Should American Employees Speak English?

originally posted by: wylekat
a reply to: Bluntone22

Others' mileage may vary, but I cannot speak another language. It's not from lack of trying and almost nonstop Spanish lessons in school, either. I just... cannot. Genetics, biological, I really am unsure of the reason. When I was in Japan, I tried like HELL to learn Japanese. I mangled the language so bad, the locals requested I just stop. I got a gold star for effort.

That's to bad that you have trouble with Spanish. The funny thing is that if you go to Mexico you will find the streets full of locals who speak English. So someone please explain to me why the only ones that come here are the ones not smart enough to learn it before coming?

Its called "Reconquista" and it's quite deliberate. On some level at least.

This shows a failure at many levels.

a reply to: Bluntone22

LOL ya sign language doesn't work well.. I agree 110%

originally posted by: Sheye
I’ve noticed in my city ( Canadian city )...in certain stores there are a larger number of immigrants working, and some are very difficult to understand with their heavy accents ,when trying to speak English. As long as they are not offended if I ask to speak to someone with less of an accent, or who understands my questions in English, and direct me to such an employee, its all good.

Not just immigrants. Try to understand a Newfie if you aren't used to their accent. Think Mickey:

a reply to: StallionDuck

Yes Americans should speak English. But real English. The Queens English. Not some bastardized distorted version.

It is common sense that you should speak the language that the money of the country is printed in.

a reply to: MikeA

I'm from AZ!

My mom would turn away those who claimed not speak English ** every day ** at the AZ Tax Office where she was a manager.

It was funny how they'd always change back to English to pay their liquor tax to retain their license to sell.

Yes, English should be the national language of business inside the US to avoid confusion. As English is the standard language for international air traffic control and UTC is the standard for time keeping. You can’t have all of those pilots taking directions in ten different languages.

I have traveled around the world and I always make an effort to get by in the native language. A few simple phrases will usually work. Oh, and try to be pleasant and respectful goes a long way.

In the service industry you get what you pay for when hiring people. I ran a small restaurant way back and always paid my employees a little bit above minimum wage and believe me it was worth it as I always had good employees. It was only 25 cents an hour above minimum wage and I had 4 employees and was open for 8 hours a day. Believe me the extra 8 dollars a day was well worth it to have decent employees. Tips were also split equally between serving staff, the other cook and the dishwasher. (Not me though as that is illegal where I live because I was the business owner). Never did anyone eat off of dirty dishes as the dishwasher was happy, and I had a top notch line cook who worked hard as she new if the food was good, there was a better chance of a higher tip out at the end of the work day.

Could you actually imagine how big of an overstep it would be if the government dictated to me what language I would service my customers in?

What if i live along the border, and prefer to employ bilingual people (at a premium for the skill)? What if i am running an old english theme party? Or maybe putting on shows in a native tongue in Puerto Rico? What about music?

LOL

Its none of the governments business what language me and my customers speak when we interact and exchange goods. They get their taxes. Thats all they need worry about.

originally posted by: intrepid
Yeah, it happens. Here it's French in Quebec though. Not often but it still happens. # Trois-Rivières!!!

Different deal in la belle province, though. Not that I like it, but it is what it is. I should add, though, that in a number of trips there, it has never been an issue for me.

originally posted by: intrepid
Not just immigrants. Try to understand a Newfie if you aren't used to their accent.

Now, you being a Bluenoser and all, you should know that CFAs don't get to call Newfoundlanders "Newfies"!

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: Freeborn
Whenever I've visited foreign countries I have always tried to learn some basic words and phrases.....usually related to ordering beer and food.

You mean like:
Dos cervesa por favor. I've got that one down. It's important.

Don't forget "Dónde está el baño, por favor?"

a reply to: StallionDuck

Let take this to its natural conclusion.

Should the Captain of a navy Destroyer or nuclear sub be required to speak & understand english?

The reason the "International Phonetic Alphabet" exists......happens to be the answer.

a reply to: efabian

I'm Puerto Rican as well. Why is language assosciated with cultural assimilation? People are better off as thinking of english as a skill as well as any other language. Assuming that people not speaking English made a personal choice not to will lead to new foreigners thinking there is some prejudice against them. I think if people from United States went somewhere foreign to them like Mongolia they would be helpless to the language as well. Spanish is similar to english, thank goodness we don't have entire communities speaking mumbo jumbo or some remote asian/african language and refusing to learn English when they come. That would be a REAL language barrier problem to get over. If language was really about assimilating into American country, we would all need to learn how to speak native american languages as English belongs to England.

originally posted by: Trueman
a reply to: StallionDuck

People living in USA refusing to learn English are stupid. I joined ATS to improve my English, which is far from perfect but at least I try.

You seem to be doing a damn good job of it. Better than some natives.

originally posted by: efabian
*answering to OP*

Si!
People need to asimilate, period.
And this is coming from a Puerto Rican.

My dad has told me a few times about when he was growing up, going to school. I've always thought it was kind of a funny story. Being Cajun, almost all of my family speak Cajun French. When he was going to school, they didn't know much english and were not allowed to speak French. If they did, the nuns would smack them with a ruler. lol

Some of my great grandparents couldn't speak english at all. That was part of the reason I had to learn a second language because I adored them and I wanted to communicate. Though, back then, you really didn't need to learn english because there were many around that could speak both languages and since they were farmers and in a Cajun community, mostly everyone spoke French as a primary and English as secondary.

Today, it's by far, leaps and bounds different. It's more or less required if you want to communicate outside one's household, or at very least, outside of one's community.

Personally, I don't have an issue with it, just as long as the other is willing to be patient and try to understand as I am. It's kind of fun.

a reply to: StallionDuck

Simple Answer , Yes .

Yes, they should.

originally posted by: alldaylong

originally posted by: howtonhawky

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: howtonhawky

short for american english.

No such language as " American English "

English is English and nothing else. Did you find " American English " on that list ?

Your list is lacking if it does not include the american english language.

that is a fact

Type me a few sentences in " American English " I will see if i can understand it.

As i don't speak " American English " logic says that i won't be able to.

Type me a few sentences in British English and I'll tell you if I can understand all of it.

There are many types of Spanish just like there are many types of English. They're all languages. There are words taken from one language that many times get adapted in others. English is more or less a mutt language but there are still many variants of 'English'.