Why do we think we have the right...
 

In a shop the other day, and buying several items, the till wasn't working properly but the assistant was new to the job. She was doing her best, but another ENGLISH chap there was moaning etc, and then when it was working the girl was telling us how much it was in her, reasonable, English. SHe said it was fivety Euros, the other chap jumped in, laughed and said, something about not hearing it said that way before and making fun of her English. I turned on him and said that he would have the right to criticise her if his Spainish was so good he didn't make mistakes. He muttered and walked away. But why do we feel that, if someone is trying to converse in our language, and makes a mistake like that, that we have the right to have a go at them to their face. She had realised what she said wasn't quite right, and we did say it was fifty, but didn't make her feel uncomfortable about it.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Because there are too many ignorant morons moving out here

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Yeah shortly after I arrived I was in a supermarket. And we all know that spanish supermarkets never have enough check out staff. And we deal with it. But this guy was having a right strop.

I turned round and said. Youre in spain now. deal with it! Think it was just a tourist as i was in a very tourist area. (Place in Benalmadena with the big hotels)

Oh and im sick of people compaining that its too hot. gee. Especially ex pats!!

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

There's your answer right there Mike! :lol:

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

These problems could all be eradicated by Brussells phasing out all languages except for English - might take a few years for the full transition - but on the whole Europe would be a far better place, would vastly improve the single market and increase trade with the rest of the World.

As for the lack of staff on the tills, there is no excuse for shoddy service anywhere, why accept it??

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Well when in Rome.
I have never had a problem with service any where and I do think if you live in a place, you should try to understand the language dont you ?

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Its funny you saying that, I understand that as Spanish is the second business language and soon to be the first, that they are thinking of making it Spanish.
Also they are going to make all countries drive on the right side of the road so visitors to the UK will no longer have a problem of driving on the left.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Still got a good 100 million more native speakers than Spanish though - Airlines, International poitics, science, medicine, engineering, music, film, technology banking all mostly use English - despite Spanish gaining a large foothold in the US, I don't think it is widely used outside of latin America is it? and they just sit around in daft hats playing the Pan Pipes all day!!!
I don't believe there are anywhere near as many speak it as a second language either??

The sooner we in the UK start to drive on the "normal" side the better - but I can't see that happening as quickly as Engilsh taking it's righful place as the Language of Europe.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

I can't really comment on service outside of in a Holiday context - but there I found it to be v good in restaurants, hotels etc, but pants in shops, banks, car hire offices etc - maybe there is a "we're better than you" attitude amongst white collar employees??

No, I don't think I should learn their language - unless I needed to, and firmly believe if Europe is to move on as a Union it is important English is phased in as a common languge. Most of Northern Europe already speak it fluently - well except the Scots!!

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Just get a leftie and learn to speak Spanish, you don`t want to get left behind, ;-))

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

¡Quizá un Hummer, pero cuando en Roma habla inglés - y grita!!!



¿Google - no lo amas??

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

I just look at the till to see what I need to pay. Nobody would attempt to tell me in English where I living unless they could hold up their fingers eg. 3 euros!

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

They will piss in your soup. ;-)

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Most of the kids around here don't speak English as their first language, it's more a ghetto, gangsta rap dialect. I can't wait until debates in the European parliament are punctuated by cries of 'No wot I meeen'. Our fall from grace as a nation will be complete.

The English language as I was taught it has long since ceased to exist amongst the English youth and been superceded by pseudo-black American slang. And that ain't cool, no wot I'm sayin'.

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I half expect they do that anyway - don't get me onto foreign food!!!

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Well the English you were taught was not that of Shakespeare. It's a feature of the shrinking world - all languages have and will evolve more rapidly - until they all become English - maybe not as we know it but it will be English I'm certain.

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Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

I think your standpoint is a bit Little Britain. The reason that English became so widely spoken was because of our global domination of international trade over three centuries.

After the conquest of William everyone in England spoke French or Latin or a combination of both because it was necessary for commerce. Using that analogy the most likely consequence in light of the growth in world commerce of the Chinese - is that Mandarin will become the dominant world language eventually.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Saw it before. Made me laugh loads.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Yep English is largely based on other languages.
But Mandarin will never become a world language principally because it is extremely difficult to write in the pure form and open to massive misinterpretation in the condensed form, and as you say China is growing in the world of international commerce - what language do you suppose they conduct their business in?

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

After the conquest of William everyone in England spoke French or Latin or...

Not very good Spanish...

At a school age when I was susceptible to French and Latin, it was far easier! having the learning head on.. so I learn't it by the blackboard.. and text books etc..

Then I went to Germany later on and learnt what I needed to get 'ein beir und ein wurst'

Now I am in Spain, I am a mixture of Veni Vide Vici! Amo Amas Amat! Voulez vous couchez avec moi Ce Soir? Mit jaegerschnitzel! And ! LO SIENTO!


Hey, whats a girl to do!
:thumbsup:

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Leighbloke! New Avatar?

Quest que c'est?
Que?
Was ist es?
Che l'è?

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

It's the family coat of arms.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Going back to Mike's post at the start of the thread. I think the problem with some Brits abroad is that they expect everyone to speak English, act English and sell English food and other goods. Whether that is down to arrogance, ignorance or some kind of misguided elitism, I'm not sure, but it certainly isn't a mindset that I wish to adopt and am looking forward to the day when I have the confidence to start a sentence to a Spaniard without resorting to ¿Habla Ingles?.

