Mexican flag flown over American flag...i don't think so

[KLB]

you know. road signs. Office building signs. Public land signs. That sort of thing. You didn't think that was ever going away did you?



Why would they need to make signs in different languages? We seem to be moving more towards symbols. Requiring people to read is ableist.

I'm thinking more like ballots to vote and forms to fill out and other materials for people to read.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

you know. road signs. Office building signs. Public land signs. That sort of thing. You didn't think that was ever going away did you?



Why would they need to make signs in different languages? We seem to be moving more towards symbols. Requiring people to read is ableist.

I blame the internet. People read and write in acronyms (LOL, BTW, FWIW, etc.) and emojis.

 

[jamil]

I'm thinking more like ballots to vote and forms to fill out and other materials for people to read.

I can't seem to read tax forms anyway and they keep sending me checks every time I do.

 

[jamil]

I blame the internet. People read and write in acronyms (LOL, BTW, FWIW, etc.) and emojis.

WTF?

 

[HoughMade]

WTF?

LOL

 

[DoggyDaddy]

WTF?

LOL

IKR?

 

[jamil]

IKR?

FWIW, FTW!

 

[femurphy77]

When I was traveling in Europe I was sure glad people I met didn't have the "speak my language" chip.

I'm guessing there's a bit of a difference between a traveler and someone coming to a country to reap its benefits. My recollection of living in Europe is that every country there was VERY nationalistic and hated the foreign worker of choice in the country. The germans HATED any gast arbeiter regardless of nationality and saw them as a drain on their society. Same thing for the Spaniards, Italians and French or so it seemed in speaking with people in each of those countries. I don't know though, maybe the unicorns and kittens movement has infiltrated across the pond too and they are all welcomed with open arms now.

 

[singlesix]

I'm guessing there's a bit of a difference between a traveler and someone coming to a country to reap its benefits. My recollection of living in Europe is that every country there was VERY nationalistic and hated the foreign worker of choice in the country. The germans HATED any gast arbeiter regardless of nationality and saw them as a drain on their society. Same thing for the Spaniards, Italians and French or so it seemed in speaking with people in each of those countries. I don't know though, maybe the unicorns and kittens movement has infiltrated across the pond too and they are all welcomed with open arms now.

Person works, pays taxes, and is lawful why should I care what language is spoken? What the heck does foreign workers have to do with what language is spoken, heck the foreigners at work speak English, matter of fact they speak the Queen's English.

 

[JettaKnight]

I'm guessing there's a bit of a difference between a traveler and someone coming to a country to reap its benefits. My recollection of living in Europe is that every country there was VERY nationalistic and hated the foreign worker of choice in the country. The germans HATED any gast arbeiter regardless of nationality and saw them as a drain on their society. Same thing for the Spaniards, Italians and French or so it seemed in speaking with people in each of those countries. I don't know though, maybe the unicorns and kittens movement has infiltrated across the pond too and they are all welcomed with open arms now.

THIS.

My cousin from Germany wasn't happy about his tax euros paying for refugees.


However, English is the lingua franca...

 

[BugI02]

THIS.

My cousin from Germany wasn't happy about his tax euros paying for refugees.


However, English is the lingua franca...

Literally true in aviation communications

 

[BugI02]

Person works, pays taxes, and is lawful why should I care what language is spoken? What the heck does foreign workers have to do with what language is spoken, heck the foreigners at work speak English, matter of fact they speak the Queen's English.

In europe they can meet all those criteria and not be citizens or eligible to become one. It's the difference between TDY and assimilation, E Pluribus something something

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Literally true in aviation communications

My father-in-law used "do they speak English" as his barometer of if a given area was "civilized" or not. Arabic was his native language, and he could care less if anyone could speak Arabic. Perhaps he was also influenced by the aviation industry, as he was a cargo air manager. Part of his job was to secure and review contracts for cargo transport across multiple countries in Europe and Asia, and apparently English was the universal language of aviation business as well.

Cyprus also made English the official language of government, despite it not being the "native" language of the island nation. Greek, I believe, is the predominate native tongue.

I get it to some extent, language is a cultural component as well. What language you speak literally changes the way your brain reacts to certain things and why translation of literature, debate, etc. is much tougher than a tax form.

 

[BugI02]

I think part of it was opportunity; for many decades the US was the driving force behind worldwide aviation and we're pretty lazy about learning other languages. If you wish to play in our game, follow our rules

But a large part of it is desiring no ambiguity in something like "99 Fox Xray, turn right to one-four-zero, climb and maintain two two thousand feet; cross Rapty at or above one eight thousand" and the controller not really having time to repeat the command several times (see: Ronald Reagan)

 

[femurphy77]

Person works, pays taxes, and is lawful why should I care what language is spoken? What the heck does foreign workers have to do with what language is spoken, heck the foreigners at work speak English, matter of fact they speak the Queen's English.

I agree with you but with a caveat; I/we should not have to make any "accommodations" for anyone who doesn't understand the local lingo. No dual language signs, no press "1" for whatever, no constantly repeating myself because the cashier "No Habla". I am not anti foreigner but if you want to come here and take advantage of the opportunities then learn the lingo.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I agree with you but with a caveat; I/we should not have to make any "accommodations" for anyone who doesn't understand the local lingo. No dual language signs, no press "1" for whatever, no constantly repeating myself because the cashier "No Habla". I am not anti foreigner but if you want to come here and take advantage of the opportunities then learn the lingo.

I lived in Doha for 2 years and never got beyond "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears" level of literacy. Yet I had no issues at all. The newspaper was available in English or Arabic. Shop signs almost always had the name in Arabic and English. Most gov't offices had English forms. When I had my mandatory vehicle inspections, they had an inspector who spoke English.

Barcelona was the same, but with English, Spanish, and Catalan. Signs in the airport were in all three. I speak enough Spanish to get around, but zero Catalan.

I guess I don't see the issue, especially for mandatory services. Even if you are learning the language, you aren't going to master it overnight. You may need to make a police report, find a rental car, or purchase medicine before you have learned the words for things.

 

[singlesix]

I agree with you but with a caveat; I/we should not have to make any "accommodations" for anyone who doesn't understand the local lingo. No dual language signs, no press "1" for whatever, no constantly repeating myself because the cashier "No Habla". I am not anti foreigner but if you want to come here and take advantage of the opportunities then learn the lingo.

Are referring to private businesses or the government? Private business will cater to its target population, so I have no issues with what language they choose to use. Why shop at a store where your needs are not being met? The problem is we have no official language, interesting side note, my history prof told me that the decision to write the Declaration of Independence in German was missed by one vote. So with no official language is it not incumbent on the gov't to provide access to it's services to the wideness possible span of the country's population?