361 replies to this topic

[Scot]

Hypothesis: nunc has possessed kcrgirl

[Mr. Hobo]

I have no idea who Nunc is, but for some reason I really want to play Pokemon now because the word "Hypothesis" reminds me of an Espeon

Also, who the fuck is Nunc?

That's exactly what Nunc would say!

[Vivendio]

Please be respectful of other cultures.

Just because you cannot communicate with immigrants, does not mean that they are any less worthy of living in America.

Have you ever considered why they may have migrated into America?

And why did the American government let them in?

Don't just say that immigrants are living an 'illegal life'.

America needs foreign investment to sustain its economy.

By the way, America owes China two trillion dollars and China is an increasingly lucrative market - wise up and learn some Chinese.

As a side note, Chinese is not especially difficult to learn and it is definitely NOT spoken using the throat. Try speaking with your throat -.-.

Edited by Vivendio, 16 January 2011 - 01:46 AM.

[Salamanda]

Do you think different Native American tribes raged about their language barriers back in the day? Between other tribes too?
You always see pictures of them signing to the English and smiling/laughing. I'm pretty sure they turned it into a game.

Serious question, I'm curious.
Other than hating english because its speakers brought Syphilis though.

Edited by Salamanda, 16 January 2011 - 01:51 AM.

[Sweeney]

If you want to shop in Chinatown, I think you should learn fucking Chinese, instead.

[Elindoril]

Find it funny how butthurt the Asians are in this thread.

[Vivendio]

If you are a first generation immigrant, who mastered English from scratch, I have nothing more to say.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

N.B: I know Americans who live in their own cultural bubble when overseas and do not take the initiative to engage with the local community.

Do the locals complain? No.

In business, I have never heard of the ridiculous concept of customers adapting to merchants, only the other way round.

Choosing to ignore a potentially money-making market will only be to your disadvantage.

+ the easiest person to change is yourself - go and learn some basic Spanish/Russian/Chinese.

[Elindoril]

Do the locals complain? No.

Do they have to constantly interact with each other in order to buy goods and services?

If not, then they have no reason to complain.

[Georgina]

Tbh jcrg I understand what you mean, but for me it depends more on their whole attitude when communicating more than their lack of English language knowledge.

I don't mind at all when someone trys their best to communicate with you with hand signals, nodding, and other body language but when I talk to someone who doesn't speak any English, and expects you to understand them, being irritable, and impatient while giving off the attitude that you are the one who's in the wrong that really pisses me off, its usually them with the elitist attitude then! And I hate to say it, but where I live, and from my own experience, the Chinese are the worst for that.

[Boggart]

Tbh jcrg I understand what you mean, but for me it depends more on their whole attitude when communicating more than their lack of English language knowledge.

I don't mind at all when someone trys their best to communicate with you with hand signals, nodding, and other body language but when I talk to someone who doesn't speak any English, and expects you to understand them, being irritable, and impatient while giving off the attitude that you are the one who's in the wrong that really pisses me off, its usually them with the elitist attitude then! And I hate to say it, but where I live, and from my own experience, the Chinese are the worst for that.

it's usually because we Chinese (well maybe "them Chinese") don't NEED to speak English to get along perfectly well in life. They have a lot of people who only speak Chinese, thus they simply interact with each other.

I know that when I go to a restaurant, seeing that I'm chinese, they'll instantly talk Chinese to me and since I've been born here all my life, my Chinese is only moderate at best (and I can't read) which sometimes results in me needing to speak English. When they sometimes fail to understand me, I don't think "ugh, you should learn my language", I think "ugh I feel so stupid for not knowing Chinese better".

[Georgina]

it's usually because we Chinese (well maybe "them Chinese") don't NEED to speak English to get along perfectly well in life. They have a lot of people who only speak Chinese, thus they simply interact with each other.

I know that when I go to a restaurant, seeing that I'm chinese, they'll instantly talk Chinese to me and since I've been born here all my life, my Chinese is only moderate at best (and I can't read) which sometimes results in me needing to speak English. When they sometimes fail to understand me, I don't think "ugh, you should learn my language", I think "ugh I feel so stupid for not knowing Chinese better".

That's not an excuse for rudeness to people who don't speak it though?

[Tigerzz]

Fuck that, you come to England, you learn English. We invented the god damn thing!

This couldn't be said more simpler.
I agree with half of what you're saying, like when i go to a fast food restaurant in the town center and ask for some food, i get some polish/indian/some person that can't speak english that asks me three times over, then still gets my order wrong. THESE PEOPLE PISS ME OFF and should learn FULL english before stealing jobs in England. I also don't like how americans get all touchy when people don't speak English, personally i think americans should have their own language in stead of claiming english as their own and changing it to make stupid words and making them sound lame. I hate the phrase "In america, we speak english and if you can't follow by those rules, you can get out of my house". You people, ha. Well that's another story.

[Boggart]

That's not an excuse for rudeness to people who don't speak it though?

haha that was my point. If they don't speak English, I don't blame them for not speaking it well enough, I blame myself for not learning Chinese well enough, especially since I've had many opportunities to improve (such as my everyday life xD).

it was a struggle for my family to learn English, and they came in their late twenties, so I know how hard it is

[Georgina]

haha that was my point. If they don't speak English, I don't blame them for not speaking it well enough, I blame myself for not learning Chinese well enough, especially since I've had many opportunities to improve (such as my everyday life xD).

it was a struggle for my family to learn English, and they came in their late twenties, so I know how hard it is

Oh lol sorry, the Chinese bit confused me.

