22-09-2003 22:49									#1
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Yeah, so what, I'm an ass...

I really hate it when my coworkers talk to each other in another language, especially one I don't know (which is any language but English). Then when you talk to them the have a hard time understanding you and when they talk back at you, you still have no idea what they are saying. It makes it really hard to work them, and I am getting fed up with it, and will request to never work with them again if they continue to speak in another language.

Why?

Because they aren't even trying to work with me!
They aren't even trying to work for this company!
They aren't even trying to become a contributing part of this society!

It really, really irks me. SPEAK ENGLISH YOU *****!

Anyway, it is illegal for them to speak any language but English on the Manufacturing floor, so I have them there. Yet, they end up just keeping their mouths shut!

Contribute damn it!!!!

Are they talking about me?

Sorry for the rant.

Am I being a *****? Or is this problem really not mine at all, and they should speak English?... By the way they are speaking some kind of Asian language, and I can't tell those apart.

It just makes me mad.

	22-09-2003 22:52									#2
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You ought to listen to the Spanish gibberish that goes on.
Wait a sec. California, same problem.

I blame that bastard Michael, personally.
And Ramo. That jackass.

And Ming. That, whatever the hell he is.

	22-09-2003 22:57									#3
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More candidates for Sensitivity training.

I have rejected applications from minority candidates that couldn't make themselves understood well enough during the interview. I've had to tape record some of the interviews to keep me out of hot water with HR.

	22-09-2003 23:02									#4
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Je n'ai pas compris, pouvez-vous répéter plus lentement. Merci.

	22-09-2003 23:03									#5
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It's your responsibility to learn their language.

What's funny in that in my city mexicans get really upset because we don't speak their language. They throw a fit when casino employees can't speak spanish.

	22-09-2003 23:04									#6
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You can't dicatate people what language to use. To make it illegal to use some other language is even more ridiculous. --
On the other hand, it is annoying to have seminars etc. in English (!) only because some people don't want to learn German, French, Danish etc.

	22-09-2003 23:11									#7
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A company can most certainly insist people use a certain language while at work.

	22-09-2003 23:20									#8
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People always prefer to use the best common language among them. It annoys me a little, but not too much.

	22-09-2003 23:22									#9
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I worked for a bit over the summer at a factory in Corby (most of you probably haven't heard of the place...to put it simply, it's a bigish town in England inhabited by Scots) with a friend - he was doing the nightshift. While talking to some of the other's he got told not to bother to try and talk to one guy as he's Romanian and didn't speak English.

He promplety spoke to the bloke and found that he did in fact speak good English. The accents of the people in Corby is generally very strong and so it prevented them from being able to communicate with each other - my friend then had to translate, despite the fact that both sides were talking in English!

	22-09-2003 23:24									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident It's your responsibility to learn their language. What's funny in that in my city mexicans get really upset because we don't speak their language. They throw a fit when casino employees can't speak spanish.

Yeah, when I used to work in HS, most of the employees were hispanics. I learned more spanish during work than during my HS class. And they were useful too. And I needed them or else I would have been isolated.

	22-09-2003 23:24									#11
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Japher, get your head out of your ass. At least they are trying to talk your language. Insisting they have no social interaction at work because they cant speak well in any language other than their own is absurd.

	22-09-2003 23:27									#12
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[QUOTE] Originally posted by Japher

Are they talking about me?

Am I being a *****? Or is this problem really not mine at all, and they should speak English?... By the way they are speaking some kind of Asian language, and I can't tell those apart.
[QUOTE]

1. 99% of the time they're laughing at something else other than you.
2. relax.
3. It ur problem
4. ONCE I caught 2 japanese girls talking **** abou tme that was funny cause i pretended not to understand.

	22-09-2003 23:33									#13
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Hey, Japher:

I am a foreigner in my workplace. I don't have a decent command of Turkish, and sometimes the only way I can express the full complexity of what I want to say is in my native tongue; besides, its just easier to talk to someone who understands my native language in that language. The two or three Germans I work with, who have coffee and Deutsch-gab every morning, seem to feel the same way. So, as we say in Turkish, Bite Me.

