Your finding others speaking how the fuck they want to speak and privately when they feel the need to is absurd, reactionary, insensitive, and frankly from an obvious lack of understanding. Your lack of understanding of the Constitution of the United States and, I suppose, words in general is of an utterly greater scale. Free speech can only be annulled in a semi-private sphere (meetings, work, public speeches that have a set program, et cetera). You have the right to bitch at them for talking how they want (of course, they would have the right to 100% accurately tell you that you are being utterly stupid here) or to leave their presence. Maybe some day your dream police state will exist, but I sure hope it never does.
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Talking accross the table is rude (Language Discussion)
- Thread starter RaikouLover
- Start date
Yes, talking to someone across the table in a foreign language (This also applies to speaking English with someone at a table with majority French (or whichever language) speakers) because you do get a vibe that they could be saying something rude about you. But thinking they could be plotting to kill you or bomb some building is just fucking crazy. Are you serious? lol, paranoid much? But not letting people talk another language in public is even more fucking crazy. What exactly is bothering you so much about hearing foreign languages? Go figure that if someone knows a different language they aren't terrorists are saying rude things about you. Your two points (That I could find) were: 1) It's rude, 2) National security.
Bahahahahahahaha. I don't think I have to say much else on that.
Oh and what is so offense of strangers speaking Spanish in an elevator? It's a small space and they probably didn't want you or other strangers to know what they are talking about, which is probably about their lives and whatnot and something that is absolutely none of your business. This seems more that you feel the need to know what other people are discussing, and if you so feel the need to be such a snoop go learn a language!
Oh sorry, I forgot Americans only speak English. I shouldn't expect you to try to speak any other language, how rude of me. lol, ti si velka budala
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Bahahahahahahaha. I don't think I have to say much else on that.
Oh and what is so offense of strangers speaking Spanish in an elevator? It's a small space and they probably didn't want you or other strangers to know what they are talking about, which is probably about their lives and whatnot and something that is absolutely none of your business. This seems more that you feel the need to know what other people are discussing, and if you so feel the need to be such a snoop go learn a language!
Oh sorry, I forgot Americans only speak English. I shouldn't expect you to try to speak any other language, how rude of me. lol, ti si velka budala
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Let me clarify my position. I don't think anyone has the right to be served in whatever their native language is. For this reason, it's perfectly fine for public institutions to use the country's official language and require its employees to be fluent in it (with no restriction to know any other languages). Requiring everyone to know the official language of the country is fair too and can avoid all sorts of problems. Even though I don't fully agree with it, a reasonable case can be made to require all private enterprises, stores, restaurants, etc. to be able to offer their services in the official language. You could say that doing so ensures that knowing the official language allows anyone to have access to all services offered in the country and thus increases individual freedom as well as being good for the nation. All these things are reasonable from a pragmatic standpoint, even if I think that in some cases they are excessive.
So if the official language is French, it's ok to ask from a Portuguese immigrant to know French. It's also ok to ask from a Portuguese restaurant to be able to serve customers in French (else they may get fined). People may agree or disagree with the policy, but a case can be made that it helps society run more smoothly and is a good thing for everyone. Now, if the Portuguese immigrant enters the Portuguese restaurant and orders in Portuguese (which the waiter understands and speaks fluently), he damn well should be able to. If you ask if some item at a store is available in French and employees talk to each others in Greek before telling you in French that they don't, feel free to think it's rude, but there is no reason not to let them. If two Chinese guys meet randomly in the subway and are more comfortable speaking in Mandarin, who the hell cares? They are not talking to you and it's none of your business. No reasonable case can be made to force any arbitrary group of people to speak any particular language if they are in agreement to speak another. That's where the line should be drawn.
man, once again brain proves himself to be one of the most erudite people on this forum
It may be rude, but it was between them anyway, since you know they are from the same country and speak the same language you should know better. Your friend could ask them politely what they were saying, or let them know it was annoying for the rest.
Put yourself in their shoes, if you were in some other country and you had a friend from the US in the same table with 5 people from this country you're in, would you talk to him about things that are only of your concern, probably about an inside subject of your country on Italian, Spanish, whatever?
I bet my ass you won't, at least i have heard American tourist speak on English all the time, in public here, and even if i understand it is not my business (most of the time the conversation is not uncommon), they are not supposed to try my language to please me.
