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way O/T fluent broken english

J

JD2ACWD

Member
I work with several people that do not speak fluent english,makes things very interesting at times,a couple speak spanish and quite a few speak hindu,I speak northern wisconsin,if you know what I mean! anyone else have to deal with this?
 
everyday here, a lot of workers speak spanish, they wont learn english, and as an american i wont learn spanish if i cant get thru with redneck sign language, i go get a helper who speaks english my feeling is if i was to move to any other country on this planet, i would be required to learn enough of the native language to communicate, people comming to america should do the same
 
Oh boy,let me tell you about an embassasing situation on Board of Review. Some guy from Pakistan or India or somewhere like that came in. He had bought the local motel and wanted us to explain his assessment notice to him. So the woman on the board who was sitting right next to me speaks very slowly to me and says "he doesn't speak English very well,so speak vveerryy sslloowwllyy". I said you dolt,if he's going to understand me if I speak slowly,I think he just understood you!
 
I have ads on craig's list, every day I do the hindoo limbo! You know, How low can you go??? Spoken in apoo's dialect, from the Simpsons!
 
To my knowledge, there's one official language in the U.S., ENGLISH.
If they move here, they should have to learn it. If we moved to their countries, there would be no accomodation for us, and we'd HAVE to learn whatever language they spoke, for sure.
In Canada, it's called multiculturalism. They come here, we have to change to suit them. Or else we're called rednecks, racists, and white supremacists.
 
In my career I've worked with hundreds of folks to whom English is not their native language. A mix of Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Filipino, German, just about everything, really. It's pretty obvious to any rational person that if they come to the US and speak English they're going to do better than if they don't, so I doubt the folks ericlb is dealing with WON'T speak English. I suspect they can't and would learn it if they could. Some folks take to languages quickly, some don't.
 
I work construction. Boss has hired LOTS of hispanics, hopefully cheaply, as their work is not up to standard most times! The ones that speak NO english are not much problem. The ones that tell you exactly what you wanted them to say after giving instructions are the WORST. It becomes painfully obvious they did not understand, and now a mess has been created. How can they speak so well, yet have NO clue what you said? I agree, they should speak English, as I would have to speak their language in their country!
 
Grandpa packed up his family & came to U.S. in 1909. Mom was 3 yr old at the time. Kids learned English in school, taught Grandpa & Gramdma at home. He spoke German at home his whole life, but outside his home spoke fair English.
There is no official language in the U.S.A. Colonies were under English rule when settled, so the language stuck by common useage.
Most progressive countries teach English as second language so people can business around the world.
By International Treaty, all commercial airline communication between pilots & traffic controllers worldwide is in English.
Just my 3 cents.
Willie
 
(quoted from post at 17:40:56 03/23/12) The ones that tell you exactly what you wanted them to say after giving instructions are the WORST. It becomes painfully obvious they did not understand, and now a mess has been created. !
Click to expand...

Was lost in a 5 ton wrecker in a big city in korea, came on two police directing traffic and asked them the best I could for the place I was looking for. They jabbered a little and one looked up with a big smile and said "go straight on this road"... Drove out of the city.... turned and went back, ran into the same cops... and got a smile with "go straight on this road".... Gave it up and went somewhere and parked and called the MP's to get us and escort us.....
 
I'm a Texan who married a New Yorker, talk about a language barrier !

I told her the next time Vanna White and the Wheel of Fortune is in town, I'm gonna buy her an "R".

That cost me a night on the couch !
 
What I've always wondered if I go to Germany and don't attempt to speak German I am considered rude. If I go to France and don't attempt to speak French I'm arrogant. If I go to Spain , or Italy or Greece and don't attempt to speak or learn any of their language I'm an ugly American. But If I were to move to The United States of America from Mexico Americans are rude, arrogant and ugly because they haven't learned Spanish.
 
German was the way of life around this area starting back about 1800, school was in german. Most did learn english. Now come WW 1 and the use of german was outlawed and no longer allowed to be taught. So if our cultures from that far back had to give up our language then any of the new imigrants comming in should have to give up there language and learn and use english. I know I am not a good speller but usually not too far off to be understood.
 
