The Student Room Group

This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

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

It doesn't feel like England is actually English any more. At least not in certain cities. I'm surrounded by so many people who don't speak English, it feels like I'm a tourist in my own country. It makes me feel awkward and uneasy. I don't know what they are saying, nor why so many Europeans insist on shouting at each other, whilst the Asians shout at people on their phones. So many people come here and don't make the effort to integrate at all with our society, so subsequently it's getting washed out. England does have a culture, and people who come here should embrace it, not smother it with their cultures from other countries. It's not un-PC to reserve Englishness!

I hate going into a shop and not being understood. I'm English! If you have a job where you are working in England and speaking to English people then you should know English! Why can people like that get jobs when so many of our own can't get them - and no it's not laziness.

It's just really making me upset. I hate the people on here who complain about how **** England is, and have their flags as India or Ghana, but they would never actually live there. If you're English, you're English. If you hate this country, you can piss off.

Unfortunately anonymous because this is spurred on by my girlfriend and her family who keep insisting that I should learn their language. No, you're in England, you learn English!

Scroll to see replies

Unfortunately anonymous because this is spurred on by my girlfriend and her family who keep insisting that I should learn their language. No, you're in England, you learn English!


I hope your girlfriend finds this, reads this, and dumps you.
(edited 11 years ago)
Make Britain British innit!
Why where does your girlfriend come from? I agreed with most of the post but whinging about it isn't gonna do anything accept make you look like a bnp activist.
England doesn't exist. England is a piece of rock in the North sea. It's a very nice rock to be fair, I like the rock, but it is just a rock. Share the rock, let other people onto the rock and then maybe we'll get over this whole "He's a different colour, he worships a different make believe friend from me, he speaks a different language to me".

I hope when you go on holiday you get angry at people who wear England football shirts and speak in English to the locals. But somehow I doubt it.
Original post by DavidTheYoung
England doesn't exist. England is a piece of rock in the North sea. It's a very nice rock to be fair, I like the rock, but it is just a rock. Share the rock, let other people onto the rock and then maybe we'll get over this whole "He's a different colour, he worships a different make believe friend from me, he speaks a different language to me".

I hope when you go on holiday you get angry at people who wear England football shirts and speak in English to the locals. But somehow I doubt it.


Actually I do. I always try to learn some basic phrases. I have a number of phrase books. I avoid those in football shirts like the plague because I think it's arrogant. I also avoid English pubs and cafes when I'm abroad, and always try to order food in the language of the country I'm in. I make the effort so I think others should too.

England is more than a rock. It's a lifestyle. A collection of centuries of modern history.
Reply 6
If I came to England and everyone had the attitude you had I would certainly not want to integrate!
Original post by Anonymous
It doesn't feel like England is actually English any more. At least not in certain cities. I'm surrounded by so many people who don't speak English, it feels like I'm a tourist in my own country. It makes me feel awkward and uneasy. I don't know what they are saying, nor why so many Europeans insist on shouting at each other, whilst the Asians shout at people on their phones. So many people come here and don't make the effort to integrate at all with our society, so subsequently it's getting washed out. England does have a culture, and people who come here should embrace it, not smother it with their cultures from other countries. It's not un-PC to reserve Englishness!

I hate going into a shop and not being understood. I'm English! If you have a job where you are working in England and speaking to English people then you should know English! Why can people like that get jobs when so many of our own can't get them - and no it's not laziness.

It's just really making me upset. I hate the people on here who complain about how **** England is, and have their flags as India or Ghana, but they would never actually live there. If you're English, you're English. If you hate this country, you can piss off.

Unfortunately anonymous because this is spurred on by my girlfriend and her family who keep insisting that I should learn their language. No, you're in England, you learn English!


Indeed I do. British citizen and taxpayer as well.

Oh and England does not have much of a culture, it is mostly binge drinking and social networking, if people come here legally and bring their own culture and interests, great. I say we take the best of all of them and make a new culture instead of making people feel unwelcome.
Reply 8
I think people should make an effort to learn English if they live here. I mean I don't give a damn where anyone is from, as long as you are a decent human being, I'll respect you but to go somewhere and expect them to know your language is rude and unreasonable. If wanted to move to, for example, Spain, I would make the effort to learn Spanish.


