Woman kicked out of a Starbucks, was complaining that other customers were speaking Korean

[TipsyTraveler]

When it's clear that the other employee is asked to help and is being given directions, it's not a problem. I have been in places where I am being served but the employees are having a private conversation in another language that has nothing to do with business. I know this for sure because while I am not fluent in other languages, I can understand a bit of conversational language in a couple languages. Of course, the chuckling doesn't help.

I never have a problem with other customers speaking a different language.

Getting my nails done comes to mind as a situation where what you're describing is commonplace. It doesn't bother me in the least. These women sit next to each other in a shop all day, what's wrong with them conversing while doing their work? If they want to talk, and chuckle, about what they did last weekend or the latest adorable thing their kid did, have at it. While they have some level of friendship with each other, I'm a stranger and I don't need to be privy to their personal life like that. (I'm not paranoid enough to think they're talking about me, but even if they were I still wouldn't care. Whether they say it in front of me in Vietnamese or in English in the back room, they're going to say what they're going to say. No skin off my nose.)

The alternative is that we all sit in complete silence -- uncomfortable -- or that the nail tech makes awkward, broken English small talk with me, and I'm way too antisocial to want it to come to that.

 

[soccerdad72]

When people talk about others in another language, it can backfire on them because (especially in the US) it is often assumed that others don't speak foreign languages. My older son experienced a little bit of this one time. He's a soccer referee and he was working a game (10 year olds) where one team had a large number of Mexican-Americans. They got really nasty with him (in English) and also did a lot of insulting of him on the sidelines in Spanish as well. Thing is, my son is nearly fluent in Spanish now and understood most of what they were saying and he was very tempted to respond back to them at some point. He wisely chose not to and just ignored it, but later reported it to the league director. He figured while he would have loved to see their faces when he pointed out that he understood them, it wouldn't have made the situation any better.

That being said, I don't have much of an issue with employees at restaurants or shops speaking foreign languages to each other, as long as they're able to communicate to me when needed. I also catch myself thinking that maybe they're talking about me, but then I realize most of the time, I'm sure they barely know I'm there.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Getting my nails done comes to mind as a situation where what you're describing is commonplace. It doesn't bother me in the least. These women sit next to each other in a shop all day, what's wrong with them conversing while doing their work? If they want to talk, and chuckle, about what they did last weekend or the latest adorable thing their kid did, have at it. While they have some level of friendship with each other, I'm a stranger and I don't need to be privy to their personal life like that. (I'm not paranoid enough to think they're talking about me, but even if they were I still wouldn't care. Whether they say it in front of me in Vietnamese or in English in the back room, they're going to say what they're going to say. No skin off my nose.)

The alternative is that we all sit in complete silence -- uncomfortable -- or that the nail tech makes awkward, broken English small talk with me, and I'm way too antisocial to want it to come to that.

You need to bring Frank Costanza in with you next time.

 

[DisneyOma]

Just to look at the lady though, tells you there's not something quite right with her.

At our nursing home, one of the "rules" is that the staff is to speak English in front of English speaking residents because some residents have informed us that they feel like the staff is speaking about them when they don't speak English in front of them. In other words, it makes them feel left out and uncomfortable. I don't think that's an unreasonable request.

In a nursing home, where the employees are tending to clients - speak the client's language. But would you make the client speak the employees' language? Customers should not be expected to speak any specific language. I've been to other countries where I got to point at a menu to order because I didn't speak the language. I got what I wanted, they got my money, it all worked out great.

Meh, if every state had their own language, Americans would speak more languages. If you’re a tour guide in a part of the World where you might experience a dozen different languages in a 500 mile drive, of course you’re going to know more than one.

I doubt that. Americans are particularly lazy and arrogant with languages, IMO. I've done a lot of international traveling. We are ignorant here.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I doubt that. Americans are particularly lazy and arrogant with languages, IMO. I've done a lot of international traveling. We are ignorant here.

Oh please. I don’t know ANYONE in South Texas who doesn’t speak Spanish.

None of my relatives in Northern Scotland know a second language, but the ones in Southern England all know French.

Moreover, in places where English is not the primary language, it’s almost ALWAYS the most common second language.