I live in Missouri, and broken English is the best the natives can do. Grammar is an elderly female relative around here.
 
We deal with it all the time where I work. Small company with several Hispanics and several from African countries that I don't know what they speak. They are all people who will take a $8 - $10 per hour job.
 
Ron, much of NS was gaelic up to pretty recently. Large parts were french, few small pockets left. Still some big german areas and dutch areas. Works pretty well.

Up in NB we are something like 1/2 french. Half our office is french. Works out pretty well. They can speak english and most of us can speak french or at least understand it. Some people in our province on both sides refuse to learn the others language which is a shame as we're all pretty similar. My generation is a little more open about it as it opens up 2x the dating opportunities when you're young!
 
You must not have to deal with the "urban" dialect. anyone remeber the "ebonics" hooey from a while back?
 
One of the guys I worked with was overseeing a bridge painting contract. A Greek bridge painter from Chicago got the winning bid. Every man on the crew spoke Greek - no English. The foreman was a real nice guy, and they did very good work, but he couldn't understand a word Kenny said, and vice versa. If something came up and Kenny couldn't solve it with sign language, the foreman would give him a business card that said "Call this number". Kenny and the foreman would drive to a pay phone (before cells). A lady would answer the phone - she spoke perfect English - Kenny would tell her what he wanted, then hand the phone to the foreman. He'd rattle on with the lady in Greek, then hang up and go do exactly what Kenny wanted him to do.
 
Guys, A little knowledge and a bit of history might temper some of your hostility. For many years we had foreign speaking groups, sects and conclaves in America. It did not seem to be devisive? or did it?

A few examples.

The Amana colonies, German farm communities of the mid-west, Norwegian communities of the great lakes, Hasidic Jews of New York. China town of NYC or S.F. Polish communities in Buffalo, Italian groups in upstate NY. These were all good citizens of good moral character that worked hard, paid their taxes and lived by the law.

Now today, we have many 5 generation Americans that bastardize our language to the point that it is incomprehensible jiberish and they can not write a intellegent sentence, or add a column of numbers. Many don't work because of their inability to communicate basically in their "native" language.

I'll cut to the chase. Given a choice between a person who speaks some bastardized local english dialec and has not worked in 3 generations versus someone who shows up every day, works his butt off , and tries hard to do the job well even if he can't express himself in english...pick one.

If you are paying the bill, which one do you hire?....or support with your tax dollars?
 
I am a great teacher !!! I taught a whole landsccaping crew(10) English in 5 minutes. Told the ONLY English speaker in the group that if I couldn't get his men to understand what and how I needed the job done I would have to lay them off. I think I might be teacher of the year because they all picked up English immediately.
 
(quoted from post at 19:09:01 03/23/12) To my knowledge, there's one official language in the U.S., ENGLISH.
If they move here, they should have to learn it. If we moved to their countries, there would be no accomodation for us, and we'd HAVE to learn whatever language they spoke, for sure.
Click to expand...

Actually, there is no official language of the United States of America.
 
I used to be a GM for a large tree trimming outfit we had a lot of spanish speaking employees.
It's funny how they all understood and could speak english when they found out I wouldn't pay wages for non english speaking personnel?
 
It seems to me that most people who have an issue with non-English speaking people isn't that they aren't understood. In most cases they are (as you have all proven with your stories of how fast crews can "learn" English). I think the bigger problem is that most people are a combination of nosy, insecure and uncomfortable and can't stand not knowing what someone else is saying.
 
I deal with it all the time in the construction industry. I've got one guy I do alot of work for that's from Peru and he speaks pretty good English. On his crews there is usually one guy that speaks pretty good English that can tell me what's wrong with the machine so I can fix it.

While I agree with the post below about having someone that can't speak English over someone who does but is too lazy to work, I also agree with another post. That one is the one concerning how the rest of the world looks at people who move to their country and don't learn the language. Having spent 6 years in the Navy and visited every country that borders the Med, plus several others, I can vouch for the truth in the sentiment expressed. The way I always express it is that everyone in the world will speak English if they want to sell you something bad enough ((((many Egyption 'hay joe's' speak multiple languages))) when it comes to anything else the typical thought expressed is F U...Yankie go home....
 
