Foreign Languages in the workplace

[Deleted User]

These foreigners... not only stealing our jobs, also stealing our language!

szam_

gettingready wrote: »

It is mostly English speaking people that are monolingual and with their mind set to not learning any other languages lol

Not necessarily.

Learning other languages is my weakness. I'm terrible at it, and I've tried 4 different languages and wanted to be good at it each time.

You could spend 10 years trying to teach me a foreign language and I'd still be bad at it.

Doshwaster

szam_ wrote: »

Not necessarily.

Learning other languages is my weakness. I'm terrible at it, and I've tried 4 different languages and wanted to be good at it each time.

You could spend 10 years trying to teach me a foreign language and I'd still be bad at it.

Same here I'm fascinated by languages but I just have zero ability to lean them despite trying multiple methods. I can just about order a beer or coffee in French, Spanish and German but that's about it. Anything else just goes in one ear and out of the other.

I know people who can speak 3 or 4 (or even more) languages to a professional level and can jump between them easily between them. I am in awe at an ability like that.

RuthnJasper

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?

But you can't be certain that it IS random - you have only your friend's account of the matter and is from their perspective. It could be that a specific complaint has been received about this team and their conversations. Perhaps they were speaking in their own language whilst giggling and noticeably looking at another colleague who doesn't understand them?

If you had posted on this forum in Polish or Russian, do you think it would get as many replies as this thread? Or do you think the moderators would dispprove because the text and advice offered wouldn't help anyone who can't understand the language?

Different languages are beautiful to listen to - but not if they are being used to isolate or make someone feel uncomfortable.

DKLS

I always enjoyed working with people who didn't have english as a first language, one benefit is I can swear fluently in 8 languages.

I recently learnt some cracking phases in Russian and Romanian, the romanians in particular have perfected insulting someone into a fine art form.

silverwhistle

gettingready wrote: »

Have you traveled around EU on business ? If you did, you would have known that most of EU business people/office workers already speak very good English AND often French/German/Spanish.

Not in Italy they don't, at least where I lived. Maybe international companies in Milan or whatever, but panicked students needing to improve their English were part of my income stream!

BJV

I lived in France. Worked in France. Married a Frenchman. When I was at work or when I was with lots of friends I spoke French. This was because when in Rome?


If I wanted to speak English I would when I got home. I never once felt threatened about my ethnicity. It was for me a mark of respect. Just like for example if a went to a country where ladies had to cover there hair or exposed skin.


Ok a bit extreme but the point is I chose to live in a French speaking country. I chose to visit a country. Therefore I respect their language and their culture.


Have you ever thought how if would make you feel if someone constantly spoke in a language you did not understand? Well its not nice. Even if the conversation is nothing to do with one of your colleagues how excluded must they feel?


Just because you are good at languages does not mean everyone is so have to say well done your manager for enforcing the rule. I would do exactly the same.

BJV

DKLS wrote: »

I always enjoyed working with people who didn't have english as a first language, one benefit is I can swear fluently in 8 languages.

I recently learnt some cracking phases in Russian and Romanian, the romanians in particular have perfected insulting someone into a fine art form.

lol French only I am afraid and just one " please go away in quick jerky movements " in Welsh. Who knew that there where so many ways to describe a ??????.

gettingready

silverwhistle wrote: »

Not in Italy they don't, at least where I lived. Maybe international companies in Milan or whatever, but panicked students needing to improve their English were part of my income stream!

But we were not talking about panicked students - we were talking about work environment in large companies. And someone stated those abroad would be grateful to have an English speaker. Which is not the case as most of their staff speaks English already... You completely missed the point

RuthnJasper

BJV wrote: »

I lived in France. Worked in France. Married a Frenchman. When I was at work or when I was with lots of friends I spoke French. This was because when in Rome?

Rome is in Italy, not France... :D