Author Topic: Declaring a national language.  (Read 3724 times)

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Offline Progmetty

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #35 on: February 03, 2012, 09:49:00 AM »
I get pissed when a customer calls and they get pissed that I don't speak Spanish. 

It's exactly that tone of entitlement that annoys me often even though I've only been here 4 years. I never expected anyone to speak my language when I got here and it would be incredibly rude and disrespectful to this country if I did.
I understood from day one that it's a great advantage for work and social life to know Spanish but that's as far as it goes, it shouldn't ever be an obstacle not to.

But AFAIK, that is a frustration that they have to overcome, just like many others when you emigrate.

The vibe I usually get is that they're frustrated cause I don't speak Spanish, not cause they don't speak English.
I am an emigrant. I know the language and I familiarized myself with the culture. I wouldn't have came here if my purpose was to be part of a community of my people that lives and behaves like we never left, even though it's available to be. Whenever I hear the heritage excuse I call bull shit, my heritage is in my country and it's always with me wherever I go but I won't shove it down others throats and I surely would never let it influence my behavior towards others. I'd much better respect and support a "I'm a dumb fuck/lazy ass that can't learn a new language" excuse. That's cool man I understand dumb and lazy, I'm dumb and lazy.
Realize that it's the entitled attitude that's making people angry for the most part imo.
I wouldn't want somebody with 18 kids to mow my damn lawn, based on a longstanding bias I have against crazy fucks.

Online El Barto

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #36 on: February 03, 2012, 10:07:21 AM »
I can't think of a single time I've ever noticed a Mexican being annoyed that I didn't speak Spanish.  I'm having a hard time picturing the scenario you guys are describing.

As for being a dumb fuck/lazy ass,  I'm neither*,  yet I'm not capable of learning a second language.  I've taken six or so years of French,  and a couple of years of Spanish,  and I'm completely incapable of speaking or comprehending either.  Some people are good with languages,  some of us just aren't wired for them. 



*I actually am a lazy fuck,  but it's not a factor in my language problems.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #37 on: February 03, 2012, 10:12:19 AM »
I can't think of a single time I've ever noticed a Mexican being annoyed that I didn't speak Spanish.  I'm having a hard time picturing the scenario you guys are describing.
It happens to me several times a week.
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Offline Progmetty

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #38 on: February 03, 2012, 10:15:58 AM »
:lol
I'm learning German and Spanish atm and I'm very much enjoying the process. I'm dumb and lazy with numbers.
I wouldn't want somebody with 18 kids to mow my damn lawn, based on a longstanding bias I have against crazy fucks.

Offline j

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #39 on: February 03, 2012, 12:30:48 PM »
I can't think of a single time I've ever noticed a Mexican being annoyed that I didn't speak Spanish.  I'm having a hard time picturing the scenario you guys are describing.

I can't either.  And I understand the "I shouldn't have to accommodate them" mindset, but honestly, learning just a few very basic Spanish words and phrases can go a long way.

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As for being a dumb fuck/lazy ass,  I'm neither*,  yet I'm not capable of learning a second language.  I've taken six or so years of French,  and a couple of years of Spanish,  and I'm completely incapable of speaking or comprehending either.  Some people are good with languages,  some of us just aren't wired for them. 

Good point.  I don't get the impression that the Spanish-only speaking crowd is intentionally *resistant* to learning English.  Maybe they're not going out of their way, but learning a second language isn't exactly a simple, quick process.  And don't forget that it's not in their best interest to remain uni-lingual either.

-J

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #40 on: February 03, 2012, 03:27:00 PM »
As for being a dumb fuck/lazy ass,  I'm neither*,  yet I'm not capable of learning a second language.  I've taken six or so years of French,  and a couple of years of Spanish,  and I'm completely incapable of speaking or comprehending either.  Some people are good with languages,  some of us just aren't wired for them. 

I'm willing to bet if you were dropped into France, with no way out, you might start picking up the language a little bit easier. Humans are basically built to learn and use languages, we're just not built to learn them in a classroom, in a dry, formulaic manner, and reliant upon another language.

Then again, they'd probably all just speak English to you, so it wouldn't really matter (remember someone telling me they went to France, wanted to practice their French, but everytime they spoke to a Frenchman, they'd get a response in English).




