The fact that hardly anyone speaks English any more...

All In London Forum
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Hallber
...and no, I am not a racist. I just find it odd that we have so many foreign people and none of them are willing to even try to speak English! When I try to strike up a conversation, they look at me like I have a second head or something (most of the time they ignore me...) Confused. So you wonder around in Central London (at least I do!) and you hear two dozen different languages being spoken - LOUDLY - and feel as though you have got off the tube in a foreign country!
Posted: 2007-01-30 19:58:38
All In London
Really? :-?

Where I live in London there are quite a few different languages spoken and the people are always friendly, especially if you have a go at speaking their language.
Posted: 2007-01-31 11:52:25
Hallber
ORIGINAL: AIL Staff

Really? :-?

Where I live in London there are quite a few different languages spoken and the people are always friendly, especially if you have a go at speaking their language.
Er...I am bright but even I cannot have a go at speaking some random language and the variety of languages in London would make my amateurish attempts laughable! I speak Italian and German but most of the time, the languages being spoken are French, Russian or Polish these days - or Arabic. With all the will in the world, I cannot even attempt to speak these languages!

You find people friendly? Lucky you! I have lost count of the times I have almost been run over by prams and the like. It is as though I am not there. And I am sick of hearing mobile phone conversations carried out LOUDLY on public transport! The other day I was on a bus and was asked to move to make room for a buggy. I would not mind but I was not in the way and there was TONS of room! I told the woman to put it in a certain spot - two thirds of the space was free (which she did) but then she got on the phone and proceeded to slag me off in her language in a very obvious way!

My view is if people come to England, they should at least make the effort to speak the language, just as I make an effort to speak the language when I go abroad (otherwise why go?). I am sure it isn't too much to ask...is it?
Posted: 2007-02-11 03:34:17
TheMog
ORIGINAL: Hallber

ORIGINAL: AIL Staff

Really? :-?

Where I live in London there are quite a few different languages spoken and the people are always friendly, especially if you have a go at speaking their language.
Er...I am bright but even I cannot have a go at speaking some random language and the variety of languages in London would make my amateurish attempts laughable! I speak Italian and German but most of the time, the languages being spoken are French, Russian or Polish these days - or Arabic. With all the will in the world, I cannot even attempt to speak these languages!

You find people friendly? Lucky you! I have lost count of the times I have almost been run over by prams and the like. It is as though I am not there. And I am sick of hearing mobile phone conversations carried out LOUDLY on public transport! The other day I was on a bus and was asked to move to make room for a buggy. I would not mind but I was not in the way and there was TONS of room! I told the woman to put it in a certain spot - two thirds of the space was free (which she did) but then she got on the phone and proceeded to slag me off in her language in a very obvious way!

My view is if people come to England, they should at least make the effort to speak the language, just as I make an effort to speak the language when I go abroad (otherwise why go?). I am sure it isn't too much to ask...is it?




I also hate it when people have really loud mobile conversations on public transport. I agree that it can be even more annoying when you don't understand the language being spoken. I don't really have a problem with hearing other languages around London, although I agree with your point about making the effort to speak the language, we're always called ignorant brits when we go abroad and don't attempt to speak the language, and we're called racist if we expect the same in our own country.
Posted: 2007-02-12 11:21:35
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