This is the U.S.A. - English, please

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Some of the exchanges I've had with the yard service guys are unvelieveable ... I just wind up smiling and nodding and hope I haven't agreed to something strange.

Heck, I've had this problem with native English speakers!! Don't even get me started on written communication... holy jeepers. 

I'm fluent in both English and Russian. English is my second language.  I used to know Italian when I lived there for a while but forgot most by now.  I would love to know Spanish it's similar to Italian, but I just don't have enough Spanish people to talk to for practice.  But yeah I wish we would all speak one language to end the confusion .

We have so many hispanics in ky. I don't mind that they come  here, i don't blame them. I try my best to communicate with them at the hospital. What i hate is that VERY few, but there are some that seem to get angry when i can't speak fluent spanish and have to call an interpreter.  

what bothers me, is when i buy imported products and the chinese government puts a chinese label of the ingredient list right on top of the original english label! i mean COME ON!!!

and i just like to disagree that english is a hard language to learn! it is seriously THE easiest language i know! and i know 5... really... english is easy...

I don't pick up on foreign languages easily.  I struggled through two years of French, thank goodness I had an understanding teacher!

However.  Were I to locate to another country, I'd do my absolute darndest to learn to communicate effectively in the major language spoken there, and I don't think I'd expect any concessions (i.e., labels printed in my native language, interpreters always readily available, etc.).  Of course, we don't really know how we'd feel or act in a particular situation until we're actually there.  But that's how I believe I'd be, although I'm sure there'd be lots of frustration involved.

IrishSetterGrl

does anyone else get annoyed by how many things in general have Spanish translations on them? The hair dye I just bought - full instructions in Spanish...an exhibit at a science musuem I went to had tons of stuff subtitled in Spanish...

No, I don't mind at all.  I have been in countries where I did not speak the language and I know how frustrating it is.  It was such a relief to find things written in English - especially in grocery stores!  If I want other countries to provide me with English, I am definitely not going to be upset when U.S. products have instructions in multiple languages.

I was amazed and appreciative when I ordered dinner in Germany from a German menu with a German waitress that didn't speak English.  I actually got what I thought I ordered (fifteen years after my college German!).  The waitress was very patient!!  Most of our communication was non-verbal and she even managed to communicate "Yes, I would be happy to bring you desert, but we close in 10 minutes".

Until one has been in the situation of being unable to communicate, it is very hard to completely appreciate how difficult things become. 

I do get annoyed if I go to a fast food place in the U.S. and I can't understand the employees (after several tries).  In that situation I choose to go elsewhere the next time.  I worked for years in a university computer center where I was sent all the foreign students that others couldn't understand, so if I can't understand someone's English, I have no confidence that they understand me.

I also get annoyed when I read instructions that are written in English, but which are obviously written by non-native speakers.  If a company is going to market in a country, it is silly not to be sure that the product instructions sound professional.

Nope, doesn't really bother me one way or the other, can't say I've ever really been inconvenienced by that sort of thing.  I work in tech support at a college so a lot of the calls we get are from students, parents, and guests from Asia and Africa.  If I didn't want to "deal" with them, I'd find a new job.

When I was in Africa I couldn't believe how much was in English!  They would bend over backward to accomodate us with English (and they wanted to practice their English on us).  Where I was, English is the only language used in secondary school or above, but is not their native language, so I won't complain about a few too many choices on my product labels...

 

Honestly, it doesn't bother me.  I my neighborhood and the one I grew up in, all of the adults/elders spoke Italian because they were immigrants, but their children all knew English. 

My only concern for immigrants is if they don't learn English it will really hinder their ability to succeed in the professional world.  As someone noted, you need to practice a language everyday and speak it and if it isn't spoken at home or amongst your friends or at school, then you won't learn it. 

My dad only spoke Italian until he was 4 years old and then learned English because he was going to school - I don't think he knows anything but the swear words now.  Yes, I think we should accomodate a language that such a large population of our country speaks; however, we should also engourage them to speak the primary language that is taught in most schools and universities as well.

 I live in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world with well over a 100 different languages and dialects. The city is visual explosion of different languages and cultural symbols printed on store fronts, street signs, community newspapers etc. I guess I could feel offended, excluded or even threatened, but I don't! I actually feel very privileged to be part of such a vibrant, culturally diverse community. I see it as a unique opportunity to learn and enrich my life. It instills in me the fact that although the world is made up of people with different languages, beliefs and experiences, we are more alike than different. We are all people working to better our lives, raise our children and have a sense of belonging.  I feel very fortunate to have been born in my country and I would never begrudge anyone, from anywhere, the opportunity to live here. If the downside is having labels printed with foreign language or having to request service in English then I think it's more than a fair trade.

I have no problem with people speaking other languages.  My only issue is like someone else said they don't bother to learn English but are offended that I don't speak their language.  Personally, if I was in another country and most of the country spoke a language different than me, I'd try to at least learn enough to get around. I would be scared to go into a medical office like I see happen every day at work and they really don't understand what's going on.  My grandparents all spoke perfect English and they came here later in life.  My friends that speak Spanish and Portugese all speak perfect English. 

It also does bother me a little that some job listing say things like "Spanish a must" or something like that.  They wouldn't say that about English, would they??  I've never seen it. 

chelsea_b

No. Because the US doesn't have, and NEVER has had, an official language. English may be the "de facto", but that doesn't mean much.

There has been no formal declaration that English is the official language, but it is pretty clear it is the national language when the ability to read, write, and speak English is a requirement to become a citizen.

I have no problem with this and it disturbs me when I meet people who were born and raised in the US who do not have a good command of the English language.

It "disturbs" me because English is the language of our national political life. Someone who has difficulty understanding English is less able to fully participate in our democracy and I think that is a shame.

As far as instructions on bottles, signs or whatever,  I have no problem with it. Last fall I was in a hospital where the privacy notices were posted in at least five languages.  My 77 year old father spoke English and Spanish fluently, and could carry on a conversation in at least four other languages. He wasn't a world traveler; he lived in a city of immigrants and he learned to speak these languages from his friends and neighbors.

I live in a state where most of the state welcome signs have FRENCH and English on them...so if anyone is planning on a visit to the Granite State, let me be the first to say "Bienvenue au New Hampshire"

Doesn't bother me a bit. I wish second languages were stressed a lot more than they are in schools. I think that Americans are at a disadvantage because most of us only speak one language.

 The only thing that bothers me are telemarketers that call during dinner that have such thick thick accents that they have to repeat themselves 43 times.  I have a friend that is from Bangladesh that does that, and even though I love him to death, it would drive me nuts having to talk to him on the phone for longer than to figure out who he is and that he wants to talk to Tyler.  Its not as bad in person cause I guess body language helps when we'er talking to someone, but on the phone you don't get that.

Spanish is the second most used language in the U.S. and is in the top five languages used in the world.  It does not bother me to have directions in Spanish.  It merely reflects the wide use of it.  Being fluent in more than one language is a PLUS in the job market.  Where I live I hear Spanish being spoken whenever I am out in public.  I know some Spanish.  I think if one lives in a culturally/racially diverse community one can become more understanding of others and see that for someone whose first language was not English, the Spanish, or whatever language it is, is going to be used automatically without thinking.  English IS a difficult language and I am always amazed by the number of people world wide that speak it well.  Spanish is way easier to learn as it it phonetic and most words are spelled as they sound.  Look at just two English examples: "blood, food, good" & "tomb, comb, bomb".  It is important to not let language be a barrier to understanding others.