Other Languages Spoken In Public

[Miranda]

Do you get offended or irritated if you hear people of other nationalities speaking their languages in public amongst themselves? Personally, I don't lose sleep over it but I do think if you live in the United States, you may want to look into learning some English. I can speak Spanish but never in public or to my family, it's just something I learned growing up hearing and in classes. I've lived in Finland and I can speak some Finnish. It is an extremely difficult language to learn.

[freydis]

Usually, when I suddenly hear someone speaking another language in public, I sometimes go through one of those weird minutes where it actually has to register in my brain that what I'm hearing is another language, and I'm not hearing nonsense. Like a two-second fear of aphasia.

[Homicidalheathen]

I think its rude but If I were foreign I would do the same thing so whatever. I try not to let it bother me.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I dont care as long as they dont expect me to respond to them.

[Steven]

my Mom speaks spanish to me sometimes or she and my Tia speak in spanish to each other....but it's more of an accidental casual thing..... and my father often mixes spanglish with english when he talks as well.....but its not intentional or meant to seperate.

[Miranda]

my Mom speaks spanish to me sometimes or she and my Tia speak in spanish to each other....but it's more of an accidental casual thing..... and my father often mixes spanglish with english when he talks as well.....but its not intentional or meant to seperate.

I have a second uncle who starts a sentence in Spanish and it ends in English.. or vice versa.

[Angel of Death]

The only time it bothers me is when they speak English to you then turn around and speak Arabic, Spanish, etc to their friends while giving you dirty looks.... like, you know they r talking bad about you...

[bean]

It doesn't bother me one bit.

My step-father is from Romania. He knows English. My mother was born here but can speak in Romanian. They will speak in Romanian in public when they want to talk about things they don't want other people to hear, and sometimes people give them dirty looks. It's just ignorance and intolerance for anything that's different that causes people to stare or have a problem with it.

[Shade Everdark]

I've experienced this from both sides of the language barrier, i.e. both as the native son, so to speak, hearing others speak in a language I don't understand (not including Spanish, as I understand at least a bit of that), and as the foreigner trying to speak the native language in another country, yet reverting to English when amongst other visitors. While they have their stereotypes and prejudices about foreigners, many, many Japanese are blessed with a profound curiosity about other languages, and don't hesitate to ask (politely, in most cases) what language you're speaking, if they don't happen to recognize it. I've had people on the subway ask me if I was American so they could practice their English with me on their way to work or shopping or wherever.

I think we could stand to learn that lesson here. Experiencing, even if only peripherally, something outside our normal sphere of life gives us new perspectives, opens us up to fundamentally different ways of looking at the world (and language is a window to that, you can learn a lot about how a people or a culture thinks, collectively, by the structure of their language). And, at the very least, no one has any business, in a country that supposedly values freedom so highly, telling anyone what they can or cannot speak, as long they are not expecting you to understand it and respond.

[Hellion]

I hate it everytime I go to a party store and they are speaking in their native tongue,while I am waiting to pay for something,if you live here speak english,I don't mind accents,but please speak english.also I notice this alot in malls and restaurants.if I am in your native country I'll speak my language in silence.

[Msterbeau]

I grew up with French speaking parents. The only time it irritates me is when people you're directly involved in communicating with don't take the time to acknowledge that you're in fact part of that conversation.

[Kit Kat P]

Normal I don't care. But......It only bothers me when it feels personal. If you have nothing to hide why not say it in English when your talking around me?

[n0Mad]

Contrary to popular belief, the US has no official language and it may be unconstitutional to establish one. Regardless, I do think if somebody is going to live here they should learn English. I don't mind people speaking their native tongue, but not when trying to conduct business.

[Hellion]

Contrary to popular belief, the US has no official language and it may be unconstitutional to establish one. Regardless, I do think if somebody is going to live here they should learn English. I don't mind people speaking their native tongue, but not when trying to conduct business.

True,there is no such thing as (American Language) some ppl think there is.

In America its English.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Its just impolite basically to speak a language you know the people around you have no clue what your saying for any length of time.

In terms of a national language... I'd be all for a specific push to make English the national language. Diversity is nice, but the ability to communicate is very important. Inability to communicate is a key problem with development, and that's definitely what we need to stay on top of if we want to keep America on the forefront of the worlds nations.

Feel free to speak whatever language you want as a hobby or interest, but there should be a "common" language so that we all can communicate. English is clearly the most realistic candidate for that.

[sass_in_the_pants]

I don't care either way. It drives Guy bananas.

I used to date a guy who was Spanish and when he would get mad, he would start speaking in Spanish and I would say 'Speak in English! I can't understand you!' and he would say 'Estoy hablando inglés!', which of course means 'I am speaking english!' but it was in Spanish. Ugh, THAT was annoying.

[Rayne]

True,there is no such thing as (American Language) some ppl think there is.

