Paris Notes (1)
Aug 13th 2004, 2:23 am
#76
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
On 2004-08-02, Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>> is very limited.
> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry as
> a whole.
I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>> is very limited.
> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry as
> a whole.
I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Aug 13th 2004, 2:23 am
#77
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
On 2004-08-02, Padraig Breathnach <[email protected]> wrote:
> Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>is very limited.
> You can't expect polyglots on the wages most people in service
> industries are paid.
Even receptionists have gone to school. Knowing more than just your mother
tongue should be the first requirement for that type of job. Like having
a sense of direction is required for a taxi driver. I've talking the trouble
of learning several foreign languages. Is it too much to ask, for people
who depend on my business, to make an effort to communicate?
We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation, where workers
in the tourist trade, would wear badges with indications of which languages
they understand. It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
out the best matches.
> Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>is very limited.
> You can't expect polyglots on the wages most people in service
> industries are paid.
Even receptionists have gone to school. Knowing more than just your mother
tongue should be the first requirement for that type of job. Like having
a sense of direction is required for a taxi driver. I've talking the trouble
of learning several foreign languages. Is it too much to ask, for people
who depend on my business, to make an effort to communicate?
We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation, where workers
in the tourist trade, would wear badges with indications of which languages
they understand. It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
out the best matches.
Aug 13th 2004, 2:41 am
#78
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
On 13 Aug 2004 14:23:00 GMT, Jesper Lauridsen
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 2004-08-02, Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>> is very limited.
>> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry as
>> a whole.
>I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me
serve? :-)
> in
>Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
>English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
>a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
>Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Is your real name C O Jones?
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 2004-08-02, Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>> is very limited.
>> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry as
>> a whole.
>I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me
serve? :-)
> in
>Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
>English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
>a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
>Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Is your real name C O Jones?
Aug 13th 2004, 2:45 am
#79
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 2004-08-02, Padraig Breathnach <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>>is very limited.
>> You can't expect polyglots on the wages most people in service
>> industries are paid.
>Even receptionists have gone to school. Knowing more than just your mother
>tongue should be the first requirement for that type of job.
The first requirement? Before knowing how to do the work?
Note also that I used the word "polyglot". You can reasonably hope for
a second language in many places; more than that is a big advance.
> Like having
>a sense of direction is required for a taxi driver.
Don't start another sub-thread! Most people have their taxi stories.
>I've talking the trouble
>of learning several foreign languages.
Either because you are interested, or because it benefits you
financially. Can you expect the same of a server in a fast-food
establishment?
>Is it too much to ask, for people
>who depend on my business, to make an effort to communicate?
In any type of establishment, in any work role, in any language of
your choice? Come off it.
The wages paid for some jobs are such that the employer ought to be
grateful if the employee can communicate in the vernacular.
>We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation, where workers
>in the tourist trade, would wear badges with indications of which languages
>they understand. It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
>flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
>to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
>out the best matches.
Who needs an EU regulation? Bring on the pins, and see who wears them.
--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED
>On 2004-08-02, Padraig Breathnach <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>>is very limited.
>> You can't expect polyglots on the wages most people in service
>> industries are paid.
>Even receptionists have gone to school. Knowing more than just your mother
>tongue should be the first requirement for that type of job.
The first requirement? Before knowing how to do the work?
Note also that I used the word "polyglot". You can reasonably hope for
a second language in many places; more than that is a big advance.
> Like having
>a sense of direction is required for a taxi driver.
Don't start another sub-thread! Most people have their taxi stories.
>I've talking the trouble
>of learning several foreign languages.
Either because you are interested, or because it benefits you
financially. Can you expect the same of a server in a fast-food
establishment?
>Is it too much to ask, for people
>who depend on my business, to make an effort to communicate?
In any type of establishment, in any work role, in any language of
your choice? Come off it.
The wages paid for some jobs are such that the employer ought to be
grateful if the employee can communicate in the vernacular.
>We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation, where workers
>in the tourist trade, would wear badges with indications of which languages
>they understand. It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
>flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
>to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
>out the best matches.
Who needs an EU regulation? Bring on the pins, and see who wears them.
--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED
Aug 13th 2004, 3:19 am
#80
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
Jesper Lauridsen <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected] :
> On 2004-08-02, Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>> is very limited.
>> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry
>> as a whole.
>
> I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
> Spanish.
a Jesper, this is a euphemism in English for "to have sex with."
She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
> English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it
> wasn't a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name
> implies. Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
news:[email protected] :
> On 2004-08-02, Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Jesper Lauridsen writes:
>>> My sympathy with mono-lingual people working in the tourist industry
>>> is very limited.
>> You must have very little sympathy for the American tourist industry
>> as a whole.
>
> I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
> Spanish.
a Jesper, this is a euphemism in English for "to have sex with."
She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
> English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it
> wasn't a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name
> implies. Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Aug 13th 2004, 3:19 am
#81
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
Jesper Lauridsen writes:
> I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
> Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
> English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
> a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
> Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Maybe you looked like a foreigner. For some Americans, "foreign" and
"Spanish-speaking" are synonymous.
--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
> I once experienced a waitress in Manhattan, who tried to service me in
> Spanish. She spoke English with no problems, the other guests were
> English speakers (based on the conversations that I could hear), it wasn't
> a hispanic-themed restaurant, and I look as Spanish as my name implies.
> Why on Earth would she try Spanish first?
Maybe you looked like a foreigner. For some Americans, "foreign" and
"Spanish-speaking" are synonymous.
--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
Aug 13th 2004, 3:21 am
#82
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris Notes (1)
Jesper Lauridsen writes:
> We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation ...
No, let's skip the ten-millionth EU regulation for once.
> ... where workers in the tourist trade, would wear badges
> with indications of which languages they understand.
They already do that in many cases.
> It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
> flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
> to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
> out the best matches.
Already done. No EU regulation was required.
--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
> We ought to have system, possibly through an EU regulation ...
No, let's skip the ten-millionth EU regulation for once.
> ... where workers in the tourist trade, would wear badges
> with indications of which languages they understand.
They already do that in many cases.
> It could be done with little flags, with the size of the
> flags indication the level of skill. It would then be easy for tourist
> to see if they have a common language with the staff, and possibly seek
> out the best matches.
Already done. No EU regulation was required.
--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
