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Getting upset with the lack of English-speaking people in England.

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Reply 200
Original post by chefdave
Hehe, very true. Sadly I feel obliged to point out the racist nature of anti-British sentiment to help lefties come to terms with their double standards, but as a libertarian I'd prefer an environment where we could frankly discuss the pros and cons of all cultures without the need for silly name calling.


I think the problem is "what do we define as racist". If I am honest I have read some comments on TSR that technically have some type racial sentiments attached. However I have also seen comments which I would consider more on the ignorant side rather than racist.
Living in another, highly homogenous, non-English speaking country -- reading opinions like this seem crazy to me now. Having a multicultural society is a great thing, being exposed to different languages and cultures. As for your claim you can barely find any English speakers, that's just hyperbolic nonsense. The vast majority of foreigners I have met in England can speak English to at least an elementary level (but usually pretty or very good English) as well as their native language and perhaps even more languages.

Having a homogenous society where everyone shares exactly the same culture is not a good thing, it just leads to bigotry, narrow perspectives, and moral/cultural stagnation.
i speak both english and my native language, if i am having a conversation with someone who speaks my native language, why should i bother speak in english ???. i will only speak in english when im communicating with those who dont speak my native language.
Original post by swissking
i speak both english and my native language, if i am having a conversation with someone who speaks my native language, why should i bother speak in english ???. i will only speak in english when im communicating with those who dont speak my native language.


Please don't take this as me attacking you, but if you were in a room with two other people who speak your native language, and one person who only spoke English (in England for arguments sake); would you find it unreasonable if the English-only speaker was uncomfortable with the three of you conversing in your native language?
I say this only because I was once in my own kitchen with 3 Chinese girls (my flatmate and her friends) waiting for my Chinese friend (from my course, they didn't know each other at all) to come round, and when he arrived he told me that he'd heard them slagging me off because I couldn't understand them. Also happened with a friend of mine who was in a room with 3 Norwegian people and they were slagging her off because they thought she didn't understand their language (she rang her mum and she said they looked horrified when they realised).

I'm not saying you're the kind of person who would do this, but as someone who has experienced this, would I be unreasonable to be uncomfortable if 3 people were conversing in their native language in a very closed environment with one English-only speaker?

Otherwise, I find this fine. Without trying making a generalisation without knowing you, I assume you're more comfortable speaking your native language when you can, as I assume I would be if I were in a country where the language was different.
Original post by chefdave
Hehe, very true. Sadly I feel obliged to point out the racist nature of anti-British sentiment to help lefties come to terms with their double standards, but as a libertarian I'd prefer an environment where we could frankly discuss the pros and cons of all cultures without the need for silly name calling.


It's worth a try, but in my experience left-wingers are utterly incapable of reflecting on their own actions and beliefs; any attempt to point out their hypocrisy will be met with confusion and denial.

The left has its head so far up its arse that it won't even allow for the possibility that other people have a valid reason for opposing it. Save your breath for more open-minded folk.
When you come on holiday to Wales, or anyone else with this attitude for that matter, or you decide to move to Wales, I hope you'll make the effort to learn to SPEAK Welsh before you come instead of expecting us to change our way of life for you!
Tell you what if you don't like people here not speaking english. Then move to somewhere they do, like India, theres plenty there.
Original post by Playa10
What a moron. Everyone has the freedom of expression. Who do you think you are telling people to learn to speak English? The fact is, they are residing here legally and hence enjoy all the fundamental rights as an Englishmen. You can't go around imposing the obligation to speak English....as long as they don't tell you to speak their language, i don't think you have much to complain. If a shopkeeper doesn't speak English, you should piss off from there. You have the freedom to go to any other shop.


Really, really hoping that you're a troll. If not, then your attitude sucks mate. No wonder Britain's going down the drain. :rolleyes:
Original post by Playa10
What a moron. Everyone has the freedom of expression. Who do you think you are telling people to learn to speak English? The fact is, they are residing here legally and hence enjoy all the fundamental rights as an Englishmen. You can't go around imposing the obligation to speak English....as long as they don't tell you to speak their language, i don't think you have much to complain. If a shopkeeper doesn't speak English, you should piss off from there. You have the freedom to go to any other shop.