In America its English.

Technically we don't speak English, we speak Americanized English.

[~Tszura~]

I agree with MsterBeau in that I find it rude when people start conversing in another language that you don't speak when you are part of the conversation/interaction. This goes for both business and pleasure.

Other than that, I truly enjoy hearing other people speak in their native tongues. I love foreign films! I realize we need a common language to be able to conduct our day to day affairs efficiently, but I also see language as a potral to truly understanding those around us.

Language makes life spicey!

[odims_sphere]

I don't really care unless they are trying to communicate with me directly. At that point I'll act like they haven't said anything at all, like they don't even exist.

What bugs me more is that I have to select english on an ATM machine. It should be in the national language, whatever that may be. Ours happens to be english. It's an extra step that inconveniances me just to satisfy people who want to live here but are to lazy to learn the language.

"your laziness should not be my problem"

[Fierce Critter]

It only bothers me when it's loud. And so often, it's practically yelled.

I have developed a theory it's because they know they're not being understood so they don't feel a need to speak in "indoor voices." But that's just musing.

[Steven]

Normal I don't care. But......It only bothers me when it feels personal. If you have nothing to hide why not say it in English when your talking around me?

they might be saying that your hot, babe.

[Steven]

I don't really care unless they are trying to communicate with me directly. At that point I'll act like they haven't said anything at all, like they don't even exist.

What bugs me more is that I have to select english on an ATM machine. It should be in the national language, whatever that may be. Ours happens to be english. It's an extra step that inconveniances me just to satisfy people who want to live here but are to lazy to learn the language.

"your laziness should not be my problem"

\

im confused.

yoru white. you look white.

looking all white and all, somebody STILL comes up tp you in Mc Donalds and speaks like....arabic to you?

I've had that happen to me here - but I dont look white - I look "ethnic" to different races. To many middle eastern people, I look alot like one of them. To most Latinos, I look like I'm from Spain (which is partially true).

but I dont see you that and hence Im generally confused.

I cant speak spanish very well even though Im Latino, and I definately dont speak any middle eastern languages, but it doesent bother me when somebody makes that mistake.

[Steven]

I don't care either way. It drives Guy bananas.

I used to date a guy who was Spanish and when he would get mad, he would start speaking in Spanish and I would say 'Speak in English! I can't understand you!' and he would say 'Estoy hablando inglés!', which of course means 'I am speaking english!' but it was in Spanish. Ugh, THAT was annoying.

yeah but thats not intentional. my paretns do exactly the same thing, I grew up like that. Its just second nature because its the language they grew up with, its like say.....raising your voice, it just happens.

[odims_sphere]

\

im confused.

yoru white. you look white.

looking all white and all, somebody STILL comes up tp you in Mc Donalds and speaks like....arabic to you?

I've had that happen to me here - but I dont look white - I look "ethnic" to different races. To many middle eastern people, I look alot like one of them. To most Latinos, I look like I'm from Spain (which is partially true).

but I dont see you that and hence Im generally confused.

I cant speak spanish very well even though Im Latino, and I definately dont speak any middle eastern languages, but it doesent bother me when somebody makes that mistake.

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. It's not that I've had them try and speak another language to me because they thought I spoke it too, rather I've had people, (albeit rarely), speak another language to me because they don't speak english at all. When I was working construction normally it would be spanish. I don't mean any disrespect to you or your lineage. I certainly wouldn't expect that if I went to El Salvadore, (just as an example), that everyone there should speak english just because I didn't speak spanish.

I believe that if a person makes the decision to go to another country to live and work they should learn to speak the national language first.

[Steven]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. It's not that I've had them try and speak another language to me because they thought I spoke it too, rather I've had people, (albeit rarely), speak another language to me because they don't speak english at all. When I was working construction normally it would be spanish. I don't mean any disrespect to you or your lineage. I certainly wouldn't expect that if I went to El Salvadore, (just as an example), that everyone there should speak english just because I didn't speak spanish.

I believe that if a person makes the decision to go to another country to live and work they should learn to speak the national language first.

I agree with you here Donnie.

for example both sets of my grandparents come from different parts of Mexico.

One set (now dead) came to this country, got citizenship, and ensconsed themselves in the Lation community in California and never learned to speak english and therefore kept themselves segregated from whitey. I disagree with that approach and ultiamtely think its disrespectful to the coutnry that gave you a place to start over with. In fact the last thign my grandmother Lola told me before she died was that I was not a "real" Mexican, because I had forgotten how to speak my native language (she raised me until my father remarried - a white gal with kids, and we stopped speaking spanish at home). She also died angry and lonely.

My other Grandparents, Nacho and Consuelo - embraced the American Culture and learned to speak the language and had their own businesses etc., they were very weel thought of and loved by everybody. They were obviously most comfortable in their native culture in terms of their inner social circle - but they were proud Americans - and lived as such.