And, yeah, they are talking about you. Roughly translated, they're saying, "I'm not going to talk to the intolerant loser who spends all day on a gaming forum; you go talk to him."

	22-09-2003 23:38									#14
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quote: Anyway, it is illegal for them to speak any language but English on the Manufacturing floor, so I have them there.

Illegal?

	22-09-2003 23:43									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident It's your responsibility to learn their language. What's funny in that in my city mexicans get really upset because we don't speak their language. They throw a fit when casino employees can't speak spanish.

Why when 90% or more of the people at work speak english? They should learn to speak English if they want to countie to work for a company in the United States!

	22-09-2003 23:46									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Adalbertus You can't dicatate people what language to use. To make it illegal to use some other language is even more ridiculous. -- On the other hand, it is annoying to have seminars etc. in English (!) only because some people don't want to learn German, French, Danish etc.

In order to work togather and get things done you need to be all speaking the same language so that everyone can understand everyone else. If you had you way the work place would be come a confused mess and no one would be able to get any work done because everyone is speaking a different language.

	22-09-2003 23:55									#17
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have u ever worked for min wage? You dont need to kno english at all, but if you dont know spanish, work gets real hard for u.

	22-09-2003 23:58									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Zero have u ever worked for min wage? You dont need to kno english at all, but if you dont know spanish, work gets real hard for u.

All the jobs I have had and am applying for now, I do need to know how to speak english. Other wise I think the only place I could get a job at Mcdonals. And yes I have applied for a job there too but they did not even brother to call me. Most likely because I cant speak Spanish all that well, and that is just makes me sick.

	23-09-2003 00:00									#19
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Hmmm...I personally find it very embarrasing that we (meaning Britain and the US) expect - or rather insist that - everyone speaks english all the time. I know it might be a bit isolating in a workplace if your colleagues are all gabbling away in a language you dont understand...and yeah, you do tend to assume they are talking about you (God, why are we humans so self-obsessed??) but I hate the way they are forced to struggle to speak English all the time in certain jobs, even though most of their colleagues may also speak a different language.

This happened at my school. There were a lot of Indian and Chinese girls and, although they spoke perfect english, they tended to stick together; and the staff always made sure they never spoke their native tongue at school. They got into big trouble if they were caught speaking to each other in any language other than english.

This was horrible. I dont want foreign workers in my country to feel I am some bigoted idiot who is forcing them to speak my language just because I cant be bothered to learn a few basic phrases in theirs. Obviously, when it comes to taking instructions from the boss etc, they should use whichever language is dominent in the country they are in - but around colleagues, I dont see the harm in letting them speak whatever language they feel most comfortabloe with.

If you have a problem with it, try learning a bit of their language. Communication is a two way thing, y'know.

	23-09-2003 00:06									#20
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English is the Imperial language. I'll often be on conference calls where everyone speaks French or Spanish except us New Yorkers but everyone is forced to speak English or not participate. It irks all the non-New Yorkers involved but whadda ya gonna do? Make us speak French? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Seriously, it does feel a little odd, but since I'm on the beneficial end of this bit of cultural hegemony I'm not complaining.

	23-09-2003 00:07									#21
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does it sound really melodic? if so, then it's likely that it's chinese or vietnamese. if there's more sh- sounds, it's likely to be chinese.

does it sound consonantal? as in, syllabic and tone matters not? then it could be east asian. listen carefully, if it sounds as if most of the syllables end in a vowel sound, then it's prolly japanese. if the syllables have a mix of consonantal and vowel endings, it's likely to be korean.

	23-09-2003 00:08									#22
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quote: Originally posted by Verres Hmmm...I personally find it very embarrasing that we (meaning Britain and the US) expect - or rather insist that - everyone speaks english all the time. I know it might be a bit isolating in a workplace if your colleagues are all gabbling away in a language you dont understand...and yeah, you do tend to assume they are talking about you (God, why are we humans so self-obsessed??) but I hate the way they are forced to struggle to speak English all the time in certain jobs, even though most of their colleagues may also speak a different language. This happened at my school. There were a lot of Indian and Chinese girls and, although they spoke perfect english, they tended to stick together; and the staff always made sure they never spoke their native tongue at school. They got into big trouble if they were caught speaking to each other in any language other than english. This was horrible. I dont want foreign workers in my country to feel I am some bigoted idiot who is forcing them to speak my language just because I cant be bothered to learn a few basic phrases in theirs. Obviously, when it comes to taking instructions from the boss etc, they should use whichever language is dominent in the country they are in - but around colleagues, I dont see the harm in letting them speak whatever language they feel most comfortabloe with. If you have a problem with it, try learning a bit of their language. Communication is a two way thing, y'know.