Yea I totally understand its not easy to learn another language, and wouldn't expect anyone to, but for example, when I go on holiday to Spain or w/e I learn a couple of words, yes, no, thank you, etc. And when communicating I point things out and try make it as easy as I can for the other person.

And before anyone starts throwing around the racist accusations, I have nothing against Chinese people, one of my best friends is Chinese, just people who act like my previous statement, and around here, its unfortunately true, that its people who are Chinese.

Edited by Georgina, 16 January 2011 - 09:05 AM.

[togepi]

Holy shit, at first I seriously thought this was a troll. I'm still not too sure yet. Shit like this isn't any different from the dumb fucks trying to put God in school and government - we're not a Christian nation. They're both as ignorant. The only thing wrong is your lack of motivation to understand. You come here and you complain about people and a lifestyle you don't know a damn thing about. You obviously don't know shit about not being able to understand another language. Let's say you moved to Italy because you wanted to start a new, prosperous life. You don't know shit about Italian, do you? Now imagine when you try to communicate with them and you can't. How mad would you get? Seriously, think before you say stupid things.
As for learning the language for citizenship? Most people come here and learn the language. God forbid it's not at the level of your satisfaction. Both my parents moved here in the 80's and one can speak perfectly, even without an accent. Hence, they learn from their surroundings. It's motivation to learn and try harder to understand. If they have an area where they can speak their first, most comfortable language, then they will. Again, if you were in Italy and you found a tiny town of English, wouldn't you be content staying there with what you're comfortable with? Again, fucking think before you spew shit.

[Kido]

Mwahaha, my people are taking over. It's working

YEAH! XD

And honestly. If you don't like it. Just stay out of that area. People aren't gonna just change their language for English speakers. To them you guys are like only 5% of the sales and in some cases they don't even bother with you

Edited by Kuro, 16 January 2011 - 10:23 AM.

[Wil]

The problem here is communication. That being said I suggest taking 25 milligrams of deal with it and understanding that just because you live somewhere, doesn't mean that you are entitled to anything besides the property which you live on.

Or maybe the problem is that I'm too handsome. It's tough differentiating problems at times.

[Frank274]

YEAH! XD

And honestly. If you don't like it. Just stay out of that area. People aren't gonna just change their language for English speakers. To them you guys are like only 5% of the sales and in some cases they don't even bother with you

The truth is that this isn't just a "that area" problem. Have you ever been to a McDonalds where the workers and managers hardly speak English? Tell me how pissed off you'd be if they messed up your order 3 or 4 times in a row because they don't understand the words "double cheeseburger." I agree with the OP in that everyone in America should know English. Would you move to Mexico and not know any Spanish? I didn't think so. I understand that America is the land of the free and all that jazz, but I'm sick of having to press 1 to continue in English. When the Navy ships me to other countries, you can bet your ass I will sit down and attempt to learn the language.

If you have the time to file for a greencard, you have the time to learn some English. Go ahead and call me a racist asshole, IDGAF. If you're in America, you should learn English. If you're in France, learn French. If you are in China, learn some damn Chinese!

[Acheron]

lolololol

I share a love/hate relationship with chinese. Speaking it is easy but writing and recognizing words/reading is a bitch. (Seriously, there are like over thousands of pictographs.)

Anyway, nothing much you can do. You could pick up chinese or try and motivate your neighbourhood to learn basic conversational english. Or just make friends with some of the people who speaks chinese & english, that way they could help with translation and you could also slowly learn a language.

[Ali]

I'm always highly sceptical that some of the international students at my university have the language skills to be undertaking higher education in English. I know people who aren't capable of basic conversation, so how they can possibly be writing anything academic at a level suitable for a 4th year undergrad, I have no idea.

It's irritating but I've lived abroad and I know how frustrating it can be when you're not able to say what you want and that was with a good grasp of French. I can't imagine how alienating it must be to not know anything. I do know that the more you know of a language, the better your life gets while in that country. I was almost sad to leave Paris despite hating a lot of my time there.

Learning a language isn't easy for a lot of people, it isn't quick and once you're out of education, it often isn't cheap (the only entirely free way I can think of is through books from the library and that certainly isn't easy a lot of the time). If you're a single parent, working a minimum wage job in a desperate attempt to support your family, it probably IS difficult to learn English. Of course it doesn't give anyone the right to be rude to you while you try to do your job but you don't know their individual circumstances either.

[Ziz]

The truth is that this isn't just a "that area" problem. Have you ever been to a McDonalds where the workers and managers hardly speak English? Tell me how pissed off you'd be if they messed up your order 3 or 4 times in a row because they don't understand the words "double cheeseburger."

That is also McDonald's fault for hiring people that doesn't know to speak the required languaje.
It's the obligation of those places to hire the required kind of people for a job.

But, as I said before. What is wrong with an non-english speaking janitor? (or similar jobs that don't need interaction with another languaje speaking costumers)

[Elindoril]

And honestly. If you don't like it. Just stay out of that area.

You fail to realize that she works in that area, thus she has to be there and has to deal with the people. If she didn't, I really doubt she'd be at the level of mad that she is.