Finally, it may be part of the rules and being polite to speak the official language from a place, let's say Smogon, i'm not the only one that speaks something else, but English is the language of the board so everyone has to speak it to maintain the order; however (another example) i don't think anyone would get offended if i ask something in Spanish to Venom on IRC (another example, never happened...yet).
Put yourself in their shoes, if you were in some other country and you had a friend from the US in the same table with 5 people from this country you're in, would you talk to him about things that are only of your concern, probably about an inside subject of your country on Italian, Spanish, whatever?
I bet my ass you won't, at least i have heard American tourist speak on English all the time, in public here, and even if i understand it is not my business (most of the time the conversation is not uncommon), they are not supposed to try my language to please me.
Finally, it may be part of the rules and being polite to speak the official language from a place, let's say Smogon, i'm not the only one that speaks something else, but English is the language of the board so everyone has to speak it to maintain the order; however (another example) i don't think anyone would get offended if i ask something in Spanish to Venom on IRC (another example, never happened...yet).
IMO your friend shouldn't have confronted them about it. It was only going to get worse from there. Reacting will only cause arguments. Whenever I am in that situation, I will ask what they're talking about. If it turns out to be private or confidential, I'll leave them be. (actually sometimes I speak in Mandarin to some of my friends to piss others off but that's not important)
Here in India if someone speaks their native language, as in Bengali or something, other people tend to understand. And as India, like America is a very umm....diverse place, it tends to happen.
When the majority understands english, why not speak in English? I mean you cant go to UK and start using Swahili can you? -_-
They were probably just trying to show off between themselves that they know a language which others dont. It happens -_-
But this kind of thing, if you notice, happens more in adults than children, I don't know why exactly though.
When the majority understands english, why not speak in English? I mean you cant go to UK and start using Swahili can you? -_-
They were probably just trying to show off between themselves that they know a language which others dont. It happens -_-
But this kind of thing, if you notice, happens more in adults than children, I don't know why exactly though.
We put multiple languages on the same goods, signs, ect so just about anybody can read so people who don't know English don't necessarily have to learn it. I mean there's not much incentive to learn a new language if you can still find out what you need to know in your own language.
It seems like you can get around without English just fine around here these days.
If you're deaf-mute, it won't even matter what language(s) you can understand.
Oh, yeah. Right. So um. I'm probably going to Spain this summer. I suppose I should wander round spain using the three phrases I know for every conversation? I'll use them when trying to get something off the locals, natch. But when I'm talking to my parents? What you're proposing is daft. You don't have to be fluent in a language before you step foot into that country. You should make an effort to learn enough to get by (to do otherwise and expect people to speak your language would be rude).
Why can't you go to the UK and converse in Swahili, if you've got someone else there that speaks Swahili? No laws against it. Thank god.
Bloody xenophobes.
Oh, and B-Rock, don't be so fucking ridiculous, please. TV is in English, papers are in english, signs are in English, school is taught in English, cash machines talk in English, banks talk in English, people who work in your local supermarket speak - surprise! - English. Only real exception to this is in the bits of Wales that keep Welsh as a first language. Yes, there are a limited amount of translation services available to ensure we don't discriminate too badly against those disadvantaged by the language barrier - asylum seekers for one, lets remember despite the Daily Mail hysteria these are people who are under serious threat of being killed at home, and killed horribly - but that's barely enough to get by. That isn't going to help you order food at the local chip shop or pay your electric bill or do all the documentation when moving into a house. Find me someone in the UK who doesn't speak any English, and I'll show you a very miserable person indeed.
Sorry I thought you meant something else entirely.
Well you got me. But that's why I like the internet- I learned something.
Maybe the reason no one understands your point is because it is completely irrelevant and utterly ridiculous. Yes, if I spoke Swahili and decided to speak with someone from East Africa in that language, I damn well can. If others take offense to it, fuck them; it's none of their goddamn business to begin with. No one is suggesting forcing everyone to speak in foreign languages to others if they don't so chose (in fact, that is exactly what we are arguing against).
I remember being in an elevator once with twelve other people, and normally in elevators everyone is just standing there. Yet in this elevator, three people got on the elevator with me, and simply continued to have their own private conversation by texting on the elevator. So my instinct in these situations without contradicting this constitutional amendment is that this can be perceived as a security threat. As someone who isn't reading their messages, I have no way of knowing if I could be plotted to be killed, talked about, or someone else being plotted to be killed. Its the same concept as if a teacher catches you texting during an exam. Whether you are cheating or not, the teacher has no way of knowing, and must assume the worst for the security of the test. I understand that such measures are not enforceable, but from a principle standpoint I don't think my stance on this situation is too farfetched.