Just think what would happen if you went to Japan. Do you think you could get a job their just speaking english??? I dont think so. If they want to talk amoung their friends at work that speak the same language fine, but they have to speak in a language you understand in order to work with you and the rest of the people who work their. How can you under stand them when you dont even speak a word of the language that they speak? Only way is if they speak english and I believe one is not a bigoted idiot for thinking in such a way.

As for the people at your school, maybe the purpose of that was so that they could learn English and get a better feel for it.

	23-09-2003 00:09									#23
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and if you're going to work here in america, feel free to use your native tongue, but for god's sake, learn english and don't expect everything to be translated for you.

	23-09-2003 00:11									#24
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If i wanted to get a job in Japan, I would learn Japanese.

And I actually said the girls at school spoke perfect english.

	23-09-2003 00:15									#25
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yIf you want a job in japan you should learn japanese. And germany, german.

ANd in US, english would help. But unfortunately theres **** load of other minorities that speaking languages other than english. So learning those is defintely helpful to you too, not just english.

	23-09-2003 00:16									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Verres If i wanted to get a job in Japan, I would learn Japanese. And I actually said the girls at school spoke perfect english.

I know, but I am just saying that I think they did that for everyone not just the girls you knew. Here in the US anyone can speak any language you want at school or work. Among friends at work, fine. But when you are talking with other people you have to use English to be understood.

And that is exactly my point with Japan. If someone wants to get a job in an English speaking country, they should learn English.

	23-09-2003 00:17									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Zero yIf you want a job in japan you should learn japanese. And germany, german. ANd in US, english would help. But unfortunately theres **** load of other minorities that speaking languages other than english. So learning those is defintely helpful to you too, not just english.

I am trying to learn Spanish.

	23-09-2003 00:17									#28
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Precisely
I only wish that was the case in England...for somewhere that claims to be so multi-cultural, what a shame it is that most of the population cannot even speak French

quote: ANd in US, english would help. But unfortunately theres **** load of other minorities that speaking languages other than english. So learning those is defintely helpful to you too, not just english.

	23-09-2003 00:22									#29
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In many of the management seminars I've attended, they make a big deal about avoiding exclusionary activities. Don't have incentive programs that exclude certain types of employees. Don't schedule off site activities that some people don't do. Don't always go to lunch with the same group of people. Etc. etc. etc.
If people feel excluded they will never become team players and will usually end up feeling resentful which will hurt their productivity.

They also said that speaking in a language not common to the rest of the workers is the most exclusionary thing you could do and should be avoided at all costs except for circumstances where no other choice is available.

	23-09-2003 00:33									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Adalbertus You can't dicatate people what language to use. To make it illegal to use some other language is even more ridiculous. -- On the other hand, it is annoying to have seminars etc. in English (!) only because some people don't want to learn German, French, Danish etc.

Jep. The really bad part here in Germany is,
that for example before a court, it is the responsibility of the court, to make clear that a foreign immigrant before the court understands everything which is spoken.
It also involves, that the court has to provide translators, who translate everything which is said in the court.
If the court doesn´t do it, or, if the Immigrant claims, that the Translator didn´t translate everything correctly, so that he (the immigrant) didn´t understand everything or misunderstood something important, it can be counted as procedural failure, which my result in an exoneration (if the Immigrant is the defendant before the court) or in he trial having to be repeated.

AFAIK it is better in the USA, as immigrants are the ones who have to make sure that they know enough english to understand everything important (be it a court or anywhere else) and aren´t able to use the claim, that they haven´t understood everything, as a defense.