I used to work at a chicken factory, comunication break down happened every night.

One quick funny story, we had a Hawaiian guy come out to work on the catch crews. I felt sorry for him. Every time a new Mexican came out he would start try'n to talk to him in Spanish and get mad when he didn't understand them.

Dave
 
Well...............It's supposed to be, but when you fly to Mexico, the Mexican controllers talk to the Mexican airline pilots in Spanish. And in Canada the Canadian controllers will talk to their domestic airline guys in French!
 
I deal with this all the time when we fly to Mexico! Usually it goes smooth but if I need something out of the routine they either run get an English speaker or there's a bit of gestering and pointing to get the job done. Everyone working toward the same goal so there's usually not much problem.

An airport job in Mexico is a big deal and they take it seriously.
 
....a...a..hello?

Hello,

....a...a...hello?

Is this Mac's Concrete?

....a....a...yes

Let me speak to Mac

....a.....a...who is that

Mac, Mac, the guy that owns the place.

OH ....a...well..a

Big guy, bald head, big belly, red suspenders?

....oh ( 30 seconds of silence)..he ain't here

Can you take a message for Mac?

....a... no....can you call him back later?

When will Mac be back?

....a ...don't know.

I hang up.

30 minutes later my phone rings

"We are calling to survey how satisfied you were with the way your recent call to Mac's Concrete was handled?
 
Want to talk about butchered English? Come on down to Trinidad, West Indies! After eight years living in Brazil speaking Portugese and eleven years living in Mexico with Spanish, plus around seven years in southern Louisiana with the Cajuns, trying to understand Trinidad English is probably the hardest. About half the folks are originally from India, the other half from Africa and if I'm not paying absolute attention, it sounds like they are speaking some unknown language. Aside from that, some of the most friendly and polite people I've ever been around.
 
There are still a lot of areas where people speak the language of the countries their parents came from.My grand mother came from France in the early 1900s with 2 little girls.Her husband had come over first to work in the textile mills in Woonsocket RI.The city had strong water power and was all textile mills.Most of the cities residents came from Canada and France.Many of the big mills were built by French companies.They brought skilled workers from France.My mother and her brothers and sisters spoke english and French.They tended to speak French at home,English elsewhere.I could understand French when I was younger but never spoke it much.Learning another language is not easy.Any one of you who get nasty when people speak their native language should try to learn a foreign language.The town I grew up in had a large Italian population.My Mom and Dad taught me that good people come in all colors and speak many languages..Nuff said.
 
All airline communications around the world are spoken in English.

That's all I know about that.Chaos would happen if you needed to know all the different languages.

Vito
 
Well howdy yall. Down here is Texas were overrun with folks from all over. I recken ya just gota try a little harder, speshly at one of them convenience stores.
 
After reading all the comments there is one ya'll forgot and thats the Amish people that speak a different language altogether. It seem to be a bastardized form of German and Dutch. I can understand a word here and there but it is very much a separate language.
 
Tech line at computer outfits is always tough- usually east Indian, Pakistani, or thereabouts. Add the fact that I don't hear as well as I used to, and am a techno-idiot to boot, and its difficult.

But to their credit, they try very hard, and don't get impatient if I ask them to repeat. Me, even if I want to rant to them, I can't, because I really need the help to get up and running again.

Last guy was a jewel- it was a tough problem, took at least a half hour of him trying different stuff, but it finally worked. He was so happy he even tried to joke with me a little, although he really didn't know how English joking works. I gave him a rave review, hope it helped.
 
Sure have. When I go there, I have to learn their language. I don't expect preferential treatment just because I'm an outsider.
 
Well, I said _supposed_ to be, that is to be in accordance to ICAO. I know airline flying since it's my 9 to 5, so to speak.

All the controllers have to be able to speak english, but will frequently use their native tongue when talking to native pilots.
 
Well, how about a little trivia: Where in the world am I from? --- Nope, I ain't from around here....ain't no Okie, that's for sure!! ....
Just curious to see where everyone is placing me.... since first impressions are many times deceiving!
Ralph in Oklahoma.
PS: I WILL tell y'all later....!
 
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