applying for a job, but can't speak English

[KellyHabersham]

*From a job-search situation which I encountered at the library last week*

As I was doing pick-up in the area near the DVD's, a young boy approached me and asked if I could help with something on the Internet - apparently his mom was trying to apply for a job, but she kept getting the wrong website.....basically, they didn't know too much about the Internet and needed help.

I was able to get them straightened out, however, the mom needed her son to help translate/fill out the online application because she apparently knew little to no English. So it rather made me wonder how it was going to work if she did get hired at the store she was applying to ............I've heard that the location nearest me gives hiring preference to bilingual people, but I could see this woman putting herself into an awkward situation.

[muses_nightmare]

I saw the same thing happening at a fast food place awhile back. The woman's son went up and asked for the application for her because she wasn't able to ask for herself, then proceeded to help her fill it out because she couldn't read the paper.

[NorthernZel]

It could be because maybe the mother is required to send out applications in order to keep her welfare or unemployment benefit.

I once had a co-worker who had to help his mother send applications - he had tried to request on her behalf for language courses (sorta like ESL, just Danish instead) but the Job Centre declined the request since they thought that there were plenty of cleaning jobs where fluent Danish wasn't required.... um yes, but the application still needs to be in Danish, as stated on the frigging ad....

[Boozy]

I saw the same thing happening at a fast food place awhile back. The woman's son went up and asked for the application for her because she wasn't able to ask for herself, then proceeded to help her fill it out because she couldn't read the paper.

There are plenty of all Spanish-speaking kitchen crews at fast food restaurants. If they aren't dealing with customers, I don't really see a problem with it. If the crew supervisors at these places are bilingual, they can communicate directions to anyone.

[Fryk]

And if they're not, or happen to hire a non spanish speaking person for the kitchen?

[AdminAssistant]

There are plenty of all Spanish-speaking kitchen crews at fast food restaurants.

If you believe Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential the vast majority of line cooks in all types of restaurants are primarily Spanish-speaking, and the onus is on the Chef to be able to communicate with his crew.

[KellyHabersham]

There are plenty of all Spanish-speaking kitchen crews at fast food restaurants. If they aren't dealing with customers, I don't really see a problem with it. If the crew supervisors at these places are bilingual, they can communicate directions to anyone.

One of the then-food court places at the mall I worked at had this problem - I remember going there before work one morning because I'd wanted to try one of their breakfast menu items, and the guy who was working the register had to motion one of security guards over to translate because neither he nor whomever was working in the kitchen area could speak English. And so I always felt weird about going to that particular food place afterwards, because I never knew if I was going to be able to communicate with the staff or no.

(and just for the record, I do understand some Spanish, but I can read it better than I can speak or write it)

[jackfaire]

I worked drive through at a fast food place. If an order was done wrong I would have to locate the shift manager so she could tell the kitchen staff to make it again because while I understood some Spanish I couldn't communicate in it.

[Red Panda]

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

[Fryk]

I wouldn't go THAT far, Red Panda.Learning a new language is difficult at best. And english is one of the hardest ones to learn to read.

[muses_nightmare]

There are plenty of all Spanish-speaking kitchen crews at fast food restaurants. If they aren't dealing with customers, I don't really see a problem with it. If the crew supervisors at these places are bilingual, they can communicate directions to anyone.

Uhm, not here in Vancouver. Chinese maybe, but not Spanish. I never said she spoke Spanish. In fact I think she may have been Filipino. A lot of the workers in that particular fast food place are English speaking though, it's a pretty diverse place from what I've seen.

[Sarah Valentine]

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

I wouldn't go THAT far, Red Panda.Learning a new language is difficult at best. And english is one of the hardest ones to learn to read.

So we should what, just be expected to learn spanish?

[jackfaire]

So we should what, just be expected to learn spanish?

You should be expected to live in a country where your free to live as you will. If you can find a community of like minded citizens who also don't wish to learn (pick a language) great more power to you.

[Red Panda]

If you can't communicate, get a job, or do anything useful because you don't speak English then what is the point of letting you into the country?

Its hard enough for English speaking people to get jobs. What choice will immigrants who don't speak English have other then go on wellfare? At the very least they should be required to learn english after immigrating.

[Sarah Valentine]

My point was that I still live in the same country and I feel pressured into learning a new language, if I was going to move to and live in another country say France, I would need to learn French. It's good preperation, you wouldn't want to go to Arizona without packing sunscreen.