You are in the U.S please speak English

[Tsukuyomi]

I also work retail, and from that perspective, I can understand where the cry of "speak English!" comes from. I cannot count the times that I have seen customers try and weasel a deal, discount, return, etc. They start out in English, usually with an accent which is fine as I can understand most of them. But then when they realize that the conversation's not going their way, they suddenly ask for someone who speaks their language and they clam up until such supposed help arrives. Once we get a translator, they're usually still disappointed, because not only does the translator agree with whatever stance the original employee took, he or she can also perfectly hear the customer on the phone or talking to his or her companions, trying to find a new strategy to get what they want. I know this sounds horrible, but it happens. Cashiers at my job complain about it probably once a week.

Personally I don't have a huge problem with people speaking another language. As long as you make an effort to adapt, I'm fine. For example I know a few customers who understood English, but could not speak it. I can work with that. Some bring younger members of the family as translators. Again, I can work with that. It's just that small section of people who are just too stubborn to adapt that cause problems for everyone. We as Americans are working to accommodate. It would be nice if the people reaping the benefits of that just....meet us halfway. Maybe? Possibly? Please?

 

[BanicRhys]

While I don't think that everyone who comes to an English country should already be able to speak the language, I do think that they should all at least try to learn the language.

 

[ddq5]

The "American" language is whatever language an American speaks. The USA *is* a big melting pot.
So, yeah. I think all Americans should speak "American", whether their American be English, Spanish, Chinese, Pig Latin, Lobjan, or Huttese.

If I did have a choice though, I'd prefer all Americans spoke Hungarian. It's a very pretty language.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

I refuse to learn Spanish for the sole fact that the language disgusts me

Wait........ How?
Is it because Spanish has like 28 different tenses or because the conjugation can be kinda a *****?

You do know that English takes a lot of words from the Spanish language?
Like hospital, color, principal, actor, etc.

But I'm just going to assume that you're trolling. =)

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

Can someone please explain to me hwy it is a bad thing to expect people living in a country that predominantly speaks English to speak English? If I permanently move to France and expect everyone there to learn English instead of me learning French that would make me a bit of an asshole but if you do it in the U.S.A it's fine? Why is it wrong to want people to speak the language of the county they live in

Let's think for a moment: English became the dominant language in the US because all of the people coming here refused to speak any of the native languages.

This is a touchy thread. As someone who still works retail, it is an aggravating pain to try and help customers that I can't even communicate with, however I understand it's a huge pain to learn new languages and English is one obnoxious language. I don't know where I stand on the issue.

Aside from slightly more irregular than average orthography, English is just as obnoxious as any other language. The notion that English is especially hard is a myth. You can see how it would spread so quickly too - it's self-deprecating while simultaneously making it sound like English speakers have managed to put up with a language that's harder than most to deal with.

Interestingly, almost every language population has this myth about their native language. Also interestingly, many languages have shifted to this from a previous myth that their language was the most natural and best exemplified "pure logic". This second myth is still very popular with regard to some languages and even exists alongside the "obnoxious" myth (as is currently the case in French).

 

[The Magical Hobo]

The difference between English and American is mostly written ex) colour-color, aluminium-aluminum, etc.

 

[Superior Mind]

Aluminium and aluminum are said differently as are Antarctica and Antarctica, (Americans pronounce it "an-ar-ti-ca", everyone else pronounces it "an-tarc-tic-a".)

I think it's such a minor inconvenience I have to wonder why people have such strong stances on it. Dealing with a customer who doesn't understand you and vice versa isn't all that difficult, it can be fun even. As for providing different languages on Government forms and whatnot - so what? Remember the last time you bought an electronic device, most likely it had a manuel that had different translations in it. You seriously think printing forms in various languages is a burden that taxpayers simply can't afford? Fuck that, I live in NZ which has an economy as big as Winsconsin and we print out forms in different languages. And we actually have "official languages" too while the US does not.

Youu know what would be cool? If you really find the annoyance too much to bear, try learning Spanish. You know how awesomely useful it is to have a second language? Then next time some person is trying in vain to communicate with somone in a shop or whatever you can go up to them and say "Buenos dia, necesita ayuda?"

(Or something, admittedly my Spanish is limited to asking for a cheeseburger with no egg and a large beer.)

The US thinks it can shelter itself from the world's culture while exporting its own indiscriminately. The sooner the US realises that it's a player on the global stage instead of thinking it's the director the better.

 

[Church5193]

Long story short, America has no official language. A majority of people speak English, but that doesn't mean the minority has to agree.

Also, many of the people who come here DO try to learn English. However, English is a nasty language to learn (full of arbitrary rules), and they get absolutely NO help.

 

[JCBFGD]

you do realise that they may be learning english, also the U.S.A is a mixed country, you were built from colony's from several countrys and remain with the languages associated, though those people might be choosing not to speak english too.

Not really. The USA did separate from the Kingdom of Great Britain, an English speaking country, after all. Not Spain, Germany, or France. No, this country was mostly settled by English speakers, founded by English speakers, bought by English speakers, consists mostly of English speakers, and is run by English speakers. To say that this country is historically multilingual is to say that you don't know the history of the country. Not learning English is just ignorant, irresponsible, and, to a certain degree, lazy.

