There's as much onus on you to try and speak slowly and clearly so that they can understand you as there is on them to learn the language.

Maybe you're just a mug. Who doesn't want free money?

I agree with Dave+Jules... either hit them in their pocket or find yourself a new job... no point gettig annoyed

Well I thought I would save some e-paper. I was yawning at Rich_007 nit picking on my incorrect use of the word "will" instead of "would".

Sometimes I type faster than I am thinking, or is it the other way around? Who cares

Anyway, personally for me this media is about speed of response, and if I happen to screw it up, no big deal. It is like fretting over a mispelt text message.

You're a very serious chap, deep down, aren't you.



R.

Hey Richie Rich no problem I dont let it get to me 'onest:curse::curse: quick send in the guys with the white coats.



Do you know how hard it was not to put the apostrophe in the dont?

I say teh problem isn't the Chinese or the Pakistanis - it's the bloody limejuicers. Send 'em back to Blighty - a pox upon this mighty wilderness they is! Bet they don't even know Blighty is an Hindustani word . . .

"L'Angleterre, ah, la perfide Angleterre." - Jacques-Benigne Bossuet

from one Limejuicer, Blighty being a Hindustani word doesn't bother me.

That is why the English Language is dominant. It gobbles up new words and is flexible enough to keep the sound, and even the meaning. In the next 15 years when China have finished their adoption of English as a second language (and similar to India one that unifies their communications) you can better your bottom Euro / franc it will be the world language

Maybe they walked into the benefits office to go back to work?? Or did you follow each one to check up on your assumption??

It is already and has been so for quite some time

Honestly I don't think anyone in their right mind at this here forum would/should be in the least offended at your completely understandable annoyance/frustration. (Famous Last Words)

The problem is that it is not practical to enforce a strict fluency test. I think the premise is that newcomers will/should have a basic grasp of English and that, in time, they will have sufficient mastery of the lingo. I am not familiar as to how rigid or lax the goverment is when it comes to immigration and language skills (or lack therof).

Yes indeed it does seem unfair but these people have come here for a better life as I am sure is your case. Your employer, it seems to me, has to recruit from what is available on the local job market.

So go ask for money as you sure deserve it. But don't fault your employer for hiring these people. Hopefully, in time, your bosses will show their appreciation at your good will during trying times.

PS I spent six months in London in 1999 (whitechapel area) and found the fluency remarkable. In fact some of the English spoken was far better and more understandable than that of the 'locals'.

Maybe the job centre was in the same building (as is often the case) and they were looking for a job which they'd found hard to come by due to their lack of citizenship?

So she's effectively being punished for linguistic skills. Hardly seems fair. Immigrants should have no excuse for not speaking the language - it doesn't boil down to where they come from, it boils down to education - if they care enough to live in a country they should educate themselves sufficiently in the appropriate language. Just because you're English / Canadian doesn't mean you speak perfect English (half the people I know in the UK couldn't even tell you what a verb or a conjunction is!), as it depends on how well you have been educated. Henceforth, immigrants have the opportunity to learn a language and if they can't speak it then it shows a lack of commitment and willingness to adapt to their new country.

Rant over :-)

Anita

I knew someone with conjunctionitis once, or ()should that be once I knew someone with conjunctionitis ?

this is a very interesting thread indeed! I would like to add some thoughts from a non native english speaker's point of view, if I may.

I totally agree with the statements that immigrants who are from non-english/french speaking countries should make a big effort to learn the language of the country they move to. However.. not everyone has the same capacity for learning a foreign language. My husband for example, who is Canadian, has tried to learn to speak my native language (german) and he just didn't succeed, because he is just not gifted for languages and there is nothing wrong with it... you cant be good at everything...

I know this is no excuse for your colleagues to not to be able to do their work... maybe they should be assigned jobs where the language capacity is not as vital as in this particular case... talk to your boss and have him shuffle them around....

I doubt there's really a problem here; it's pretty clear that the OP is just a nasty racist - the "immigrants are just a bunch of dole scoungers" implication above is pretty typical of people like this.