What jobs can you do without the language?

robatwork

Thanks for the ideas so far

camelot1971 wrote: »

Just think of the jobs in the UK where people don't seem to speak any or little English - car washer, taxi driver, cleaner, labourer etc etc

The thing is with England is that there are migrants from just about everywhere, and I've never seen anyone working without a "support" network even if that's just the boss who can tell an assistant what to do. Had a Polish builder who spoke OK English, and his assistant really knew as much English as I know Polish. He now knows how to say "bacon sandwich" so I like to think I've helped with his education.

GlasweJen wrote: »

Open a british restaurant and employ a local Armenian who speaks English to answer the phone and translate the orders for you while you cook the food? I know a Pakistani curry chef who can barely introduce himself in English and yet he's been in Scotland for 5 years and his children attend Scottish schools and are fluent in English and learning Gaelic

I had thought about that - but can you imagine how you'd market an English/British restaurant in Armenia/Just about anywhere? Maybe fish and chips but I don't think we're very marketable when it comes to cuisine.

Just noticed your id - and now I'm thinking about a stereotypical Glaswegian cuisine.....haggis...neeps and tatties....deep fried snickers all washed down with 2L of Irn Bru? Fancy a job?

Smodlet

Farming? Factory work if you could be shown rather than told what to do?

Bit left field but how about learning Armenian? Good luck with that. :eek:

How about looking for British ex-pats on social media/wherever, assuming there is such a thing?

GDB2222

Wouldn't you start with what your skills are and work something around that?

For example, I know UK solicitors who have emigrated abroad but still practise in the UK. The internet is a wonderful thing. If you think about it, if you email or telephone your solicitor, does it matter whether he in the UK or in Armenia?

A radiologist looks at Xray images. These are usually emailed to him. He might be in the room down the corridor or in Armenia.

Fireflyaway

With no language ability at all I think it would be really hard. How would you interview? How could you follow any instructions ? I've noticed where I live, many communities stick together. One Romanian worker might be able to speak a little English so he will employ or translate for other Romanians. The local Turkish take away employs mainly Turkish people and the Pakistani taxi firm has mainly Pakistani drivers. I once met a guy from a Spanish community in London who told me he knew of people who had been in London 20+ years but couldn't speak English. They just relied on others who could.

Smodlet

While I know Fireflyaway has the right of it and this happens a great deal, I just cannot envisage why anyone would want to live in a country whose language they were not prepared to learn. How insular their minds and restricted their lives must be.

When I was learning languages at school, we were always told that making even the slightest effort to speak to the natives in their own language, however badly, would endear you to them and they would probably meet you more than half way. That is the best way to learn a language, imho; from the locals so you speak it the same way they do, learn their slang etc. The school room version of a language is never the way it is spoken in real life.

z1a

Most mechanical engineering jobs would be possible, drawings, CADCAM and machines are numeric rather than alphabetic. There'd be a few notes on drawings that you'd soon learn.

Fireflyaway

Mime artist?!
Or a driving job, pizza delivery, gardening, bricklaying, litter picking, factory line, dog walking, looking after babies that are too young to speak?! Farm work, fishing, fruit picking, lifeguard, cleaning, laundry worker, dress maker, shoe shiner, musician, painter, car cleaner, trolley pusher......
Seriously though I do think some language ability is needed for safety and for social inclusion. If you can't understand instructions or answer potential questions I think it would be hard.

Deep_In_Debt

One of the houses in my road was rented for a year to Polish to spoke very little English to no English - they didn't mix with the locals and kept themselves to themselves. From what I understand they did various jobs whilst here - fruit picking, working at the airport as aircraft cleaners and cleaners in general, train cleaners and construction work.

theoretica

I know of high level musicians, dancers etc who have worked in countries without knowing the language. Sportsmen/women too, I think.

shortcrust

Smodlet wrote: »

While I know Fireflyaway has the right of it and this happens a great deal, I just cannot envisage why anyone would want to live in a country whose language they were not prepared to learn. How insular their minds and restricted their lives must be.

When I was learning languages at school, we were always told that making even the slightest effort to speak to the natives in their own language, however badly, would endear you to them and they would probably meet you more than half way. That is the best way to learn a language, imho; from the locals so you speak it the same way they do, learn their slang etc. The school room version of a language is never the way it is spoken in real life.

Ha! I’ve been cut off mid sentence in France a few times with a surly “please, speak English, it’s quicker”. Well they’re not so pleased when other countries sing in English at Eurovision (search for anglais eurovision on Twitter when it’s on:D).