There's a thread running concurrent with this one on the main Spain forum where someone has moved 2,000 miles only to be obsessed with where the nearest Primark is, for god's sake.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

In the Swedish national colours too. How appropriate. :)

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

My problem with people wanting to find certain shops near to where they live is that all of european shopping areas could end up looking like all of the shopping centres in the UK. What happened to visiting different places to find the different shops and enjoying each shopping centre for their differences, why does everywhere have to be a clone of another area.

Surely if people move to a different country they want to enjoy the differences within that country. Why does everywhere have to become a 'Little Britain'? If someone wants to shop in these places then they can in the UK.

Rosemary

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Just a thought but, I wonder if there are any Spanish expat sites on the internet. If so I wonder if they have threads about missing Spanish shops and Spanish food? I`d like to bet that if there were any Spanish forums they would be asking about Spanish shops and products in other countries!

I dont miss much at all from the UK, but the odd time I do wish I could have a bit of a treat from the UK which I cannot get here.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

It's a good point Sam, but I don't think the would because they aren't as brand led as we are. I can't imagine they worry that the detergent isn't Persil, the brown sauce isn't HP or the beans aren't Heinz.

BTW Tesco now stock a great range of tapas.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

I have read some messages yours for to notice a certain aversion to the spaniards, and I don't still know which is the reason (if some bad experience, problem of adaptation, maybe something pathological...I don´t know). And don't worry about english, it won't disappear. It is only necessary to navigate for internet or to see the quantity of apparatuses that there is with written english

Only are some examples

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Don`t worry about him, he has an aversion to everybody not only Spaniards. :lol::lol:

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

But if now that I see well, is my colleague Leighbloke...

I didn't remember him (mainly for a problem in my computer). We are having some chats in private. I had to write him, but already I have told him here something, if he wants that our chats are of public domain, like he prefer...

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

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It's exactly how the French behave when we don't get their language quite right.

I keep hearing that, when travelling abroad, the locals really respect you if you try to speak their language, however poorly.

Not in bloody France, they don't.....

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Ahh the French. Now there is real arrogance. As soon as they know you're a 'rosbeef' it doesn't matter how well you can speak their language - they'll still hate you. Mind you, my SIL is French and she's a sweetheart, probably came to live in the UK because her niceness was unacceptable in France.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Just for the record - I don't have an aversion to the Spanish, or anybody else - well maybe Man U fans (so that's most cockneys) Scousers, the Scots, and all things French, except for the word Lingerie - and I don't know how my post could be interpreted that way.

All I said was all of Europe should speak English.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

Oye! I miss Primark! There are some great spanish shops BUT when you buy in the UK at least you don't have to cut 30cm off the bottom of a pair of trousers to make them fit.

Why do they make them so long? Ths spanish aren't particularly tall. Is a one-size-fits-europe thing to cater for the dutch?

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I find the ass room in Spanish tracksuit bottoms is very limited you know! :unsure:

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

True, I remember one holiday at a French resort, and was staying in an apartment, I was told that all the girls on reception spoke excellent English, BUT only if you tried to talk to them in French first. Had a cpouple of things wrong in the apartment so went to complain. My French is adequate, so I decided to try this out. I just went in and explained what was wrong, she repleid in French, I continued in English and the converrsation went on. Another guy came in, and she just interrupted her conversation with me to ask him what the problem was, he tried to explain in very halting French, so she spoke in her excellent english, but then came back to me and continued as though she had no English whatsoever. Would never have tried it if my French hadn't been good enough to have understood anything she had said, but it did prove the point.

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

OK....here's a true story that happened to me 2 years ago. I'm not going to pass any comment, you just make of it what you will.
We got to Spain Nov 2nd 2005 in a UK hire car, and five days later I had to take it back.
About 3am in the morning I found myself lost near Lyon, so I pulled into a service area to try and get help.
There was a large group of truckers in the cafe so I tried to explain as best I could that I needed help with directions. They weren't remotely interested, and most of them just blanked me.
So in case they hadn't understood I showed them a map which highlighted my destination as Cardiff and mentioned Pays de Galles (Wales). They said to me...."You're a Welshman? You're not English?"
Now anybody who knows me here will tell you that I'm very proud to be Welsh.....I was born a Welshman, and I'll die a Welshman. I'm not anti any other nationality.....I just take people as they are, but I'm proud of being Welsh.
The French truckers obviously picked up on my defiant "I'm bloody Welsh" tone....and they completely changed. "You're Welsh? Come and sit down".....they bought me coffee, other truckers came over to meet me and I even found one who spoke reasonable English. He explained how many of them go to Cardiff for the rugby, they're made so welcome, and how they have so many friends there.
Then they drew me a little map, and one of them even led me out to the right road in his truck to get back on my journey.
So no comment from me....make of that what you will. But that's my only experience with the French. :)

Re: Why do we think we have the right...
 

My grandfather, who has been dead many years, ran away from home at 16, lied about his age and joined the British Regular Army in 1910. He fought at Mons and throughout the First World War on the Western Front.

In later life, on the rare occassions he chose to mention that period of his life, he always said that the British and Germans should have got together and shot the French and the Top Brass.