Actually, we know why. It's because you're insecure. Our speaking another language makes you aware that you're one of the few monolingual creatures around. Even after you took three years of Spanish in high school, you can't carry a conversation in Spanish and your pronunciation of the Spanish r is remarkably bad.
You're afraid that we're talking about you right in your face, and you know what? Your worries are justified. Remember that time when you entered the elevator and we started giggling? Yeah, we were laughing at you from the start! Everything about you was just giggleable! We didn't even have the courtesy to whisper when we talked about you. Even if you could hear us, you wouldn't understand!
We know you're just jealous. You can't talk about someone who's not of Caucasian descent right in his/her face. Even if we're talking among ourselves in another language, we're probably equally fluent in English and understand every word you're saying. As a monolingual creature, you just don't have the kind of advantages we have.
And your knowledge of English grammar, as we can see in your writing, is strangely poor for a native speaker! No wonder you want people in this country to speak only English. You don't want your English to become worse than it already is!
I knew it! You evil foreigners! I'll burn you alive!
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
Well sorry if we are trying to conform everyone to speaking one language so that we all can communicate. Seriously (greys anatomy moment) If you want to talk about us, you should hae the balls to say it to our faces in English to see how we respond. Its not nice to be cowards. We are not a jealous people just inconvienced by the vast majority of foreigners.
Smooches
The opposite of war is not peace. It is Creation!
I'm not insecure about my knowledge, or lack thereof, of other languages. I'm just annoyed that I have to wildly gesticulate to the Spanish speaking customer when I can't communicate that there's NO SALE ON TURKEY'S!
Try telling them that in hand motions.
Yes, there would be more efficient communication if we all spoke one language.
I'm only insecure when someone is clearly talking about me in another language when it is as obvious as those English speaking individuals that whisper talk about me as I pass by. I'm not insecure about the language - I think it sounds cool - just insecure about the lack of politeness.
Why is everyone so caught up in what everyone else thinks of you? Live life, end of story. Stop being such leeches on everything everyone says or does to you. Languages should be embraced not shunned or put down. Though, I do agree, if you're talking to a native in their country make sure to know how to communicate to them. If everyone learned like 3 languages in schools when they were younger they would be smarter, trilingual, and less easily 'offended'. Education is life.
i have to admit, it bothers me when people speak spanish, but not in that way...it only bothers me when Spanish is the ONLY language they speak, and they live in the U.S. It bothers me when I have to explain myself in Spanish because they cant speak or understand English, and they live in the U.S. I mean what happened to learning English first before you live in the U.S., my family did...I mean why shouldnt mexican or other latinos do it, too.
Years ago, immigrants came to this country for the benefits on American capitalism. They abandoned many cultural ties to their mother countries -- including language -- so that their children might be better suited to succeed in America.
People don't choose to be monolingual. It's how they're brought up. All of my grandparents speak at least one other language and not one of them spoke it to their children. Why, you might ask? Because they wanted their children to be Americans. Not Eastern Europeans and certainly not Italians. They weren't ashamed of their cultures they just wanted better for their children. They didn't want their kids to have accents so that they might have better job opportunities. When my grandparents came to this country, there weren't programs to help immigrants, there was no ESL in public schools. So don't parade along about how your people are better. MY people came to this country and learned English on their own, without online translations, without ESL, and without help.
At one time, immigrants wanted to learn English so that they might have a better chance in America. Nowadays, I am supposed to learn Spanish so that I might communicate with immigrants? I'm sorry but my grandparents gave up their mother tongues so that I wouldn't have to struggle to be understood. I suppose it all went to waste. (For reference I'm in AP Spanish 5 in high school and I CAN understand your elevator conversations.)
You are not a better person becasue you are bilingual. I'm sorry to inform you, but it is true.
Oh, stop it. You're giving me the giggles.
**Should we split U.S. in two?
And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?
It's not insecurity, and you should learn to point the finger in the right direction. I can speak spanish fluently enough to understand what i just said, but how well do you pronounce our english? Why does everyone judge. It seems to me, that you are the one insecure because you started this whole mess.
Compromise. We'll learn spanish, you learn english. Besides, if I went to Mexico or any other spanish-affiliated country, I would do what was right and learn the language. Not be lazy and point the blame else where. That's rude, and you need to grow up.
I don't mind if people speak different languages in public. That's an important part of culture. It's totally somebody's business what language they speak to their friends and family and in their own homes.I just get mad when people show up in this country and don't learn English and want the government to hand them money and print documents in a million different languages. Anybody who wants to make a life for themselves in America can come right on in, but it's gonna take some work to get ahead.
It's an individual's right to speak whatever language they choose when they are talking amongst themselves, but people have to learn the language if they want to stay in America.
Just because I can't speak spanish doesn't mean I don't understand what you are saying. I can understand what people say when they speak spanish but I cannot speak spanish, I am terribly slow, have bad pronunciation and forget words and how they are supposed to be used, but I can understand whats being said. But one day I went into a store and there was a women (I live 30 minutes from canada so) who only spoke canadian french, the lady ringing her out didn't. You can imagine how great that went. If I travel someplace I don't expect them to speak english, I expect them to speak spainsh, german, irish or what ever it may be. I wouldn't expect everyone to understand what I was saying. If I were to travel I would a.) get a dictionary, b.) get a translating device, c.) get a guide or a translator or d.) NOT TRAVEL! Welcome to America speak english.
Well, that was certaintly entertaining. :) But in a good way, because I definately think that we need to learn other languages and be able to carry on a conversation. I am one of those people who took Spanish for three years in highschool, but I do have a hard time learning it. A lot of people do because the time of learning language has, for the most part, passed us by, which makes it harder. I wish the schools in the US would teach or at least offer other languages to children, but that kind of "I'm American and only need English" attitude seems to have filtered into the school system, as well.
Peace
Tahni
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"Tell me - if no one ever hears what you say, then why don't you shout it?" -- Floater
This is a tough one... touchy ..not doubt. I will freely admit that Americans think they are the 'superior' of everyone else which I think is complete crap. I find it embarrassing that we have two dictionaries: the 'English' dictionary and 'Slang' dictionary. Aren't we the only country that speaks 'slang?"
It's like we want everyone to speak English and then when they do and we can't understand them, we get upset.. yet they ARE trying. I even find myself at times getting impatient and then I realize what I'm doing and I stop. If you live in another country, it seems that the minimum amount of languages one knows is three, our country can barely speak ONE!
I have promised to learn two additional languages because I do not feel that we are superior... in fact I feel quite the opposite.
JM