So when I was in the hospital and the doctor didn't speak English enough to understand what I was saying to him; that's just fine because he is free not to learn the language?
I arrived at A&E with chest pains but I should just deal with possibly not getting treated effectively and potentially dying because he is in this country and therefore has freedom of speech and is under no obligation to learn the language.
Because that happened, and I asked for another doctor because I could hardly understand him and I didn't think he could understand me. Does that make me unreasonable for expecting him to know English when he's in England?
Reply 209
Original post by lonelyknight
Really, really hoping that you're a troll. If not, then your attitude sucks mate. No wonder Britain's going down the drain. :rolleyes:


Funny you say that....i'm not the one using emoticons to get a point across!!
Reply 210
Original post by minimarshmallow
So when I was in the hospital and the doctor didn't speak English enough to understand what I was saying to him; that's just fine because he is free not to learn the language?
I arrived at A&E with chest pains but I should just deal with possibly not getting treated effectively and potentially dying because he is in this country and therefore has freedom of speech and is under no obligation to learn the language.
Because that happened, and I asked for another doctor because I could hardly understand him and I didn't think he could understand me. Does that make me unreasonable for expecting him to know English when he's in England?


At what point did i say that a doctor shoudn't have to learn to speak English? Please identify it since i can't see it.

I was only referring to shopkeepers who have opened their own business here. They have the freedom of establishment and can choose to establish their business how they see fit. If they are employed by someone else, then they are subject to their rules. So a doctor employed by the NHS must learn to speak English. But a private doctor need not do that. In like manner, a shopkeeper who runs his own business also need not learn English. You are not compelled to go to them, and they should not be compelled to learn English
Original post by effofex
I arrived in the Netherlands knowing only two sentences of Dutch - and they didn't seem to care at all!


They only care if you're Moroccan sadly :frown:
Reply 212
Original post by ShredMaster
They only care if you're Moroccan sadly :frown:


Really? Why is this?
Original post by Playa10
At what point did i say that a doctor shoudn't have to learn to speak English? Please identify it since i can't see it.

I was only referring to shopkeepers who have opened their own business here. They have the freedom of establishment and can choose to establish their business how they see fit. If they are employed by someone else, then they are subject to their rules. So a doctor employed by the NHS must learn to speak English. But a private doctor need not do that. In like manner, a shopkeeper who runs his own business also need not learn English. You are not compelled to go to them, and they should not be compelled to learn English


You referred to foreign nationals in this country, I assumed you meant all of them as you didn't specify shop keepers until you gave an example.

If I was in a private hospital it would have been okay (say that was the closest one and I had health insurance)? No, it would not. My chest pain turned out to be muscular, but if it was worse then the having to try and make myself understood followed by the wait for another doctor could have killed me.
Also, several local corner shops and takeaways have all been overtaken by people who speak poor English, do I just accept the loss of local business and end up having to drive for a pizza because I can't understand them and they can't understand me? If you have to interact with people in a country you live in, you should speak their language.
I don't mind people speaking their own language and every country is filled with people from all other place. No country has ever solely been one group of people and there is nothing wrong with variety.

But I did once feel uneasy about people speaking their own language because they were the only other two people on a bus apart from me and I just feel more comfortable knowing they were talking about their dinner or something than not knowing. But that would be the same if english people were whispering.
Reply 215
Original post by minimarshmallow
You referred to foreign nationals in this country, I assumed you meant all of them as you didn't specify shop keepers until you gave an example.

If I was in a private hospital it would have been okay (say that was the closest one and I had health insurance)? No, it would not. My chest pain turned out to be muscular, but if it was worse then the having to try and make myself understood followed by the wait for another doctor could have killed me.
Also, several local corner shops and takeaways have all been overtaken by people who speak poor English, do I just accept the loss of local business and end up having to drive for a pizza because I can't understand them and they can't understand me? If you have to interact with people in a country you live in, you should speak their language.


In relation to your private hospital example, it is your choice to take out health insurance with them. You could just well take the health insurance with English speaking doctors. At the end of the day, it is your choice.