(I'll probably be negged into next month).
Reply 9
Original post by Anonymous
It doesn't feel like England is actually English any more. At least not in certain cities. I'm surrounded by so many people who don't speak English, it feels like I'm a tourist in my own country. It makes me feel awkward and uneasy. I don't know what they are saying, nor why so many Europeans insist on shouting at each other, whilst the Asians shout at people on their phones. So many people come here and don't make the effort to integrate at all with our society, so subsequently it's getting washed out. England does have a culture, and people who come here should embrace it, not smother it with their cultures from other countries. It's not un-PC to reserve Englishness!

I hate going into a shop and not being understood. I'm English! If you have a job where you are working in England and speaking to English people then you should know English! Why can people like that get jobs when so many of our own can't get them - and no it's not laziness.

It's just really making me upset. I hate the people on here who complain about how **** England is, and have their flags as India or Ghana, but they would never actually live there. If you're English, you're English. If you hate this country, you can piss off.

Unfortunately anonymous because this is spurred on by my girlfriend and her family who keep insisting that I should learn their language. No, you're in England, you learn English!
While in essence I agree with the majority of what you said, your last paragraph is a huge letdown. Your girlfriend is foreign, and you must have known that when you got with her. If you want to be with her, you must learn to accept her ethnicity and - yes - learn her country's language. It's just simple respect, man! Otherwise, you should split up with her and find yourself a good English girl, preferably from a small town or village where there's no chance of any inter-racial mingling having happened.
Reply 10
Original post by Wilfred Little
Oh and England does not have much of a culture, it is mostly binge drinking and social networking, if people come here legally and bring their own culture and interests, great. I say we take the best of all of them and make a new culture instead of making people feel unwelcome.


That just shows how naive you are. England has a fantastic culture; our values and morals are looked upon the world over as being fair and reasonable. You only have to spend a very short time abroad to see the UK's influence and culture when viewed from the outside.

Its not about making feel unwelcome - if they want to live here they should want to learn the language. Otherwise it just looks like they are just coming for the benefits, which lets face it, plenty of them are. People come here to take advantage of the benefits of being British - the NHS, the social security, what jobs there are available. We are unable to stop people from Europe coming across and having expensive operations done on the NHS. Go to Lithuania and try and get free heathcare from their government. Doesnt happen.

Its a human rights problem - we have lost control of our own borders and our own national security in an effort to please Europe. The whole issue about deporting preachers of hate is a joke. In what world are we not allowed to deport someone who is rallying his followers to blow up UK buildings and citizens?! His home country will happily accept him, we want rid of him but the EU court of human rights says we're not allowed. *******s to the EU, if one person dies because of something he says what about their Human Rights. In plenty of countries he would be in prison for the rest of his life, or put to death - and in plenty of other countries he would have been deported the moment he was convicted, to serve his jail time in his own countries prisons.
Reply 11
Original post by Wilfred Little
Indeed I do. British citizen and taxpayer as well.

Oh and England does not have much of a culture, it is mostly binge drinking and social networking, if people come here legally and bring their own culture and interests, great. I say we take the best of all of them and make a new culture instead of making people feel unwelcome.


I find this really offensive. How dare you say that England doesn't have a culture! We have full English breakfasts, elevenses, tea and digestive biscuits, afternoon tea, Sunday roast dinners with all the trimmings. We have country fairs with food competitions, fish and chips on the beach followed by a Mr Whippy. Watching Made in Chelsea, The Only Way of Essex, Desperate Scousewives. All from different parts on England and all with different cultures.

How dare you say we should ignore all that and make a new culture? No, our old culture is fine but it's being ruined by people who choose to ignore it. By doing what you suggest you're making the English feel unwelcome, can't you see that?!


Original post by mel_1991
I think people should make an effort to learn English if they live here. I mean I don't give a damn where anyone is from, as long as you are a decent human being, I'll respect you but to go somewhere and expect them to know your language is rude and unreasonable. If wanted to move to, for example, Spain, I would make the effort to learn Spanish.


(I'll probably be negged into next month).


I agree, if I move to Spain I would make an effort to learn Spanish. It's embarrassing when ex pats don't.


Original post by Tootles
While in essence I agree with the majority of what you said, your last paragraph is a huge letdown. Your girlfriend is foreign, and you must have known that when you got with her. If you want to be with her, you must learn to accept her ethnicity and - yes - learn her country's language. It's just simple respect, man! Otherwise, you should split up with her and find yourself a good English girl, preferably from a small town or village where there's no chance of any inter-racial mingling having happened.


