applying for a job, but can't speak English

[infinitemonkies]

This is why people should need to know english before coming to America

I don't agree with that, but I do believe everyone should at least try to learn once they arrive.
And the citizenship tests should be offered only in english.

[Amanita]

Here in Canada, one of the conditions of applying for Canadian citizenship is fluency in one of the two official languages, french or english.

[Boozy]

Here in Canada, one of the conditions of applying for Canadian citizenship is fluency in one of the two official languages, french or english.

But it's important to note that you can become a legal resident without speaking either official language. You can live, work, and pay taxes in Canada without speaking a word of english or french.

As an example, we accept refugees from violent and repressive political situations regardless of language spoken, as long as they meet other requirements such as a clean criminal record.

[Rapscallion]

Here in Canada, one of the conditions of applying for Canadian citizenship is fluency in one of the two official languages, french or english.

I'm knackered on both counts, then.

Rapscallion

[MaggieTheCat]

Saw something related to this discussion on FB just now, and since this thread isn't too old yet, I didn't think I should start a new one...

A couple of my "friends" (I use the term loosely because I don't really know them that well, I worked with them at my last job) joined/liked a group called "I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH. THIS IS AMERICA, LEARN TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE!!"

It made me sigh and want to facepalm. Hard.

[JustintheConfessor]

I'm surprised that this is even a debate. To me, it seems like common sense that if you are going to live in a certain country, you should speak that country's language. Now, I suppose that if you come here and find a community where everyone speaks your language, then you can stay in that community and not assimilate into American culture. However, don't expect me to learn Spanish, Somali, Arabic, or whatever language you speak.

Unfortunately, whenever I express these opinions, people act like I just put on a white robe and hood and declared the USA to be "white man's land."

[aurelemsrealm]

I'm all for being as versatile as I can. At work, I encounter a lot of hispanic customers who barely speak English if at all. For this reason alone, I must say that it gets damned annoying, especially when trying to communicate that state law requires specific types of identification for beer sales, or hours when beer sales are not allowed by city ordinance. Those are two of the most common issues I encounter where the communication barrier is a major hassle.

I studied Spanish for roughly seven years between high school and college, and made very good grades in my Spanish classes. The majority of my Spanish teachers were fluent primarily in Castellano (a dialect spoken in Spain, for those who don't know). Most of my Spanish teachers were either native Spaniards who had migrated to the U.S., or were Americans who had lived for extended periods of time in Spain. The main point is that most of my experience in learning Spanish was gained in learning the Castellano dialect spoken in Spain. I'm nowhere near as familiar with Latin American dialects, which is what you usually encounter here in the U.S.

Latin American dialects are spoken much faster than Castellano, and are as different from one another as British English is from American English or Australian English. I can read Spanish fairly well, but trying to comprehend it when I hear it is a different matter. I can pick out words and phrases I recognize, but that's about it.

Then, to further complicate the issue, each dialect has its own slang. As a former coworker who was fluent in Spanish once pointed out in conversation, street Spanish is different from the book. She and I would practice chatting back and forth between customers, but she would have to speak to the hispanic customers who didn't speak English.

I have no issue with people who are trying to learn, but just haven't gotten English down yet. I continue to struggle with learning to be fluent in Spanish, so I can understand the difficulties. However, I get annoyed quickly with the ones who don't try to learn, or try to use the "No English" argument to get around laws and regulations they don't want to hear.

[bunnyboy]

Um its been English for over 200 years

The Pennsylvania Dutch and the Cajuns down south would like to have a few words with you, but most likely they'll be Acadian French and The Pennsylvania Dialect of German, sooo...yeah

Actually the reason we don't have an official language is because of the Pennsylvania Dutch.

[Greenday]

Sigh, the founding fathers left out so much clarity in laws.

[ZedOmega]

I've seen a lot of Mexican immigrants, legal and illegal, refuse to try to even speak a little English when talking with locals here including myself. While I know English is the most common language here in the States, I can understand why they don't try to learn it. Like it was pointed out earlier in the thread, learning a second language even enough to communicate in work situations is a pain in the ass. But it also stands to reason that if you're going to be entering a country with a completely different language than yours, you should at least learn some of it. And this goes both ways: Mexican enters the US, Mexican needs to learn some English. American enters Mexico, American needs to learn some Spanish. It's common sense.

Of course, that still leaves the issue of making English lessons available on an affordable level to immigrants, if not for free. I don't know the numbers, but I think that most of the people immigrating to the US from Mexico are doing so because they need money. What happens to them when they realize lower management and human resources doesn't speak Spanish for the most part? The chance to earn even a decent living down here disappears.

I think they should learn English, myself, but it's on us to teach them how.

[Ginger Tea]

where I work its 90% eastern european (which I might have stated or hinted in another thread) and of that its 50 45 5% polish, lithuainian and then latvian with only a handfull and one from one country down, now most if not all speak russian due to their respective occupations (country not job) so can communicate enough with each other.

one ex chef who left a few months ago commented that on her return from her holiday she approached a new employee hired in her absence and said
"Hello I'm M."
he shook her outstretchd hand and said "I don't speak english."
she thought that was a great start, over time his english as with a few others has improved, but in somecases it doesnt need to.
A> it was good enough to begin with
B> I work with my country men, I'm talking to my country men in my language, be it work, social or whatever, so why translate to english and back again just to say "pass me that spoon"?
I have no grievence with the B type as its quicker, but I don't want to go through hoops to get what I need out of anyone, thankfully I rarely need to rely on anyone for stuff unless its the longstanding SNAFU of not enough sandwiches delivered can you make more please
I took to bringing one with a number on a sticker (as numbers to read are international) and say "can I have these please." with an apologetic smile and another note in the shortages report (that only I seem to fill in)

I some times have to deal with the language crash barrier, sometimes I am mildly cruel and use words needlessly just to watch the brain break.
OK my worst was probably "supercallifragilisticexpialidocious, spell it." so nothing underhand xenophobic or owt like that
that and onl the last day I saw one of the girls who came over just for the summer holidays before going back to uni
"what are you studying?"
"business management."
"I cant imagin you in a business suit, a bathing suit, negligee or naked definatly."
and before you say "thats sexual harrasment" I know it's not in the best taste but they willingly let one guy get away with damn near sexual assault, my first equality and diversity training course one of the office girls said she didnt like it when he would hold her hand and call her baby all the time
so he said "perhaps i should kiss you then."
and as the trainer said f-all about it i washed my hands with everything she said upto and beyond that point

[ExiledV20]

Sigh, the founding fathers left out so much clarity in laws.

That was done on purpose. The inflexibility of English law was one reason for it.