There is nothing wrong with competition. If British people cannot compete with foreign businesses, then so be it. If you don't want to go to them because they can't speak English, you can open your own business just as they opened their business. They went through the effor of opening and maintaining a successful business and are therefore entitled to run it however they wish so long as they are in conformity with the law. If you opened a business, who am i to tell you how to run it? In same manner, who are you to tell them how to run a business that is already successful?
Original post by atheistwithfaith
Living in another, highly homogenous, non-English speaking country -- reading opinions like this seem crazy to me now. Having a multicultural society is a great thing, being exposed to different languages and cultures. As for your claim you can barely find any English speakers, that's just hyperbolic nonsense. The vast majority of foreigners I have met in England can speak English to at least an elementary level (but usually pretty or very good English) as well as their native language and perhaps even more languages.

Having a homogenous society where everyone shares exactly the same culture is not a good thing, it just leads to bigotry, narrow perspectives, and moral/cultural stagnation.


Ahhh I get it, we should tolerate the intolerate which in turn makes us intolerant even though nobody actually believes in cultural relitivism and only says so for self-gratification and moral superiority?
Original post by prog2djent
Ahhh I get it, we should tolerate the intolerate which in turn makes us intolerant even though nobody actually believes in cultural relitivism and only says so for self-gratification and moral superiority?


If you want to attack a straw man, that's fine, but that's not what I said. I'm not saying we should accept and tolerate every view and opinion of other cultures. Neither am I saying that we should accept others different cultural standpoints as immutable and infallible - but I am saying we should not hold up our OWN as immutable and infallible.

By having an exchange of culture, much like an exchange of ideas, both sides can come away better informed and can cherry pick the positives of the culture while disregarding the perceived negatives. Fighting tooth and nail to maintain some mythical status quo of British culture (a culture which has always changed and evolved) - in my opinion - is not a good thing. By locking the gates and declaring your culture to be complete you are only going to limit your perceptions.

I am currently living in Japan, a country which spent almost 250 years in isolation and even now 98.6% of the population are ethnically Japanese (with a Caucasian population of less than 0.1%). With that level of homogeneity there is a culture of maintaining status quo, fear of taking risks, and a rigid adherence to doing things the way they have always been done -- even when almost everyone agrees it is a pointless/a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, this country has many many positives where it beats many other countries in the world (e.g. politeness, crime, thoughtfulness). But it's lack of cultural diversity seems to prevent it importing good, new, positive ideas. Even the government recognises this lack of internationalisation as something holding them back.

We shouldn't just open up the borders and let everyone enter the country, we shouldn't tolerate things that go against our deep-rooted moral values, we should discourage isolationism of foreign immigrant groups (but we should try to engage them ourselves too), however, the idea that allowing multiculturalism is dooming this country is ridiculous hyperbole. Foreign cultures have, and continue to give us so much.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 218
When you conquer somebody be ready one day they will come and 'conquer' you.

Ask your government why is it so? who and why opened a boarder to foreing cheap labour force!?
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by misswilliams
You know what I really hate is the British (English isn't really appropriate) culture. I hate the way a majority of British people see people of different cultures taking away their right and identity to be British. Because it doesn't really.

Racist views like 'they' are taking our jobs, 'they' should speak out language and 'they' should go back where they belong is awful, ignorant and unfounded.

And the worst thing is most of 'they' are British. Most of the time these people were actually born in Britian and were raised being able to speak another language, which I applaud. 'They' have their own culture and customs which should be celebrated. Not their fault Britain's culture is... er what is it? And how is it being taken away exactly?


I think English is appropriate here, actually. This seems to be fairly restricted to England - in Wales we speak Welsh, at least in the north we do, and yet we don't go to England for a week and demand they speak our language and make our food and live by our culture - and yet, if you look at the English on holiday in places like France or Spain, I've seen people demand that they stop speaking Spanish so that they can understand. No, you learn some of the language (enough to get by) before you go!

I used to work on a holiday site popular with English tourists from the Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester mostly, and I did have a few times where people saw it fit to come up and complain about the Welsh people speaking Welsh, insisting that we should all speak English when they're around because it's rude. If I want to have a conversation with someone who I usually converse with in Welsh, and there is an English person nearby who isn't part of the conversation whatsoever, why should I change to please him?

I'm not expecting them to learn to speak Welsh, because that's just as bad as the OP. If they do come and live here, if they do learn to speak it, that's great, but if they don't, as long as they don't insist we all change for them, it's absolutely fine. I've never seen a Welsh person get as millitant about immigrants and their integration or lack of it as the English do.

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