain immigrant neighborhoods they speak their own language to each other.
Seriously, what ?
I think it depends entirely on the individual situation and that is why i think its ridiculous to refuse service to EVERYONE who cannot speak english..
Lets face it, Brits (and australians incidentally) are some of the least linguistically able people on the planet..Barely anyone can speak a second language, even one so simple to learn as french. Im not suggesting brits should learn urdu or arabic, but rather that some understanding goes a long way.
My experience abroad has mainly been in asia and even though the overwhelming majority of brits dont bother to learn a word, the locals are always helpful. I would like to think things could be the same over here...Yes it is rude and lazy not to learn the local language, but responding in kind isnt the best option imo..Being rude to them and refusing service isnt cool.
You say that in this thread..but the overwhelming majority of brits working in asia do not even bother to learn more '5 pints please' in the local languages.
Because communication isnt that difficult..Even if they arent speaking in english, its easy to know what they are trying to communicate if you are willing to try and understand.