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Ungrateful Natives | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| kyssäkaali Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5553 days ago 203 posts - 376 votes  Speaks: English*, Finnish | Message 81 of 139 13 March 2010 at 5:50pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Nobody's forcing you. If you don't want to speak English, then don't. You are not in an English-speaking country. 70% of your country speaks English fluently and at this rate your language won't last another century. It's up to the natives to do something, but they've all given up their culture for American culture. 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5838 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 82 of 139 13 March 2010 at 5:58pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Hehe ;-) did you deliberately miss my point? What you are saying is certainly true but it was NOT the main point of my rant... Sad that an American notices this tragic situation, but locals don't. Well, like I said in the Scandinavian lounge -- they'll wake up to reality in 2050 or so, when their grandkids address them in English and aren't able to talk proper Swedish. Suddenly won't be so 'cool' and cosmopolitan to use English for everything anymore.. But then it will be too late... Different topic though, and different rant. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Rabochnok Diglot Newbie Colombia Joined 5610 days ago 37 posts - 59 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Turkish, Persian | Message 83 of 139 13 March 2010 at 6:58pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Arekkusu, Wilco, Hello, Spiderkat, and others. That's looking at recently posting French speakers, and only the natives. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| kmart Senior Member Australia Joined 6124 days ago 194 posts - 400 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian | Message 85 of 139 14 March 2010 at 9:30am | IP Logged | ||||||||
My husband says I get this super-helpless look that probably moves people to sympathy, like a baby deer in the car headlights. He often sends me to do errands that involve making unreasonable requests - maybe it was the same thing in Paris... ;-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5838 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 86 of 139 14 March 2010 at 10:00am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Exactly -- it probably matters more how you come across than the exact size of your vocabulary or your grammar skills.
But of course, in any country there are people who are unfriendly to EVERYONE, people who hate foreigners or people who are so busy that they don't have time for nonsense from anyone. They'd be just as dismissive to a local. But a smile, some humility and apologising for your poor skills wins most people sympathy if you are asking directions, shopping or ordering at a restaurant. Try people who are less busy, for example ask an older person for direction. They are also less likely to know English. Remember also cultural differences. In many countries people do NOT strike up conversations with strangers whether they are local, tourists or anything else. If you find this rude, it's YOUR problem. If you want people to give everyone a phony smile, chat about the weather and say "have a nice day", then avoid most of Europe although you could get lucky in Britain. In Southern Europe a good looking woman can have as many "practice conversations" she likes, based on a vocabulary of 10 words... Whereas the same opportunity might not be open for male learners. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| vb Octoglot Senior Member Afghanistan Joined 6422 days ago 112 posts - 135 votes Speaks: English, Romanian, French, Polish, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Russian, Swedish | Message 87 of 139 14 March 2010 at 10:03am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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My experiences:
France: determined: either to force English or deny any knowledge of the place Lithuania: flat-out astonised, very appreciative Romania: couldn't care less either way Italy: pleased Germany: amused and pleased 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| kyssäkaali Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5553 days ago 203 posts - 376 votes Speaks: English*, Finnish | Message 88 of 139 14 March 2010 at 10:18pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I really don't want to say anything because I don't want you to think I'm singling you out or picking on you, but this is so obviously a crack at Americans, being as the whole phony smile and "have a nice day" thing is the stereotype here. That isn't what this thread is about in the slightest. No one here is upset because they can't make small talk with people on the bus. The issue here is much more significant and touches on people being rude to those struggling in their language. I just... don't get it. You really seem to hate English-speakers (at least Americans), and yet here you are. The fact that you automatically go and assume I speak my second language with a thick "English accent" is enough to show me how judgemental you are of either Americans or English-speakers in general. Get. Over. Yourself. Edited by kyssäkaali on 14 March 2010 at 10:19pm 6 persons have voted this message useful |
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