It’s nothing to do with laziness or worldliness. It’s a matter of need.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I would think nothing of an employee speaking another language to a fellow coworker, especially if the other employee is being asked to help with serving me and instructions are being passed on from the person dealing directly with me. I come from a country where we expect government employees to speak a minimum of 2 languages, if not more when dealing with the public. Speaking languages other than English is a good thing. It certainly would never cross my mind to get upset at fellow customers in a shop conversing in their language of choice.

Yeah, I wouldn’t think much of that, either. At my favorite Chinese & Mexican restaurants, the wait staff & hosts are all fluent in English, but some of the kitchen staff is not. If speaking their primary language helps get my order right, I’m all for it

 

[Wishing on a star]

Necessity is, indeed, the mother of invention (or motivation) .

But, I will be the first to admit that I am one of us who has not really learned other languages, and, while very very thankful, have been happy that there are those in other places who do communicate with me in English!!!

I don't take it for granted... But, have been very happy and appreciative.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

When people talk about others in another language, it can backfire on them because (especially in the US) it is often assumed that others don't speak foreign languages. My older son experienced a little bit of this one time. He's a soccer referee and he was working a game (10 year olds) where one team had a large number of Mexican-Americans. They got really nasty with him (in English) and also did a lot of insulting of him on the sidelines in Spanish as well. Thing is, my son is nearly fluent in Spanish now and understood most of what they were saying and he was very tempted to respond back to them at some point. He wisely chose not to and just ignored it, but later reported it to the league director. He figured while he would have loved to see their faces when he pointed out that he understood them, it wouldn't have made the situation any better.

DH & I experienced something similar to this. We were at a Publix Deli ordering a sandwich. There's always a line, so we were there for awhile. All the ladies working in the deli were from the same country & spoke a language that isn't very common, even here in South Florida. They were talking back & forth & laughing the whole time we were in line. A young gentleman speaks up & asks to speak to a manager. It just so happened he spoke that language fluently as a second language. He was irate & filled the manager in on what the employees were saying about the costumers. They were saying some really nasty stuff thinking no one in line could understand them. I don't know, if anything ever came of it, but this guy made sure the manager knew he'd be reporting it to cooperate. FWIW, it appeared the manager didn't speak that language either.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I would think nothing of an employee speaking another language to a fellow coworker, especially if the other employee is being asked to help with serving me and instructions are being passed on from the person dealing directly with me. I come from a country where we expect government employees to speak a minimum of 2 languages, if not more when dealing with the public. Speaking languages other than English is a good thing. It certainly would never cross my mind to get upset at fellow customers in a shop conversing in their language of choice.

Since we've met many more French speaking Canadians in South Florida than those who speak English, that doesn't surprise me.

 

[Pink Partridge]

We have a man in our town that is obviously mentally ill. He walks the downtown almost daily, rambling about things. This woman reminds me of him. She seems mentally off.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

DH & I experienced something similar to this. We were at a Publix Deli ordering a sandwich. There's always a line, so we were there for awhile. All the ladies working in the deli were from the same country & spoke a language that isn't very common, even here in South Florida. They were talking back & forth & laughing the whole time we were in line. A young gentleman speaks up & asks to speak to a manager. It just so happened he spoke that language fluently as a second language. He was irate & filled the manager in on what the employees were saying about the costumers. They were saying some really nasty stuff thinking no one in line could understand them. I don't know, if anything ever came of it, but this guy made sure the manager knew he'd be reporting it to cooperate. FWIW, it appeared the manager didn't speak that language either.

Have you ever seen the John Wayne movie The Cowboys? One of the kids insulted another kid’s mother in Spanish. But, that kid also spoke Spanish - and the fight was on LOL

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Have you ever seen the John Wayne movie The Cowboys? One of the kids insulted another kid’s mother in Spanish. But, that kid also spoke Spanish - and the fight was on LOL

Can't say that I have, but I can see that happening. The young guy in my story was definitely fighting mad.

 

[DisneyOma]

Oh please. I don’t know ANYONE in South Texas who doesn’t speak Spanish.

None of my relatives in Northern Scotland know a second language, but the ones in Southern England all know French.

Moreover, in places where English is not the primary language, it’s almost ALWAYS the most common second language.

It’s nothing to do with laziness or worldliness. It’s a matter of need.

