Spanish-speaking Taco Bell in Florida refused service for speaking English.

[usexpat97]

Depends on how exactly you define "expect". If I go to Norway or Montreal, I expect everybody to know English. Not because they are SUPPOSED to know English, but because by and large, they just do. Although I more expect a Quebecer to scorn me for not speaking French--even though they CAN speak English. I expect that simply because that is more likely to happen.

What's hard is learning the language when everybody speaks English. It frustrates them when you try to speak in broken Norwegian, when they can speak perfect English all along. You get no chance to practice the language, beyond the basic "Tusen Takk" and "Hyggelig".

 

[Chesterton]

Although I more expect a Quebecer to scorn me for not speaking French--even though they CAN speak English.

They do that? I always heard Canadians were so nice.

 

[mmksparbud]

Depends on how exactly you define "expect". If I go to Norway or Montreal, I expect everybody to know English. Not because they are SUPPOSED to know English, but because by and large, they just do. Although I more expect a Quebecer to scorn me for not speaking French--even though they CAN speak English. I expect that simply because that is more likely to happen.

What's hard is learning the language when everybody speaks English. It frustrates them when you try to speak in broken Norwegian, when they can speak perfect English all along. You get no chance to practice the language, beyond the basic "Tusen Takk" and "Hyggelig".

As a country they are bilingual--that is not the case in this country. Go to another country--it is only common curtesy to learn their language.
I couldn't believe this, but a Christian mission worker went to Thailand, expecting to witness to the Thai people, and was floored to find out that nobody spoke English and she was perplexed enough to ask why everybody spoke Thai and not English!!!! She was only 19, but seriously? I no longer speak very good Spanish--but if I were to go back to Cost Rica to visit--I would brush up like crazy on my Spanish.
"When in Rome...."

 

[usexpat97]

They do that? I always heard Canadians were so nice.

Quebecers are their own thing. It's also possible if a Quebecer pretends not to understand your English, that they don't know you're not Canadian. If it's obvious you're a tourist, they will probably be more lenient. It's Canadian politics.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Quebecers are their own thing. It's also possible if a Quebecer pretends not to understand your English, that they don't know you're not Canadian. If it's obvious you're a tourist, they will probably be more lenient. It's Canadian politics.

Nah - it's common elsewhere too. Try being Chinese, go to somewhere like Hong Kong and speak English to an old person and they'll scold you. But they'll happily speak broken English to foreigners.

Funniest story I heard was a about a white guy who had lived in Thailand for a while and spoke decent but not fluent Thai. At some point he met and married a Filipino woman. Back in Thailand, he would buy stuff at the markets and the old ladies would constantly scold his wife "for making her husband speak Thai when she should be doing it for him". Of course they had assumed she was Thai, while her being Filipino, she didn't understand a word.

 

[Chesterton]

Quebecers are their own thing.

Oh yeah, them Quebecers. I heard they're the only Canadian terrorists.

 

[RDKirk]

As a country they are bilingual--that is not the case in this country. Go to another country--it is only common curtesy to learn their language.
I couldn't believe this, but a Christian mission worker went to Thailand, expecting to witness to the Thai people, and was floored to find out that nobody spoke English and she was perplexed enough to ask why everybody spoke Thai and not English!!!! She was only 19, but seriously? I no longer speak very good Spanish--but if I were to go back to Cost Rica to visit--I would brush up like crazy on my Spanish.
"When in Rome...."

OTOH, I have a young friend who has been a missionary in South America for a number of years. She speaks Spanish fluently, but when the Holy Spirit sent her further in, she had to learn an obscure Indian language to evangelize a tribe that didn't even speak Spanish. She was the first person to carry the gospel to that particular tribe.

 

[usexpat97]

Nah - it's common elsewhere too.

I mean Quebecers are their own thing within Canada. I don't want to convey it's that common, either (especially in Montreal). Any more than you would expect a Hispanic to walk into a U.S. restaurant and expect everybody to think he's an illegal immigrant and refuse to serve him.

 

[dgiharris]

...there are few urban "gateway areas" where one can get by with out knowing English....Miami, Houston, LA etc...but in the end, if someone wants to work beyond entry level service jobs, that person will have to learn English.

I lived in El Paso TX, the biggest border town in the US. There are entire swaths of town where Spanish is the only language spoken.

I was in one such swath of town hanging out with a friend. His next door neighbor ran to his door and knocked on it furiously. He answered and she had an unconscious 2-yr old in tow and an empty bottle of medicine. She was in a panic because the 2 year old drank the medicine and she had called 911 but didn't know what to do in the mean time. She couldn't read the bottle because it was in English. She didn't know whether or not to stick her finger down the kids throat to induce vomiting. The bottle said in bold print "if swallowed, do NOT induce vomiting..."