Online El Barto

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #41 on: February 03, 2012, 03:56:24 PM »
As for being a dumb fuck/lazy ass,  I'm neither*,  yet I'm not capable of learning a second language.  I've taken six or so years of French,  and a couple of years of Spanish,  and I'm completely incapable of speaking or comprehending either.  Some people are good with languages,  some of us just aren't wired for them. 

I'm willing to bet if you were dropped into France, with no way out, you might start picking up the language a little bit easier. Humans are basically built to learn and use languages, we're just not built to learn them in a classroom, in a dry, formulaic manner, and reliant upon another language.

Then again, they'd probably all just speak English to you, so it wouldn't really matter (remember someone telling me they went to France, wanted to practice their French, but everytime they spoke to a Frenchman, they'd get a response in English).
I'd take you up on that bet.  I'm just not wired well for language.

And my experience with Paris was that it exists mainly as a vacation spot for Americans,  so I never found anybody who didn't speak English well. 
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Offline Sigz

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #42 on: February 03, 2012, 04:01:01 PM »
Oddly enough, my worst experience in Europe was Brusselsm (as far as language barriers went, it was the awesome otherwise). I had multiple instances where waiters/clerks had really poor english.
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #43 on: February 06, 2012, 01:49:18 PM »
I think it's common sense to at least learn basics when going to another country. The thing is companies hire them when they shouldn't if they don't know the language.
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Offline Zook

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #44 on: February 08, 2012, 12:37:45 PM »
When cashiers at Walmart don't speak a lick of English, there's a problem. I could understand at a Walmart Mercado, but employees at regular Walmarts, regardless of the area, should speak english. If I moved to Mexico, I wouldn't be able to get a job until I learned Spanish. I'm fine with the US being a melting pot of cultures, but the national language should be english. And yeah, it is mostly the fogies and older people that don't and/or refuse to learn english and it's they that are the biggest disrespectful and racist pricks.

Online El Barto

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #45 on: February 08, 2012, 01:15:19 PM »
When cashiers at Walmart don't speak a lick of English, there's a problem. I could understand at a Walmart Mercado, but employees at regular Walmarts, regardless of the area, should speak english.
Then complain to the manager.  This is a matter between you and the Waltons,  not the federal government. 

(And I agree with you,  BTW)
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Offline Ryzee

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #46 on: February 08, 2012, 01:17:52 PM »
When cashiers at Walmart don't speak a lick of English, there's a problem. I could understand at a Walmart Mercado, but employees at regular Walmarts, regardless of the area, should speak english.
Then complain to the manager.  This is a matter between you and the Waltons,  not the federal government. 

(And I agree with you,  BTW)

Also, I've never encountered a cashier at a Wal-Mart (or anywhere for that matter) that didn't speak at least enough English to get the job done.  And I live in So Cal where the illegals have took all er jarbs!

Offline Scheavo

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #47 on: February 08, 2012, 04:38:23 PM »
At least in Albuquerque, and at some restaurants especially, you basically have to learn Spanish to work in a kitchen.

Offline Progmetty

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Re: Declaring a national language.
« Reply #48 on: February 14, 2012, 04:04:16 PM »
I don't understand how sometimes I can be at a place where a big number of illegals work yet everybody is acting like it's normal. Like when my wife and I were looking at houses last year and the home builder's (big company) lady was showing us a few houses that were still in the building process, all the workers spoke Spanish and the engineer we met there is an American of Mexican decent who I asked casually if Spanish was a unofficial mandate for his job and he said yes. I took off to shady area where workers were smoking and chilling so I can smoke too while my wife went to see another house with the lady. I joked around with them with whatever little Spanish cuss words I know and they were friendly, the engineer joined me and as naive as I sometimes am when it comes to American political correctness I just asked him "Are these guys legal?" and he simply answered "No".
Now from my own breaking of the law back in my country I learned that it's highly likely to get caught if a group of 5+ people smoke some herbs on the street in a gathering. This is just you asking for the police to either take your stash and/or give you a good old fashion Egyptian police beating for being so abrupt and in their face about breaking the law because it makes them look bad, as they wouldn't really bother you if it was a smaller group or if that group was inside a car.
Long story short: How are these workers not worried about getting caught when there's so many of them at the same place? Do they rely on the fact that nobody can ask to see their papers without someone reporting them beforehand? Or was the guy just frank with me cause I'm brown too? :lol
I wouldn't want somebody with 18 kids to mow my damn lawn, based on a longstanding bias I have against crazy fucks.