Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also...would that request also cover those who can not speak proper English as well? Because then there would be a whole hell of a lot of people out of a job right there.
I shouldn't have to learn any other language other than English living in the United States of America. My ancestors founded this nation with the de facto language being English. Immigrants of the past understood this quite well - todays bunch......Not so much.
There shouldn't be personal conversations going on in the work place at all. If I am the manager of a department store and two Mexicans are talking in Spanish next to me, how am I supposed to know what they are talking about? They could be bad talking myself or other employees. I watched the Mexicans do that all the time growing up in school. Bad mouthing teachers and the few white kids in each class in Spanish because the teachers wouldn't know what they were saying.
Not speaking proper English would not be a problem, as I would most probably know what they were saying anyway.
I've never understood that mentality and am surprised such insecurity still exists. If you go to a foreign non-English-speaking country and meet up with some American expats or tourists, what language will you speak with them?
Do you assume that you should be in on every conversation, when people are not conversing with you?
Thats a different manner than being in a work place. Of course, if I am in a foreign country I would make every effort to speak the local language. If I was just a tourist and I ran into other American tourists then I would converse in English........but thats just because we are tourists. If I was employed and living in Italy, I wouldn't be so dumb or rude as to speak in English next to my boss or co-workers who wouldn't understand me. Too many Hispanics are incapable of following that common courtesy.
I can understand how it's rude if people are speaking it with the intention of leaving others out. But if they are having their own private conversation, who's to say what language they have it in? If someone who doesn't speak Spanish asks them what they're talking about, they can reply in English and continue in English, and in that instance to continue in Spanish if they know English would be rude. But if it's just a conversation among Spanish-speakers, I don't see how using the language that is more comfortable to all is rude. Honestly it seems like racism and xenophobia couched in "rudeness". Somehow I never hear people complain about Deaf people signing to each other or Russians speaking Russian to each other. But "those d@mn Mexicans"! How dare they speak Spanish to each other!
This is just a clarification on your comments . Deaf people sign to each other in ASL ("American" sign language) not a foreign language. This I personally know as my wife of 47 yrs is a Deaf person .
I've never understood that mentality and am surprised such insecurity still exists. If you go to a foreign non-English-speaking country and meet up with some American expats or tourists, what language will you speak with them?
Do you assume that you should be in on every conversation, when people are not conversing with you?
When I've been in Cancun I notice that all those frat boys are speaking Spanish amongst each other.
I shouldn't have to learn any other language other than English living in the United States of America. My ancestors founded this nation with the de facto language being English. Immigrants of the past understood this quite well - todays bunch......Not so much.
There shouldn't be personal conversations going on in the work place at all. If I am the manager of a department store and two Mexicans are talking in Spanish next to me, how am I supposed to know what they are talking about? They could be bad talking myself or other employees. I watched the Mexicans do that all the time growing up in school. Bad mouthing teachers and the few white kids in each class in Spanish because the teachers wouldn't know what they were saying.
Not speaking proper English would not be a problem, as I would most probably know what they were saying anyway.
If you shouldn't have to learn any other language then why are you bothered when people obviously superior to you do? Your ancestors did NOT found this nation w/ the defacto language being English. In fact, more than likely, just as the founding fathers did, they spoke some French, some Spanish and most likely some Italian.
I would say that in that case, you are far less along than your "ancestors".
Again, if you're worried about "personal conversations"...learn Spanish.
I shouldn't have to learn any other language other than English living in the United States of America. My ancestors founded this nation with the de facto language being English. Immigrants of the past understood this quite well - todays bunch......Not so much.
There shouldn't be personal conversations going on in the work place at all. If I am the manager of a department store and two Mexicans are talking in Spanish next to me, how am I supposed to know what they are talking about? They could be bad talking myself or other employees. I watched the Mexicans do that all the time growing up in school. Bad mouthing teachers and the few white kids in each class in Spanish because the teachers wouldn't know what they were saying.
Not speaking proper English would not be a problem, as I would most probably know what they were saying anyway.
I've never understood the mindless stubborn ethnocentric monolingualism in the US. This puts many Americans who have such an attitude at a great disadvantage when conducting diplomacy and international trade. Perhaps Americans have had the crutch of being a big country such that others have been compelled to learn English. Well, that's not going to always be the case.
And if you're so bloody insecure about other folks talking in another tongue, hey, lighten up. They're just speaking in a language that they're more comfortable with. Has nothing to do with you. Unless your mindless xenophobia has really offended them, and if so, then you deserve to be criticized in a language you don't understand.
If you shouldn't have to learn any other language then why are you bothered when people obviously superior to you do? Your ancestors did NOT found this nation w/ the defacto language being English. In fact, more than likely, just as the founding fathers did, they spoke some French, some Spanish and most likely some Italian.
I would say that in that case, you are far less along than your "ancestors".
Again, if you're worried about "personal conversations"...learn Spanish.
I am worried about personal conversations in the work place. Big difference. There is a level of professionalism that needs to be maintained.
More than likely no, my ancestors did not speak Spanish or Italian. Haha. They spoke English as I am of English descent. Quite a few German speakers entered the bloodline, but they assimilated quite rapidly.
Mexicans who can't speak English are obviously superior to me? Hah! Good joke.
I shouldn't have to learn any other language other than English living in the United States of America. My ancestors founded this nation with the de facto language being English. Immigrants of the past understood this quite well - todays bunch......Not so much.
There shouldn't be personal conversations going on in the work place at all. If I am the manager of a department store and two Mexicans are talking in Spanish next to me, how am I supposed to know what they are talking about? They could be bad talking myself or other employees. I watched the Mexicans do that all the time growing up in school. Bad mouthing teachers and the few white kids in each class in Spanish because the teachers wouldn't know what they were saying.
Not speaking proper English would not be a problem, as I would most probably know what they were saying anyway.
I find your screen name extremely ironic, considering your post.
I have a degree in Spanish literature, so I'm not particularly against people speaking Spanish in their workplace.
I made a call to Costco, once, because I overheard the Latino workers making homosexual comments to each other, probably as a casual greeting. I'm not gay, either, but I understand sexual harassment in the workplace, and it's not something I need to hear when I'm shopping for cases of frozen pizza.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.