The thing is, my girlfriend isn't 'foreign', she has lived here her entire life. Her parents lived here 10 years before she was born, her dad went to school and university here and was here 10 years before that. She herself doesn't push her (parents and grandparents) culture at me, but her mum has said I should learn her language. My girlfriend only speaks English, to me, to everyone. She doesn't even like her parents culture/language.
Original post by Riderz
That just shows how naive you are. England has a fantastic culture; our values and morals are looked upon the world over as being fair and reasonable. You only have to spend a very short time abroad to see the UK's influence and culture when viewed from the outside.

Its not about making feel unwelcome - if they want to live here they should want to learn the language. Otherwise it just looks like they are just coming for the benefits, which lets face it, plenty of them are. People come here to take advantage of the benefits of being British - the NHS, the social security, what jobs there are available. We are unable to stop people from Europe coming across and having expensive operations done on the NHS. Go to Lithuania and try and get free heathcare from their government. Doesnt happen.

Its a human rights problem - we have lost control of our own borders and our own national security in an effort to please Europe. The whole issue about deporting preachers of hate is a joke. In what world are we not allowed to deport someone who is rallying his followers to blow up UK buildings and citizens?! His home country will happily accept him, we want rid of him but the EU court of human rights says we're not allowed. *******s to the EU, if one person dies because of something he says what about their Human Rights. In plenty of countries he would be in prison for the rest of his life, or put to death - and in plenty of other countries he would have been deported the moment he was convicted, to serve his jail time in his own countries prisons.


England in 2012 is degenerate and morally bankrupt. The streets are littered with drunken teenagers covered in their own vomit. Highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe.

Oh and there are plenty of English people who laze about the house all day in their baked bean stained tracksuit from Sports Direct claiming benefit, it's not a problem exclusive to immigrants. Want to have a go at people who claim benefit? Fine, just make sure you go after all of them and not the ones who aren't the same nationality or race as you.

Original post by Anonymous
I find this really offensive. How dare you say that England doesn't have a culture! We have full English breakfasts, elevenses, tea and digestive biscuits, afternoon tea, Sunday roast dinners with all the trimmings. We have country fairs with food competitions, fish and chips on the beach followed by a Mr Whippy. Watching Made in Chelsea, The Only Way of Essex, Desperate Scousewives. All from different parts on England and all with different cultures.

How dare you say we should ignore all that and make a new culture? No, our old culture is fine but it's being ruined by people who choose to ignore it. By doing what you suggest you're making the English feel unwelcome, can't you see that?!


Hey retard, my mother is a white English woman, I was born here. I'm as English as you are so how am I making the English feel unwelcome when I am one?

So basically you're saying people that move here have to eat English breakfasts, roast dinners and fish and chips and if they don't they should go back?

People like you annoy me, you want your johnny foreigners to be quiet and agreeable.
(edited 12 years ago)
Wow so you posted as anonymous on relationships to post on what is really a non-relationship topic i.e. your intolerance to non-English speaking cultures. If you are against people who are bilingual, or those who prefer to speak their natural tongue a language they are comfortable with, then why don't you date a white English girl? You'll have no English problems then. If you choose to date someone from a diverse background then you should try to accept their language as well. Why should your gf know English and you not know her language?

There are English people living in countries such as India, Ghana etc for many decades and they don't learn the local tongue. I don't hear of mass debate against them. What about the English who lived in Pakistan and India for 200 years. They did not integrate, accept local customs, speak the local language. Asians have been here 50 years and yet you can't cope with them wanting to retain their identity. Have you ever thought about how your ancestors imposed their foreign traditions and will on them and how many cultures you displaced? How treasures and valuables like Kohinoor were stolen from those lands?


btw i live in Aus so you can't say you're going to deport me cos im not being English enough. What about food? If you only want English everything then you should not eat asian foods like vindaloo or chicken tikka etc. They are not English foods. Doesn't that mean you should only stick to SHepherd's pie or bread and butter or people in asian countries should not like to eat pastries etc.

If your gf doesn't push your culture at you then don't worry. Just run away and have your relationship with her. Tell her to cut relationship with her parents if she doesn't want to deal with their imposing ways or even compromise. She should also not accept excess help or monetary support from her parents if she wants to reject everything about them.

I actually believe the vocal anti-immigrant lot on tsr is a minority. My friend who is indian is dating a white girl. Both families like each other and both make attempts to learn each other's culture. My friend's gf wants to learn his language and get more involved. Even attempting to do that is praiseworthy.
If you don't want to attempt to learn a new culture then shouldn't you date within a culturally homogenous group such as yourself. I have Chinese friends who speak Mandarin on the phone. I don't understand but i don't resent it.