The only thing that I see as rude is that they were speaking across two people at the table. Speaking in another language is fine. Most of the time when I see two people speaking in a different language it is mostly because it is easier for them. If both of the people are better in one language then they are in another, then they are going to use the language they are better in. In general, the first language a person learned is normally the language they know the best. These two grew up with French. Even if they are fluent in English it doesn’t mean that that is the language they can use with the most ease. If two people were talking to me in English and then started to speak to each other in another language, I simply wait there politely for them to include me into the conversation again. No harm done.
The only problem I have with different languages is when someone comes into a store and is trying to ask me something and they don’t speak English. I am trying to make sure they have the proper set up for the animal so that the animal won’t die and I cannot communicate with them. Now when animals are not involved I do not care if their is a language barrier, but when the life of an animal is at stake, then I have a big problem with it. Fortunately for the most part there is a kid there that is translating for the parents, this is fine, this way I can communicate and get them set up with the proper habitat. If there is no translator then I will be very frustrated on the inside and try my best to use props and gestures to help the customer but I still cannot ask some of the major questions that need more detail. This does bother me.
As for Obi's post, that was a really ridiculous assumption for anyone to be making. Just because people are texting they could be plotting to kill you? By that logic, any conversation outside of you ear shot is a threat to security. What a ridiculous and paranoid assumption that just because someone is having a privet conversation that it is a threat to security.
The only problem I have with different languages is when someone comes into a store and is trying to ask me something and they don’t speak English. I am trying to make sure they have the proper set up for the animal so that the animal won’t die and I cannot communicate with them. Now when animals are not involved I do not care if their is a language barrier, but when the life of an animal is at stake, then I have a big problem with it. Fortunately for the most part there is a kid there that is translating for the parents, this is fine, this way I can communicate and get them set up with the proper habitat. If there is no translator then I will be very frustrated on the inside and try my best to use props and gestures to help the customer but I still cannot ask some of the major questions that need more detail. This does bother me.
As for Obi's post, that was a really ridiculous assumption for anyone to be making. Just because people are texting they could be plotting to kill you? By that logic, any conversation outside of you ear shot is a threat to security. What a ridiculous and paranoid assumption that just because someone is having a privet conversation that it is a threat to security.
Lexite I'm not calling you out on this in an aggressive manner in any way, this isn't a dig at you - but Obi's post was just a parody of a paragraph of the OP [in which he talked about three people speaking Spanish on an elevator and wondering if they were plotting to kill him] to show the extreme absurdity of the OP's argument.
You're speaking English. Isn't that another culture's language?
This is all bit off, isn't it? Although it's probably not what you intended, that text sort-of translated into my mind as 'Superiority of the American Culture', which is still a bit of a problem over the Atlantic, apparently. You can't stop people speaking their own language, its how they were brought up. You can't change that, and you lost your chance centuries ago.
Mind you, I live in Britain, so I can't talk.
One last thing, though.
Make sure you ban guns before banning another culture, okey dokey?
This is all bit off, isn't it? Although it's probably not what you intended, that text sort-of translated into my mind as 'Superiority of the American Culture', which is still a bit of a problem over the Atlantic, apparently. You can't stop people speaking their own language, its how they were brought up. You can't change that, and you lost your chance centuries ago.
Mind you, I live in Britain, so I can't talk.
One last thing, though.
Make sure you ban guns before banning another culture, okey dokey?
No, it doesn't mean that he is speaking another culture's language. Many different cultures speak a common language. Latin America is a good example of this. Besides the fact that the American culture (Anglo-America) is derived from Britain >.>
I don't see what the problem is at all, to be honest. When I go out with a large group of friends here you usually get three langages spoken (English, Korean and Afrikaans). If you are more comfortable speaking one language than another, why speak the other one just so people that you aren't even talking to in the first place can understand?
It is only rude when people are talking in a different language to each other and are making fun of you when you do understand what they are saying when they dont know you do. The people speaking a different language should not assume the person they are talking about does not understand.
If I went to another country, say Germany, and I did speak fluent German, I would still speak in English to the people I am traveling with. I would not be doing this to be rude but because I and the person I am speaking with can communicate better in English since it is my first language.
If I went to another country, say Germany, and I did speak fluent German, I would still speak in English to the people I am traveling with. I would not be doing this to be rude but because I and the person I am speaking with can communicate better in English since it is my first language.