So, if they don't need it they won't learn it? That, to me, is the epitome of laziness and arrogance.

ETA - the reason English is second is that it was agreed on to be the language for science. They almost picked German. I wish they had.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Just when I get a little smug and think that this kind of crap doesn’t happen near me, and I’m proved wrong! This is two towns over from me, in the same suburban area (east of Oakland).
What is wrong with people like this?! I just can’t wrap my head around this type of attitude. I’m impressed when I hear non-English being spoken. I figure that they’re smarter than me - I don’t speak another language! They probably speak English, as well as whatever language they’re speaking.

This. 100%.

 

[bcla]

Personally there are some languages that I find unpleasant to hear being spoken. But that’s my issue and I would never tell anyone to stop carrying on a conversation.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual.

What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual.

What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.

Last summer we took a river cruise through Germany and the cruise director spoke 7 languages. She's learning two more.

Europeans and Asians are so educated it's embarrassing. I'm always humbled and quite frankly embarrassed that I only speak one language with a little French and Spanish high school thrown in.

I was recently on a flight from Prague and there were two young children sitting with their father behind me. To guess, I would say the kids were aged 5 and 8. Their English was impeccable, faultless and without a trace of an accent, then suddenly they would start speaking Czech to each other. It was fascinating yet this is the norm on the other side of the pond.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

When people talk about others in another language, it can backfire on them because (especially in the US) it is often assumed that others don't speak foreign languages. My older son experienced a little bit of this one time. He's a soccer referee and he was working a game (10 year olds) where one team had a large number of Mexican-Americans. They got really nasty with him (in English) and also did a lot of insulting of him on the sidelines in Spanish as well. Thing is, my son is nearly fluent in Spanish now and understood most of what they were saying and he was very tempted to respond back to them at some point. He wisely chose not to and just ignored it, but later reported it to the league director. He figured while he would have loved to see their faces when he pointed out that he understood them, it wouldn't have made the situation any better.

That being said, I don't have much of an issue with employees at restaurants or shops speaking foreign languages to each other, as long as they're able to communicate to me when needed. I also catch myself thinking that maybe they're talking about me, but then I realize most of the time, I'm sure they barely know I'm there.

I would add that if you go into a Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, etc restaurant and they don't understand you, that's on you, not them. Even in America. There's always McDonald's.

 

[dosekies]

Europeans and Asians are so educated it's embarrassing. I'm always humbled and quite frankly embarrassed that I only speak one language with a little French and Spanish high school thrown in.

I was recently on a flight from Prague and there were two young children sitting with their father behind me. To guess, I would say the kids were aged 5 and 8. Their English was impeccable, faultless and without a trace of an accent, then suddenly they would start speaking Czech to each other. It was fascinating yet this is the norm on the other side of the pond.

Agreed. I took German in high school and really want to start learning again. I would absolutely love to raise my child on a second language. I really wish it was more common here to learn a second language during early childhood.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Agreed. I took German in high school and really want to start learning again. I would absolutely love to raise my child on a second language. I really wish it was more common here to learn a second language during early childhood.

It's frustrating that we don't take second languages seriously. Taking an elective even in grade 4 and up is not going to make anyone fluent in another language. It needs to be done by age 6, and seriously. I know many Germans and every one of them speaks at least 6 languages, fluently.

Also, it's horrifying that so many people actually have the audacity to laugh at Asians speaking English. I would love for them to try to say one sentence in any Asian language, let alone converse and take a food order. The level of intelligence and perseverance it takes a person from Asia, etc, to learn and speak English is astounding. And yet the disrespect shown to these people is shameful.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

So, if they don't need it they won't learn it? That, to me, is the epitome of laziness and arrogance.

ETA - the reason English is second is that it was agreed on to be the language for science. They almost picked German. I wish they had.

It's the epitome of practicality. And it's not exclusive to the US. It's more pronounced because we're all taught the most widespread language, because we have a physically large country, and we're mostly isolated from other languages.

As for your ETA, that's but one reason English is the most common second language. There's also the fact the Brits colonized a much broader portion of the globe than other modern nations, the fact it's the official language of international flight, the fact English speaking nations as a group are bigger consumers of foreign goods than groups of nations speaking any other language, etc.