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Again, it is if they are out in public, know how to speak English and don't keep it private. Yes, really, IMO.
When you lived in a different country, you didn't speak English in public? Wow, that's amazing. Literally every ex pat I know speaks their mother tongue with fellow language speakers.
When you lived in a different country, you didn't speak English in public? Wow, that's amazing. Literally every ex pat I know speaks their mother tongue with fellow language speakers.
I never lived in a foreign country and I have no desire to. As I said, it depends on the tone of voice and if the conversation is kept private or not.
Wrong! And I stated that already in another post. I don't care what the topic of the conversation is in a foreign tongue. I just don't want to have to listen to loud foreign babble out in public when it's evident they know how to speak English or when they refuse to learn English. Drop it already, will you? You're the one who refuses to get it!
Non-English speaking is a huge pet peeve for me. This is not Europe where each country is the size of one of our states - where each country has its own language and culture. This is the United States of America, where, up until recently, the question of which language to speak was never an issue. Nor, should it ever be.
The citizens in this country have a right to expect that when visiting stores, restaurants, and making phone calls they can speak English and be understood, and be responded to in intelligible English. Businesses which cater to the public should not hire people who are not fluent in English - I don't care if they are located in "little" [name your country]. Period.
From PBS:
Quote:
The definition of an official language is one that has been specifically designated in the Constitution of a country or territory. Officially recognized languages are often mistaken for official languages.
According to the online reference Wikipedia, half the countries of the world have official languages.
Moderator cut: copyright violation
I am 75 y/o. Great grandparents on my father's side were German immigrants - came here in the late 1880's, grandparents on mother's side were both from Croatia, arrived here in 1910. My Croatian grandmother never could speak English very well, grandfather died when I was fairly young - don't remember him. My maternal aunt, daughter of the Croatian grandparents born in the US in 1913, continually harangued her mother about her poor English until she died in the mid-1960's. All of us kids/cousins, of course, spoke English because our parents did.
I'm not exposed to this issue as much as states like CA, TX, AZ, FL, etc. Nonetheless, it has driven me crazy for years to listen to Espanol #2 before I can begin choosing prompts on a phone. Fwiw, non-US-based tech help has long ago forced me to solve my own computer issues. Google is a great tool. I never call tech support for anything and haven't for years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldglory
I just don't want to have to listen to loud foreign babble out in public when it's evident they know how to speak English or when they refuse to learn English.
I agree with this, too. Certain stores I avoid these days for this reason. It is beyond annoying.
i have lived in so cal my whole life too and i completely agree chowhound.
in my experience, i see that it is primarily spanish speakers that do not want to learn or speak english, and why should they? look at all of the products that on the package are written in english and spanish. especially food stuff with directions and nutrition information...nearly everything now is written in english and spanish. medications, clothes with washing directions and materials, cleaning supplies, etc. i could go on. we are making it easier and easier for them to not even need to learn or speak english at all.
Wondering if Canadians get so bent out of shape about the 22% of them who insist on speaking French. I hear the whole country is a bilingual horror show.
i have lived in so cal my whole life too and i completely agree chowhound.
in my experience, i see that it is primarily spanish speakers that do not want to learn or speak english, and why should they? look at all of the products that on the package are written in english and spanish. especially food stuff with directions and nutrition information...nearly everything now is written in english and spanish. medications, clothes with washing directions and materials, cleaning supplies, etc. i could go on. we are making it easier and easier for them to not even need to learn or speak english at all.
Mrs. Chow's dad like I mentioned was full Mexican and his GF was too. Those two would start in on the illegal immigration issue and not learning English and it almost sounded like a Klan meeting. I'm just joking around but these two were older and old school and really preached integrations and becoming Americans and was flat out was rude toward Mexican Immigrants who didn't bother to assimilate. I was sorta taken back by the militantness for lack of another word to describe it at times.
IDK, I'm not a person that goes overboard with pro-American rhetoric but these two really had a good grasp of the power of being in the nation that provides for you.
Again, I get that learning language is hard, I really do get that. I think it's just that spirit seems to be lacking in these modern times. Decades ago it was all about America, now it just seems like what can America give me... instead of what can I bring to America.....
English has been the official language of California for over 30 years.
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