Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Mar 29th 2005, 1:57 am
#76
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,579
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by rincewind
Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Yes. If you move to another country, you should at least respect their mother tongue and learn it.
Yes. If you move to another country, you should at least respect their mother tongue and learn it.
I think the company ended up paying out quite a substantial amount of money so that it wouldn't go to court.
Last edited by anotherlimey; Mar 29th 2005 at 2:44 am.
Mar 29th 2005, 2:12 am
#77
You Are All Diseased
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Farnham, UK
Posts: 4,511
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
This is ridiculous.
An example:
I called a company the other day in reference to a job advertisement. On the job descritption it read:
- Must have excellent oral communication skills for talking with clients.
I called the company after sending my resume and got a guy on the phone who couldn't speak more than three words of English.
After my third attempt at telling him what I wanted, I heard him speak to another operator and say: "can you take this call, I can't understand what he is saying."
I was outraged.
An example:
I called a company the other day in reference to a job advertisement. On the job descritption it read:
- Must have excellent oral communication skills for talking with clients.
I called the company after sending my resume and got a guy on the phone who couldn't speak more than three words of English.
After my third attempt at telling him what I wanted, I heard him speak to another operator and say: "can you take this call, I can't understand what he is saying."
I was outraged.
Mar 29th 2005, 2:18 am
#78
Not living a 9 to 5 life
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,061
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by ImHere
No. Have you? But then I guess about 2 billion people have all learnt Chinese or Russian without knowing how to conjugate a verb. Amazing really.<<snip>>
NC Penguin
Mar 29th 2005, 2:20 am
#79
Just around the next bend
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,276
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
It must all be relative. My daughter and I, from the London area of the UK, have had many local Arkansan people not understand us. And I don't just mean the meaning of words (i.e. trousers instead of pants) but also just regular words - like asking for 'water' in a restaurant. We have had many times had to repeat it or spell it, or else told they don't have water *lol* 
Mar 29th 2005, 2:27 am
#80
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,579
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by dbark
It must all be relative. My daughter and I, from the London area of the UK, have had many local Arkansan people not understand us. And I don't just mean the meaning of words (i.e. trousers instead of pants) but also just regular words - like asking for 'water' in a restaurant. We have had many times had to repeat it or spell it, or else told they don't have water *lol*
Mar 29th 2005, 2:42 am
#81
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
You could try "Coca-cola." In Texas, we call *all* such fizzy drinks "coke" -- if you ask for a coke at a friend's, you might be asked what kind you want! up in Illinois you could get either "pop" or "soda."
Mar 29th 2005, 2:47 am
#82
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by dbark
We have had many times had to repeat it or spell it, or else told they don't have water *lol*
and even I develop this molasses drawl when I'm speaking with my rellies.Do you pronounce the final "r" hard? In Arkansan it's more like WAD*-errrrr. Draw out the first syllable. Love to know if that works for you!
(*wad like waddle)
Mar 29th 2005, 2:51 am
#83
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
Man those Arkansans have a drawl! I'm related to half the state and even I develop this molasses drawl when I'm speaking with my rellies.
Do you pronounce the final "r" hard? In Arkansan it's more like WAD*-errrrr. Draw out the first syllable. Love to know if that works for you!
(*wad like waddle)
and even I develop this molasses drawl when I'm speaking with my rellies.Do you pronounce the final "r" hard? In Arkansan it's more like WAD*-errrrr. Draw out the first syllable. Love to know if that works for you!
(*wad like waddle)
what goes great with a pop?
Mar 29th 2005, 2:59 am
#84
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by Manc
hey snowbunny
what goes great with a pop?
what goes great with a pop?
Mar 29th 2005, 3:00 am
#85
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
A cup.
BOOM BOOM
BOOM BOOM
Mar 29th 2005, 3:22 am
#86
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Geez, I expected a dirtier joke outta you! 
Mar 29th 2005, 3:23 am
#87
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
Geez, I expected a dirtier joke outta you!
Mar 29th 2005, 3:31 am
#88
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
I need to clear out my mailbox 
!
!
Mar 29th 2005, 8:53 am
#89
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by NC Penguin
Yes. Japanese and my spouse has studied Russian and is currently learning Chinese (bless him)...
NC Penguin
NC Penguin
Cool. Are you fluent? One of my (scottish) university mates did a Japanese (Kanji?) course...he said it was very hard and listening to him speaking japanese in a broad Glaswegian accent was hilarious....no idea if a Japanese native would have understood him.
Mar 29th 2005, 8:58 am
#90
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: Should forgeiners be made to learn basic English?
Originally Posted by ImHere
Cool. Are you fluent? One of my (scottish) university mates did a Japanese (Kanji?) course...he said it was very hard and listening to him speaking japanese in a broad Glaswegian accent was hilarious....no idea if a Japanese native would have understood him.