I don't expect visitors to learn the local language. I expect citizens and residents to learn it though.

I took French for three years so I could, among other things, visit Belgium. I expect others to do the same, although to a lesser degree, no matter what country they visit.

 

[stormcrow5]

Its a mixed country so just because most speek english dosent mean people should not be allowed to speek something diffrent

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

The difference between English and American is mostly written ex) colour-color, aluminium-aluminum, etc.

The difference between American English and other Englishes can be immense. Compared to British English, there are countless differences in pronunciation, hundreds if not thousands of lexical differences (words that only exist on one side or the other or words that mean substantially different things in different places), and vast differences even in basic syntax. The differences aren't large enough to prevent mutual comprehensibility most of the time, but they're still quite large. And sometimes they are - try to find a recording of someone (ideally and older person) from the Shetland islands (which isn't technically British English, but bear with me) speaking English. The average American English speaker will comprehend about every tenth word.

Other, smaller dialects of English (English spoken in places where it's a large minority language especially) often diverge even more.

 

[VanTesla]

America does not have a single designated national language. Wbester's English is the most spoken language in America, but it is not considered by Gov't to be the nation single language. Most English speaking people have a hard time communicating with one another because of different subtle dialect changes if you go to certain states, communies, and ghettos. The education system in America makes things even more difficult by having such low standards in passing English as well.

English is my only language and I wish everyone spoke it, but that is what every national or ethnic group would want. The best thing to do is try to learn more about other languages and in the same time you can better your own.

 

[mitchell271]

it's not wrong to expect them to speak english if they live here

 

[Dark Knifer]

It's better if they are being a resident for practicality but seems wrong to enforce that. I can guarantee that there are very few americans who would learn the native language of another country.

Is this a troll or serious? Hmm...

 

[darksomos]

Simple bit of logic is answer to thread:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Therefore, when in America, do as the Americans do.
So, if you know English, speak it. If you
are a resident or are an illegal resident,
learn English. Besides, English is the working
language of the world, and of the Internet.

 

[de5gravity]

I've always loved the melting pot present in the US. There is no official language. I mean I've always considered english and spanish to be but it's not a law is it.

 

[Commissar Sae]

We actually have a similar issue in Quebec, except everyone, including the Government, forces immigrants to learn French and complains to no end whenever they meet someone who doesn't speak to them in French. Even then though its mostly a very vocal and slightly xenophobic minority rather than the majority.

Most first generation immigrants will never be able to master a new language on arrival and should not be expeted to. Their children however will pretty much integrate to a greater degree and have learned the language from infancy so honestly whatever. Prime example is my girlfriend, she speaks portuguese and spanish at home, french on the street and english at school and with friends. Yes her English is better than her French but other than the seperatist zeolots nobody cares.

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

America does not have a single designated national language. Wbester's English is the most spoken language in America, but it is not considered by Gov't to be the nation single language. Most English speaking people have a hard time communicating with one another because of different subtle dialect changes if you go to certain states, communies, and ghettos. The education system in America makes things even more difficult by having such low standards in passing English as well.

English is my only language and I wish everyone spoke it, but that is what every national or ethnic group would want. The best thing to do is try to learn more about other languages and in the same time you can better your own.

Education in "English" has nothing to do with learning to speak the language. It's about rhetoric, reading comprehension, etc. And in those regards the American educational system is actually relatively good compared to the rest of the industrialised world (most of the tests suggesting otherwise are very clearly written to produce that result and most of the cited statistics about the poor quality of American education are presented in a very misleading fashion - some of the most popular statistics showing the lack of quality come from reports that, a few pages away, report the conclusion that American education is, contra popular opinions, surprisingly good).

Put simply: There are very, very few children who don't implicitly learn the rules English far better than any expert currently understands said rules. Most complaints about English-speakers not "knowing English" are actually complaints about people speaking different dialects, which has little to do with languages and a lot to do with attempts at socioeconomic domination through the language. There are no logical or linguistic reasons why any dialect would be less "proper", the only reasons are socioeconomic and have to do with the status of speakers of one dialect versus the status of speakers of another. The rules of "worse" dialects aren't any less regular or less logical than the rules of "proper" dialects.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

Hey, mang? You want me to mess you up, puta? Imma mess you up till you're more muerte than a Russian fighting a matador, ese.

Nah, people can speak whatever language they want to each other, as long as they don't expect everyone else to learn it. I mean, I don't care that Mandrin's a largely spoken languge in Vancouver. What I mind is none of them being able to speak enough English to get anything done, that's all.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

If someone's visiting then I couldn't care less what language they speak, but every foreigner I've ran into that's just visiting knows just enough English to get them by, which is more than I'd ask of them.

However, if they are now residents and/or citizens then I expect them to know or at the very least have a basic understanding of English. If they want to speak in their native language among friends and family, fine, I don't care because I'm not talking to them.