Speak English! Options

[radhikaeatsraman]

Okay, here's the deal. Hosing (known as Hosing Yu in chat) works in retail twice a week. He will sometimes get customers who don't know English or even bother trying to speak it. It gets him pretty annoyed, and I can see where he's coming from. Yen, on the other hand, believes we shouldn't be angry or irritated with these people and try to be understanding.

I believe that while in the United States, you should at least make the effort to speak English, even if it's not the best. If you don't want to do that, stick with someone who can speak it. Don't go up to people expecting them to speak whatever language. Yes, this is the US, and yes, there are many different cultures here, but there is one language that unites us; that language is ENGLISH. I wish some people would just realize that.

[*digital.fragrance*]

Sometimes I take offense to people who speak another language right in front of me... like one of my friends speaks to her mother in her native language, and I can hear my name "rachael" in their conversation. Her mom can understand Engliish.

[eternalyfe]

Sometimes I take offense to people who speak another language right in front of me... like one of my friends speaks to her mother in her native language, and I can hear my name "rachael" in their conversation. Her mom can understand Engliish.

Yeah, that's extremely rude. I used to have a boyfriend who spoke German and English as well as his mother. So sometimes when I'd be over, they'd start talking right in front of me in German. Sometimes the conversation would be like five minutes long. I'd just stand there feeling embaressed and wondering what to do.
Sometimes I'd understand parts of the conversation because I take German in school.

[AngelinaTaylor]

Yeah, that's extremely rude. I used to have a boyfriend who spoke German and English as well as his mother. So sometimes when I'd be over, they'd start talking right in front of me in German. Sometimes the conversation would be like five minutes long. I'd just stand there feeling embaressed and wondering what to do.
Sometimes I'd understand parts of the conversation because I take German in school.

There's nothing wrong with that unless they're talking about you. Sometimes it's easier to say what you want to say in your own language. My family always speaks Bulgarian.