This is not to say people shouldn't speak English they should but they shouldn't forget their own heritage. Why you pick on Indians or Ghanians is beyond me. What about Irish, or Scottish people proud of their non-ENglish background. What about English people living in Aus for past 20 years and still waving the English flags and supporting the English team. If they love England so much they should move back, why come here. Same for Australians who support Australia but live in England.
Why prejudice against ethnic minorities who are not white and want to retain their cultural heritage? That smacks of racism.



You live in Australia you should bloody support Aus then mate. That's what you would think but i think they should support who they identify with as long as they contribute to the country of residence. Besides, coming to a country at age 50-60 and having responsibility to take care of grandchildren as many asian grandparents who come here do, often means they don't have a chance to fully learn english. Why should they at that age? They don't work here and the fact they act as role of carer, allowing their children to work, means they contribute to society
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 14
Original post by Anonymous
The thing is, my girlfriend isn't 'foreign', she has lived here her entire life. Her parents lived here 10 years before she was born, her dad went to school and university here and was here 10 years before that. She herself doesn't push her (parents and grandparents) culture at me, but her mum has said I should learn her language. My girlfriend only speaks English, to me, to everyone. She doesn't even like her parents culture/language.
Has she tried telling her family this?
Original post by Riderz
That just shows how naive you are. England has a fantastic culture; our values and morals are looked upon the world over as being fair and reasonable. You only have to spend a very short time abroad to see the UK's influence and culture when viewed from the outside.

Its not about making feel unwelcome - if they want to live here they should want to learn the language. Otherwise it just looks like they are just coming for the benefits, which lets face it, plenty of them are. People come here to take advantage of the benefits of being British - the NHS, the social security, what jobs there are available. We are unable to stop people from Europe coming across and having expensive operations done on the NHS. Go to Lithuania and try and get free heathcare from their government. Doesnt happen.

Its a human rights problem - we have lost control of our own borders and our own national security in an effort to please Europe. The whole issue about deporting preachers of hate is a joke. In what world are we not allowed to deport someone who is rallying his followers to blow up UK buildings and citizens?! His home country will happily accept him, we want rid of him but the EU court of human rights says we're not allowed. *******s to the EU, if one person dies because of something he says what about their Human Rights. In plenty of countries he would be in prison for the rest of his life, or put to death - and in plenty of other countries he would have been deported the moment he was convicted, to serve his jail time in his own countries prisons.


Ironically, the place where British values are probably strongest right now is in Scotland, which wants to succeed Britain.
i gave you a neg by accident when i was scrolling down but i agree partially.

if you live here, you should learn english!

there's nothing wrong with speaking your own language but that doesn't mean you can't learn and use english!

luckily i haven't met many, if any, people who want to live here who can't speak our language..

however i have met a foreigner who does nothing but complain about how **** and boring england is... go away if you don't like it i think we'd all be happier without your miserable prescence.

edit - apparently i've offended a couple of people, just a disclaimer that this isn't aimed at foreigners in general, because people are people and i really love having different cultures here, just this one complete drag who is very offensive in my opinion.
as for expecting people to learn to speak english if they want to live in this country, i think that's quite acceptable :s-smilie:... if i went to go live in spain then i would learn to speak spanish.. i wouldn't just go around with no communication skills/expecting people to speak to me in english..
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by Wilfred Little
England in 2012 is degenerate and morally bankrupt. The streets are littered with drunken teenagers covered in their own vomit. Highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe.

Oh and there are plenty of English people who laze about the house all day in their baked bean stained tracksuit from Sports Direct claiming benefit, it's not a problem exclusive to immigrants. Want to have a go at people who claim benefit? Fine, just make sure you go after all of them and not the ones who aren't the same nationality or race as you.


Where the hell are the streets littered in teenagers covered in their own vomit? You might see one or 2 on a friday night in the city centres, but its hardly a common sight. You know what, go to the states, Oz, or most other western cultures and you'll see binge drinking. Its hardly a British problem.

There are plenty of English people who claim benefits, what I was saying was that due to EU rules we cannot turn people away who come here SOLELY to claim benefits. English people are here because they were born here, they haven't chosen a country to live in because of its good heathcare or benefit system without wishing to contribute.
I'm going on a march cos I want Britain to be 'bout British.
Reply 19
Dear OP,

I've got no problems with your topic. However, this is the "relationship forum" and I think you've gone a bit off topic, while I DO see that its relationship related, I don't think that most of the content is appropriate

Latest