How to overcome a language barrier at work? (best, college, places)

[likealady]

Originally Posted by beer belly

Where I work, they speak to each other in Spanish, and are more intent on me learning thier language, not the other way around. One of them told me they speak Spanish all the time, and are depending on the schools to teach thier kids English, but as for them, they say "No, I okay". One of them recieved a notice from work and brought it in for one of us to explain what it was.

Seriously, how do these people get around in this country if they cannot read or write in English? Are their neighborhoods, restaurants and shops all in Spanish (Chinese, French) language or something? I would never go to work in another country and have the nerve to expect them to cater to MY language needs.

Amazing.

[CGab]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I'm a bit surprised that in this case the job requirements didn't include speaking Spanish, it seems appropriate for communication and even safety. Just as our jobs require that people "speak, read, and write fluently in English." We probably have 25% people whose native language is something else, especially in Accounting and Engineering, some with heavy accents, but they are understandable.

If the OP is a waitress their NOT going to school to learn Spanish! I think if you move to a country with a dominant language than you should learn that language!

[CGab]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

Tax paying Americans have been paying for all those ESL classes for years. Hopefully, President Trump will put an end to that and require proficient English to enter the U.S.

Many doctors in the Bay Area barely speak English and places like Kaiser don't hire the top tier doctors who do speak English well. I used to work with a lady who would just take her prescription and leave the office with no idea what the person said. To get an American doctor takes a of arguing and pushing.

It is really sad that the U.S. medical system is in the same condition as the Mc Donald's cook.

I had a neighbor who was from Pakistan. Very nice educated couple who spoke good English. They had two kids that were BORN here and barely spoke English to them so when they started school they had a hard time and needed special classes to learn English.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I'm a bit surprised that in this case the job requirements didn't include speaking Spanish, it seems appropriate for communication and even safety. Just as our jobs require that people "speak, read, and write fluently in English." We probably have 25% people whose native language is something else, especially in Accounting and Engineering, some with heavy accents, but they are understandable.

English should be 100% mandatory here. We have no need for people here who don't speak the language or who won't/can't learn it. At least TRY.

Originally Posted by CGab

I had a neighbor who was from Pakistan. Very nice educated couple who spoke good English. They had two kids that were BORN here and barely spoke English to them so when they started school they had a hard time and needed special classes to learn English. Absolutely ridiculous!

I was born in the US and was not raised speaking English. It's not my first language. It's not even my second. Both my brother and I learned it very quickly once we went to preschool. That's actually pretty common here in families where the parents are immigrants. Our situation was unusual because our parents aren't immigrants. (Our grandparents were.)

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by likealady

Seriously, how do these people get around in this country if they cannot read or write in English? Are their neighborhoods, restaurants and shops all in Spanish (Chinese, French) language or something? I would never go to work in another country and have the nerve to expect them to cater to MY language needs.

Amazing.

Actually gentrification is a great example of how this works. Take Austin for example, the "east" side of Austin, due to historical inequalities, pushed a big chunk (if not all) Hispanic community members east of 35..thus placing it in its own little island where people lived and grew within their culture. If they had no reason to leave the area; they had food, clothing, were educated there, worked in the area, etc, there was no reason to speak English. Since this part of the city, due to increased cost of living, has become a haven for younger professionals who need a place to live, have pushed out this group and they have basically moved as a group to other parts of the city where they continue to live, work, get educated, etc, in the same way.

[Mr. Ryu]

Originally Posted by Nov3

Can you expand upon the reasoning of an official language when our premise of the constitution is to welcome in the countrymen who WERE outcast or denied the right to express. Seems silly to "assume" that english is the ONLY Language deserving in communications. Chinese, Spanish seem to carry more native tongues....
We are not BIG brother ...and therefore needing NEWSPSEAK (Newspeak is the language of Oceania, a fictional totalitarian state ruled by the Party, who created the language to meet the ideological requirements of English Socialism to run a country. ).

Our constitution, laws, etc were written in English. The dominant language in USA business is English. It's not really rocket science to make English the official language.

LOL @ 1984 reference. You do know that there are countries that have official languages. Are those countries Orwellian?? Are they big brother, totalitarian??

I worked with Swedish and Dutch companies. Sweden = official language Swedish. In junior HS/ H.S they are taught English as a secondary language. All the colleagues that i had were able to write, read and speak English at a very good level. The same with my Dutch colleagues.

I live in NYC - Washington Heights. This area is predominantly Latino; hence they are people that don't know a word of English but can get by since everyone speaks Spanish.

[rugrats2001]

Originally Posted by ss20ts

Hogwash! You could learn some numbers in Spanish and French. It's not hard. They've been teaching Spanish numbers on Sesame Street forever. Have you tried Google Translator? It's not perfect, but it's a start. You're having the problem so you need to learn to figure out a way to communicate with them. Yes, it would be fabulous if the whole world spoke English, but it doesn't and it never will.

There are a LOT of Spanish speakers in my area, and I can tell you from experience, learning Spanish numbers on Sesame Street is NOT going to help you understand what they are saying.

It's not like watching a Spanish soap opera or game show on Univision where they enunciate each word clearly; they speak crazy fast with absolutely no break between words, so you don't even know where one word ends and the next begins. And I know Spanish numbers and basic vocabulary, and can do a passable job reading a Spanish newspaper.

[Sand&Salt]

Originally Posted by rugrats2001

There are a LOT of Spanish speakers in my area, and I can tell you from experience, learning Spanish numbers on Sesame Street is NOT going to help you understand what they are saying.

It's not like watching a Spanish soap opera or game show on Univision where they enunciate each word clearly; they speak crazy fast with absolutely no break between words, so you don't even know where one word ends and the next begins. And I know Spanish numbers and basic vocabulary, and can do a passable job reading a Spanish newspaper.

AMEN to this! I can sort of understand TV Spanish and grasp the written word, but hey, these local speakers with their rapid-fire slurring Spanish are not comprehensible to me. Just like our slurring bad English.


I know. I have to learn Spanish living here, but damn, its really hard. Why didn't we learn another language in elementary school in the U.S.? By junior high, its too late....in retirement, its REALLY too late.

[kevinm]

They should never have been hired in the first place.

[Count David]

I learned Spanish and made many friends.