I know that is a dramatic story, but the fact is, you need to learn the language of wherever you live. There will be a day where you will seriously need to know that language or at least the basics of that language. We don't see it because we take it for granted.

 

[mmksparbud]

I was a dialysis tech for 20 years. I can't tell you how many ties times I dialyzed people who have lived in this country for over 20 years and did not know one single sentence in English. A d they were not only Spanish speaking---One Italian man and woman had been here for 30 years! The problem is one of pure laziness. They said they never needed to learn English--They lived in their little communities where everyone spoke their language, they had newspapers and magazines and TV all in their language. So they never bothered.

 

[usexpat97]

There will be a day where you will seriously need to know that language or at least the basics of that language.

Most of the time, I find that day is the very first day. At least, that's what all the German locals would say who saw me driving on a street where pedestrians-only were allowed. Oh, so THAT'S what that street sign said.

 

[Jimmy D]

Nah - it's common elsewhere too. Try being Chinese, go to somewhere like Hong Kong and speak English to an old person and they'll scold you. But they'll happily speak broken English to foreigners.

Funniest story I heard was a about a white guy who had lived in Thailand for a while and spoke decent but not fluent Thai. At some point he met and married a Filipino woman. Back in Thailand, he would buy stuff at the markets and the old ladies would constantly scold his wife "for making her husband speak Thai when she should be doing it for him". Of course they had assumed she was Thai, while her being Filipino, she didn't understand a word.

I was in China a couple of weeks ago... and I had no problems in KFC or Mcdonalds with the old "point & nod"

(Apart from trying to mime that I wanted barbecue sauce not tomato ketchup, eventually it transpired that they don't have barbecue sauce in a Chinese KFC. Philistines.)

Anyhow, my point is that this character was deliberately trying to be awkward for whatever reason.

And I agree, if you go to another country at least make a nominal attempt to learn the language... unless you're going to Wales of course.

 

[usexpat97]

If you go to Wales, don't attempt to drive it.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

I've heard the French are very touchy about English. I've been told numerous times that if I ever go to France, to first speak another language before trying to communicate in English. They then know you aren't a native English speaker or monolingual, and thus they are far more friendly and less rude.

I don't know if this is true of Quebec too, though. They have strong separatist and Francophile policies, so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

While people are talking about Welsh:

One of my favourite anecdotes is that when Eamon de Valera the Irish separitist cum Taosech met David Lloyd George, he launched into an invective against English perfidy in Ireland. David Lloyd George calmly listened, then he started chattering in Welsh to his secretary. The embarrassed de Valera, who himself only spoke English and not Gaelic, was then told that the Irish aren't the only people that had to deal with the Sassenach.

Wales also has the longest place name in Britain:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
It puts the Afrikaans Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein almost to shame, except that that name is far more expressive, meaning Two *Cape* Buffalo shot stonedead with one shot fountain.

 

[usexpat97]

Quebec has taken ridiculousness to a whole new level already, but still, that doesn't change that Taco Bell was still right to fire the employee.

Heidi ho
heidi ho

 

[Glass*Soul]

What's the Spanish word for taco? How about burrito? Chalupa? Coke?

 

[Chesterton]

While people are talking about Welsh:

One of my favourite anecdotes is that when Eamon de Valera the Irish separitist cum Taosech met David Lloyd George, he launched into an invective against English perfidy in Ireland. David Lloyd George calmly listened, then he started chattering in Welsh to his secretary. The embarrassed de Valera, who himself only spoke English and not Gaelic, was then told that the Irish aren't the only people that had to deal with the Sassenach.

Okay that was completely over my head, and I am not going to attend to any anecdote which requires more than four internet searches to get. I'm giving you a "funny" rating anyway, since I think it could possibly be funny.

 

[Chesterton]

I've heard the French are very touchy about English. I've been told numerous times that if I ever go to France, to first speak another language before trying to communicate in English. They then know you aren't a native English speaker or monolingual, and thus they are far more friendly and less rude.

I don't know if this is true of Quebec too, though. They have strong separatist and Francophile policies, so I wouldn't be surprised.

I've been told that you only really experience the infamous French rudeness in Paris.

 

[TCassidy]

I lived in El Paso TX, the biggest border town in the US.

Uh, that would be San Diego. El Paso, Texas, population 683,000. San Diego, California, population 1,407,000.