Speak English! (Tysons Corner, Dumfries: to buy, college, living in)

[Pikantari]

Ok, I normally don't rant about this on here, but I am getting pretty tired of businesses with people who can hardly speak English. It is driving me nuts! Gas stations, restaurants, etc.

[North Beach Person]

Que?

My favorite is Subway here which finally hired some local kids (owners/workers from NoVA and not English proficient) to make sure the orders were correctly made.

The local kid points to the ingredient as the owner/worker assembles the sandwich and then checks to make sure it's correct. Becomes a real cluster Friday night when they're busy.

[124c41]

Just press " 1" for English.

[Pikantari]

I'm telling you it is awful! NBP, the owners are from NoVa? Probably some of the folks I had to deal with today! It gives me a nervous breakdown and makes me really want to move back to the country!!! I would rather deal with the Amish any day of the week! All we need is a bridge from Dumfries to SoMd and my SO says he would move over there.

I know they have been talking about this bridge but people are so against it. I am not sure why!

[North Beach Person]

They're against the bridge because of the traffic and fundamental change (read urbanization) it would bring to a really rural area.

This area is really paying the price now for poorly planned development and overdevelopment and few want to see the chance of it happening again.

The Subway folks have owned it for 5 or 6 years and still don't speak a word of English.

[CaliTerp07]

If you don't like their business practices, don't patronize the business.

[Pikantari]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

If you don't like their business practices, don't patronize the business.

In the area I live, it is pretty hard to find a single place that doesn't have one or more people who do not speak great English. I have to buy gas. We go out to eat, I can't control who they hire. You can't get around it.

There have been certain places I have had problems whether it be this or their business practice that I have completely stopped going to.

I do say that I do have a problem while living in America I feel like I have to learn several other languages to be able to deal with the public. Even in some college classes I was paired with people who hardly spoke English on a couple of projects.

What are you supposed to do? A lot of the time I have no idea what some of these people are saying. If anyone wants to throw in asking me how I think they feel, I don't care. They came to an English speaking country. They should have to speak good/understandable English.

I am not racist against any of these people at all, but I do think that to do business, drive on the streets, etc, they do need to be able to read/write/speak English and know how to drive.

[Steelers10]

Anyone go to the mall this weekend? From my observation last night, between Tysons Corner Center & the Galleria, without question the population of shoppers would be what we call in the United States a majority "minority". But within this population, I would estimate that combined Asian & Middle Eastern populations (perhaps foreign born but certainly not completely assimilated; I wasn't analyzing THAT hard) were a plurality if not a slight majority in and of themselves.

If such a large NOVA population is minority and of foreign born heritage AND the United States has no official language or English language mandate, is it incumbent upon these populations to speak English? I would think the businesses in Tysons are happy to have them in droves, English proficient or not. As far as non-English speaking proprietors, Virginia touts its ability to attract businesses and entrepreneurs. Well, congratulations, the strategy worked! I think it is dubious to want investment dollars but then complain about the source.

[aliss2]

Well Pikantari, I'm not in VA and I'm not even in the US right now, but I do know what it is like living and working in a community where you don't speak the local language. From my own experience (three, going on four years now), it's much harder than most people think. I find most people who yell "speak English!" tend to be those who have no fluency in another language and don't realize how difficult it truly is to move beyond a high beginner-intermediate level.

With adults, the problem isn't necessarily that they can't speak it, it's that they struggle greatly with pronunciation which gives the other person the impression that they don't speak the language. So instead of getting annoyed, try pacing your speech, keep idioms and other reduction forms to a minimum, and give them a smile. Some of us are just trying to make a better life for our children, and deal with the daily frustration of being unable to speak what possible intelligent thoughts we might have.

Just from the other side of the coin, although I am a native English speaker, I know exactly how those people feel, and it's hard.

[elias9193]

Who would want to work for $8.00 an hour, lets see
People with no education that can't do any better
How about people who have some kind of substance
abuse problem. They speak English but don't care
To work or when they do work, they aren't reliable .

The people who don't speak English very well
Need their job and take pride in what they do.
They are reliable and work hard and do what
Most people who speak perfect English would
Not be caught dead doing because it's beneath
Them that's why you have what you have in
NOVA!