Foreign Languages in the workplace

remorseless

sangie595 wrote: »

"Normal" is irrelevant. As is everything else. It is stipulated that employees will speak English at work. End of stipulation and not up for debate. What you or they think is the reason is also not up for debate.

Actually their work contract does not mention that at all and pretty much most of the office converses in different languages. Only this small team has been asked to do so by their manager (who doesn't speak a second language). This team is not client facing.

Looking on the internet, seems quite a topic that comes up from time to time.

I speak several languages so personally I enjoy the background chatter in other languages, I find it relaxing!
I would welcome working in a diverse team as an opportunity to learn yet another language (Google Translate is getting better, for now still better to learn!) and even though this hasn't happened to me, if this random request, limited to my small team was made, I would feel discriminated. Especially if the rest of the workplace was allowed to continue using foreigner languages and this was not a company-wide policy.

I totally agree that all business must be done in English (or local language) and that employee must have an appropriate level of English, however barring foreign chit-chat is a bit intrusive!

Transformers

remorseless wrote: »

I totally agree that all business must be done in English (or local language) and that employee must have an appropriate level of English, however barring foreign chit-chat is a bit intrusive!

Why is a ban 'intrusive'?

Because you used to be able to say something in a native language that English speaking colleague wouldn't understand but now you can't get away with that ability for secrecy?

remorseless

Transformers wrote: »

Why is a ban 'intrusive'?

Because you used to be able to say something in a native language that English speaking colleague wouldn't understand but now you can't get away with that ability for secrecy?

Because I would feel as I am made to feel ashamed of my ethnicity. Unless the workplace has strict policy of 'No talk unless it's business related' I would find the ban or even mentioning the ban quite discriminatory. Most workplaces have some level of social interaction amongst peers and having this 'forced' to be English-only is a bit too much.

I would feel afraid of 'what is next' ban?

Especially if before such 'ban' there was no business impact and the rest of the company is allowed to keep talking in foreign languages!

Transformers

Well... a clear case for ECHR then.

:doh: :doh: :doh:

BJV

Being multi cultural is a must but we must remember that not everyone speaks lots of different languages. While I am sure that 99.9% of the conversations will be about work it can leave some people feeling left out.


So devil and the deep blue. I personally do not a have problem with everyone being asked to speak English and think that it will lead to an inclusive atmosphere, common ground where everyone will be able to take part in the conversation instead of encouraging what could become clicks?


No one has suggested that you should ever be ashamed of your ethnicity instead you are all just being encouraged to communicate in a way which everyone can understand and feel valued.

duchy

I wouldn't go to Germany and expect to be able to speak English at work ....... It doesn't mean I'm shamed by the fact I'm not German -it means I've chosen to work in a country where my first language is not their language and I'd expect to abide by their customs. If I didn't want to then I'd choose to work in a country where English was the first language.


When I'm at work -I'm at work -If I want a nice chat in my own language there is nothing to stop me and an English speaking colleague going out to lunch and chatting in English there .


I see nothing wrong with insisting that all public conversations in a business environment should be in a language that excludes no-one. (and really private chats shouldn't be going on in the workplace normally anyway)

remorseless wrote: »

Because I would feel as I am made to feel ashamed of my ethnicity. Unless the workplace has strict policy of 'No talk unless it's business related' I would find the ban or even mentioning the ban quite discriminatory. Most workplaces have some level of social interaction amongst peers and having this 'forced' to be English-only is a bit too much.

I would feel afraid of 'what is next' ban?

Especially if before such 'ban' there was no business impact and the rest of the company is allowed to keep talking in foreign languages!

remorseless

BJV wrote: »

No one has suggested that you should ever be ashamed of your ethnicity instead you are all just being encouraged to communicate in a way which everyone can understand and feel valued.

My argument is that to be fair it should be enforced at a company level and not by a random manager in one team only cause s/he feels that way.

There is also a difference between promoting a common language for collaboration (company-wide) vs 'you', 'you', 'you' in my team, you are not allowed to speak your language amongst yourselves without a justifiable reason, whilst the rest of the office can continue to do so.

How would you feel if you were asked to speak with a Received Pronunciation (RP) because some foreign employee in the office couldn't understand your accent while you talk with someone from the same town?

Bennifred

My (English and only speaks English) son is currently temping for a company which employs a lot of Poles. He often feels isolated because they mostly (even the supervisor) speak Polish unless they are directly addressing him.

duchy

I'd be happy I had a manager who felt inclusion was important and I'd hope that the good example he or she is setting would spread throughout the company and that the other teams would adopt the policy too.

tomtontom

remorseless wrote: »

My argument is that to be fair it should be enforced at a company level and not by a random manager in one team only cause s/he feels that way.

There is also a difference between promoting a common language for collaboration (company-wide) vs 'you', 'you', 'you' in my team, you are not allowed to speak your language amongst yourselves without a justifiable reason, whilst the rest of the office can continue to do so.

How would you feel if you were asked to speak with a Received Pronunciation (RP) because some foreign employee in the office couldn't understand your accent while you talk with someone from the same town?

So it's discriminatory if enforced at a team level but not if enforced at a company level?

Your argument is nonsensical.