A reversal on the complaints we usually get for language barriers

[Mr Hero]

I seem to recall a post by Kisa from a few weeks back that I was reminded of. Only in her post, the SC was native Spanish speaking, though she spoke English fluently. The SC expected Kisa to know Spanish because she was working in a "Mexican" restaraunt.

[Food Lady]

Taco Bell is about as Mexican as fries are French.

[infinitemonkies]

We wouldn't think too highly of an American who tries to order food in a foreign country and demands the counter person speak English even if they only know their own native language, right?

It happens. A lot.

I heard a statistic somewhere that there are more English speakers in China than there are in England.

I read recently that every major university in both China and India now require at least 1 semester of english classes to get a degree.


Here in B.C., Canada, we have WAY more people who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin than French, and most highschools teach all 3. (French is required to graduate, the others are elective)

[SongsOfDragons]

I heard a statistic somewhere that there are more English speakers in China than there are in England.

Considering there are 1.3 billion folk in mainland China, and just over 60 million folk in the UK...I'd think having more English speakers in China is pretty easy! :P Though I know they really want English for a skill for their children, hence the passing requirements.

(source was CIA Factbook.)

[thansal]

I seem to recall a post by Kisa from a few weeks back that I was reminded of. Only in her post, the SC was native Spanish speaking, though she spoke English fluently. The SC expected Kisa to know Spanish because she was working in a "Mexican" restaraunt.

That was my first thought as well :P

On the note of China and English, I think it's actually a requirement in pre-college levels of school also.

[Sapphire Silk]

Thoughts from the group? Sucky Customer or just a dig at American Society always complaining about the real southerners in our midst?

PS. The restaurant he visited was in California

Sucky Customer. English may not be the official language, but it is the predominant one, even in So Cal. There is no legal or ethical requirement for a business to always have a Spanish speaking employee on hand. If they don't like it, they don't have to eat there.

Here in B.C., Canada, we have WAY more people who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin than French, and most highschools teach all 3. (French is required to graduate, the others are elective)

I would have figured French in Quebec, but am surprised it is mandatory in BC.

More and more American schools are dropping language requirements at both the high school and college levels, which is a mistake. Schools are doing it largely because the requirement is unpopular, and because it is seen as too expensive.

Which is why we have so many ugly Americans who get upset when abroad and they can't communicate because the locals refuse to cater to their whims (as well they should.)

I did get upset in Quebec City once, when the wait staff and manager refused to speak to me and my friends in English . . . they were laughing at our inability to read the French menu (in an Italian restaurant no less). And that is what pissed me off; it wasn't a genuine I"m sorry, but I just don't under stand but a "stupid Americans, they're so funny response." We were about to walk out (we didn't get sucky about it, just decided to find some place that was bilingual) when a waitress came by and rescued us (she was a native English speaker, and clearly disgusted with her CW's behavior).

I lived in Northern California for almost 5 years, and never had issues with any of the cultural groups over language: not the Spanish speakers, Hmong, Pakistanis, or East Indians. The Hmong, Pakisanti's and Indians usually spoke English well enough to get by, and the Spanisher speakers usually did too, and were always gracious when someone tried to communicate in Spanish with them.

Which is why the customer in the OP was sucky: he's not the norm IMHO.

[Chromatix]

Yesterday I had a weird problem. I ordered fast food... in Finnish... in Finland.

The server got it wrong.

We had to switch to English to get it right.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

When I worked in Jewelry at my call center, there were a few people who were Spanish/English bilingual so if someone requsted a Spanish speaking CSA, they could sometimes get one. I have no idea how those calls were graded, though, as I am pretty sure the person doing it doesn't speak Spanish.

For High End Home Store it's English only. There are no prompts for Spanish or any other language. I still have a few people call in with very thick accents but I can only do so much to help them. Interestingly, once I was able to help someone with a Spanish phone number or something to that effect...thanks to shows like Sesame street, I at least I know most of the 1-digit Spanish number pronunciations! We do have customers from Quebec as well but they do know English, so that's not so bad.

[Ironclad Alibi]

A friend was visiting Quebec a few years ago. He encountered a clerk who refused to speak English, only French. My friend started talking to the clerk in Hungarian. The clerk suddenly spoke English.

Mrs. IA and I took a Mediterranean cruise recently. Mrs. IA majored in French in collage. She went into a store in Italy, but the clerk there did not speak English, nor did Mrs. IA speak Italian. For some unknown reason, Mrs. IA expressed her frustration in French. The clerk spoke French. I got to cool my heels outside for about 15-20 minutes while they had a gab fest. We learned that in Italy anyone over about 35 had learned French in school as a second language. Those under 35 had learned English as their second language.

What do call a person who speaks three languages? Trilingual.

What do call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

What do call a person who speaks one language? American.

[wolfie]

I would have figured French in Quebec, but am surprised it is mandatory in BC.

That dates back to the time of Peter Waterhole (cookies for reference). As to why Canadians outside Quebec are required to take a course in French, while Quebecers are prohibited from learning English in school unless their parents were schooled in English in Quebec, that's a matter for Fratching.

A friend was visiting Quebec a few years ago. He encountered a clerk who refused to speak English, only French. My friend started talking to the clerk in Hungarian. The clerk suddenly spoke English.

What do call a person who speaks three languages? Trilingual.

What do call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

What do call a person who speaks one language? American.

I can imagine a SC visiting Quebec, speaking to the clerk in Parisian French, and berating them for not speaking French properly (there's a difference between Parisian French and Quebecois French).

As for your 3 questions, the third one could also be answered "Pur Laine Quebecois". Going with your answer, what are 2 terms for a sharp tug on a rope? Is it any coincidence that American tourists have a bad reputation in non-Anglophone countries?

[EricKei]

The clerk spoke French.

Well, I guess the the term "Lingua Franca" means something after all ^_^ It wasn't THAT long ago (in the "big picture" sense) that French was the international trade language... was it...?

Not that I speak it; I wish I did. Then again, I specifically wanted to learn Cajun French, mostly so that I could engage in that most worthwhile of pasttimes: pissing off Parisians (<"Hey! I AM speaking French you twit!">). Sadly, it was not to be. I missed out on learning (Austrian-accented) German AND Cajun French in the home due to their being used as the Parental and Extended-Familal "Secret Languages". Dammit. What little I remember of Japanese, I speak better than German or Spanish, both of which I tool in high school.

[CaroPhoenix]

Know I've told this before, but back in the mid 1990s, I used to work at a Roy Rogers restaurant. Which is NOT a "Spanish/Mexican" themed restaurant at all.

Had someone come up to the counter and start ordering in Spanish. I looked mightily confused. They asked (in unaccented) English: "You're not Mexican?" (FTR, I'm dark haired and dark eyed and very fair skinned - my father is 3/4 Irish and my mom's dad was full blood German, so I have their complexions - and I'm normally mistaken for being Italian). I told her that I was not and then my Assistant Manager (from Peru I think, I can't remember - we had several management people from South America) came out from back and the woman ordered from her.

[Athaelia]

I once had a customer complain that I wasn't speaking Spanish.

Yes, I lived in Texas, and I actually do know Spanish, but I really didn't feel like getting bitched at by a crotchety old woman in TWO languages.

The one is enough!