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I grew up in a small white town up North. Then I moved to Texas for about 5 years. I LOVED to practice the Spanish I learned in school. Every chance I got. I think being bi-lingual is a good trait to have. It has helped me get some jobs where clients only spoke Spanish. I'm far from fluent, but my "Spanglish" is pretty good and I can typically get my point across.
I have several coworkers right now who speak Spanish and even though their English is great, I still try and speak Spanish with them as much as I can to brush up on my skills.
I do understand the frustration occasionally, but ESPECIALLY if it is their FIRST language, you have virtually no say there as it's easier for them and you obviously aren't part of their conversation.
I would suggest making an effort to learn Spanish. Not that it should be a requirement, but I think it's versatile career wise and in every day life. Learning things like that I just find are beneficial and interesting.
My office is very multicultural. I speak Spanish and like 30% of my office is Middle Eastern. They are always speaking in Arabic and if anything, all of us (Whites, African-Americans, Mexicans) are learning Arabic. No one in my office cares that they speak often in Arabic. They are also learning Spanish so we actually have a lot of fun at work.
I am also married to a Portuguese speaker and I learned Portuguese so that I could understand conversations.
I don't care. In my office a lot of the people are Middle Eastern and speak Arabic, the Filipinos sometimes speak Tagalog, and the Mexicans speak Spanish.
I think if it bothers you you are insecure and looking into it too much.
Insecure about what?
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As far as the takling about other co-workers issues, it happens in English too. I have seen a lot of people at work gossiping about others. I mind my own business and don't get involved.
That is inappropriate but speaking in a different language is more deceptive because one who overhears it doesn't understand where they or others stand in the gossip mill.
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The only time I would find it rude is if the people are deliberately trying to ignore and exclude a person continuously.
So you find it rude done in a certain context. And just how would you know, considering that they're speaking in a different language, that they are ignoring and excluding considering the others don't know how to speak the language and are thereby excluded to begin with?
Poor command of the English language can be exceedingly frustrating to others. I can't count the amount of times on a daily basis I am repeating and repeating and repeating (all the while maintaining my composure) and saying, "Huh?", "What?", "What was that?", "I don't understand what you're saying", and so on. Barking and bellowing and attempts in intimidation and "in your face" behavior don't help either.
When they speak nothing but a foreign language around you then it's just a low class place. And the people are low class, that's right. Need I say that again? The better places do NOT allow that. They're being disrespectful to the English speakers who don't speak that foreign language. I've heard enough stories where the non English speakers try to sabotage the job of the English speaker. They want to work with someone in their "clique." I don't even apply to work at places where it looks like you have a lot of foreigners who won't be speaking in English on the job. Yea I think I'll pass.
My office is very multicultural. I speak Spanish and like 30% of my office is Middle Eastern. They are always speaking in Arabic and if anything, all of us (Whites, African-Americans, Mexicans) are learning Arabic. No one in my office cares that they speak often in Arabic. They are also learning Spanish so we actually have a lot of fun at work.
I am also married to a Portuguese speaker and I learned Portuguese so that I could understand conversations.
I have a lot of Puerto Rican people at work. They speak Spanish in one sentence and English in the next and then switch back to Spanish. It's funny to listen to. Most of the younger ones were born in New York, but the oldest woman in the office came here from PR when she was 18 years old, and she said the first thing she did was learn English.
It doesn't bother me. I don't need to listen to their conversations, and most of the time if I do, I can figure out what they are talking about anyway.
The security guard is from Ecuador and he and the cleaning lady are chatting in Spanish a lot. Again, I have no problem with it. Another of my coworkers calls her mother sometimes and speaks Ukrainian on the phone.
I live in South Texas where a lot of people speak Tex-Mex and Spanglish. I can't speak Spanish, but I know quite a bit. I was the only black person at one of my former jobs, and my coworkers would often speak Spanish. One day, I chimed on something. They weren't talking bad about me or anyone else at that moment, but the shocked look on their faces was priceless. One person asked, "You speak Spanish?!"
That is inappropriate but speaking in a different language is more deceptive because one who overhears it doesn't understand where they or others stand in the gossip mill.
So you find it rude done in a certain context. And just how would you know, considering that they're speaking in a different language, that they are ignoring and excluding considering the others don't know how to speak the language and are thereby excluded to begin with?
Poor command of the English language can be exceedingly frustrating to others. I can't count the amount of times on a daily basis I am repeating and repeating and repeating (all the while maintaining my composure) and saying, "Huh?", "What?", "What was that?", "I don't understand what you're saying", and so on. Barking and bellowing and attempts in intimidation and "in your face" behavior don't help either.
It's obviously rude and meant to be exclusive when folks are speaking English to each other, and switch to another language about a work-related issue when a coworker ( let's say it's a workplace scenario) tries to join the conversation. They could continue to speak in the language also understood by that coworker, but they refuse to do so, knowing full well that their coworker does not understand them, and is thus excluded from the conversation/job-related information, etc.
Or when coworkers/members of a group ( who are at least proficient in English and could speak it) insist on speaking to each other in their language (not English) despite knowing that there are those in the group that should be included, but who don't understand that language. IN these instances there is no attempt on the part of the other language speakers to make the English speakers aware of what is being said. In the event that those folks are speaking in a non-English language because some of them don't understand English, and part of that group also includes folks who don't understand the non-English language, efforts can be made to provide translation of what's being said to the folks who don't know the language. And, those who habitually speak more than one language ARE aware that there are others who don't understand them, and in the case where what they're talking about should be shared with those folks, they know they need to make provisions to ensure that this can happen ( translations).
While misunderstandings can be frustrating, especially in stressful situations, I have to appreciate someone's attempts to speak in a language I can understand ( English), especially if I know it's not their first language and they don't know it well. In that case, I'll pay close attention to what they're telling me, maybe repeat what I think they're telling me to make sure I understand, and go from there. I'd never belittle anyone for the way they speak, or their accent, that's every bit as rude as deliberately excluding someone because they don't speak your language.
When they speak nothing but a foreign language around you then it's just a low class place. And the people are low class, that's right. Need I say that again? The better places do NOT allow that. They're being disrespectful to the English speakers who don't speak that foreign language. I've heard enough stories where the non English speakers try to sabotage the job of the English speaker. They want to work with someone in their "clique." I don't even apply to work at places where it looks like you have a lot of foreigners who won't be speaking in English on the job. Yea I think I'll pass.
This is the perfect example of being insecure- the fear that the multilingual speakers are trying to sabotage the English speakers. What paranoia.
Why this post is only related to Spanish speakers? Why don't you include people speaking Italian, German, Korean, etc.? I always find that this rhetorical "vent out" is more about race than language. Let's see, when a "Native English Speaker", whose ancestors came in the Mayflower, is talking in an extremely low voice tone in front of you, almost whispering…it is not disrespectful? They may be talking about you, right? But how can you assume a person who is speaking Spanish is talking about you? Other people's conversation is not your business if you are not invited to participate in it; maybe they express way better in their native language than in English.
You really don't see this rudeness as frequently with those who speak Italian, German, Korean, etc. I've worked with German speakers who always spoke English when anyone else was around. I've rarely heard people from the Phillipines conversing in their own language when in the presence of others. I worked with Chinese who if alone would converse in Chinese but if someone else entered the room, they would use English instead so as not to exclude them.
It's a whole lot more common with the Spanish speakers -- but I think those from South America are less inclined to be rude than those from certain other countries. I worked with a couple that was from Colombia and Peru and they would always use English if others were around like in the break room.
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