She doesn't speak English - pointless meeting up

YABVU
Yes that's right, exclude the poor woman on the basis that she doesn't speak the language. Ridiculous! She will pick it up in her own time, just be kind and welcoming to her and that's all you need to do! Your brother will appreciate it a lot.

How rude, of you.

What a really sad attitude to your future sister in law, possible future mother of nieces or nephews. I know various families whether there are language barriers with in laws but they still spend time together and figure it out.

YABU

In any case I'm sure she speaks or at least understands some English.

When I moved to my DH's country 20 years ago I didn't speak the language (apart from counting to 10). My FIL couldn't speak English and my MIL very basic broken English (she's never learnt, only picked up from American soaps on TV). For them to refuse to meet me because I didn't speak their language - what would that have done to our relationship? Do you want a relationship with your brother?

Is it going to be challenging? Yes.

Should you go? Yes.

@Dannnyy Assuming that her English never improves, will you just avoid her for the rest of your life to save any potential awkwardness?

Because noone likes to be yelled at.

Look at my next point. Speak slowly but not overly so.

When you go "NAAAAAIIICEEEE. TOOOO MEEEET. YOOOOOOOUUUU" it comes across wrong.

If you go "Nice to meet you" it comes across as if you want to communicate and make friendly ties.

Top tip for OP and some others on this thread.

NEVER think communication is difficult because someone else doesn't speak English. It is ALWAYS because they don't speak English and you don't speak any of their languages.

You could do something about that.

Of course it's worth it! A few smiles go a long way.

Your job as Big Sister is not to make stunning conversation, it's to make your little brother's fiancee feel welcome in the family. You don't need to speak the same language to do that. Just go along.

The fiancée’s English is probably only marginally less than fluent anyway.

Well done for acknowledging YABU OP.
Go along and meet her, it is one meal. She will likely pick up the gist of a lot of the conversation and you can include her by using basic level language with please to meet you and how you are and is your food nice as well as your brother translating.
I assume they don't live in the UK, but her picking up more English is likely to come through social interactions like having meals with her DH's family.

dont ever go to a foreign country op as you might be shocked to learn they speak a different language

The More I read, the more pissy your attitude is about this. Honestly! Have a word with yourself.

😳😳😳 Really??!!
YABVVU … and very narrow minded 🙄
Google translate is your friend.

I do find it odd that a young girl that speaks 3 languages doesn’t speak any English 🤔

OP already has school level knowledge of one. And to be honest I don't think she particularly needs to learn any more. She just needs to be welcoming and smiley and open to the fact that her brother translating is absolutely fine, instead of seeing it as an irritant.

It’s just about showing support towards your brother and welcoming her into the family.

If the evening is a little awkward because your brother is translating, then so be it.

You will be eating anyway.

Imagine how anxious she must feel, meeting the family and having a language barrier.

The least you can do is show up and be nice for an hour or 2.

I don’t think it will be as bad as you think.

Seriously, I had a whole morning alone with my honorary SIL when we first met. Neither spoke each other’s language. We talked all morning. A lot of smiling, laughing, pantomime, pointing at things and saying what they were in our own languages, ‘teaching’ each other phrases.

Decide to enjoy yourself and to like her and welcome her into the family. You’ll have a much better time than you think. Not that your enjoyment is actually the priority here.

Have you thought about starting to learn her language OP? How lovely it would be if you met her and could address her in a few words of her own language.

Like all the british kids forced to take french in school are so fluent that they can have a riveting conversation with the in laws? 😁

Really, what's the worst that can happen? You get food and be awkward. I think you'll live.

Probably best if you dont go. Your vibes arent coming across very positive. She may not speak the language but your vibe will give a lot away.

Impressive that she speaks three languages. She'l pick up English quickly too. Or you could make an effort to learn the languages she knows.

You don't need to speak the same language to communicate.

I know a school mum who is deaf. She is so lovely. We communicate through smiles, facial expressions and body language. I speak, she doesnt and I know nothing about official sign language.

I know another lovely mum who speaks a totally different language. We both speak our own langugages, with smiles, facial expressions, body language and the odd words of English from her.

Oh fuck off nobody is this unwelcoming surely 😂

my dc has a little pal who’s mum doesn’t speak much English and if her dh isn’t with her to translate we just use our phones.
She is now my friend, she always hugs me, we send little gifts to one another and we stand together in the school yard.
We know we have a language barrier and both put in the effort to understand the other one and try to make sure the other understands what we’re saying.
Its really minimal effort to have a lovely friend. Why wouldn’t anyone do that for their own brother?

No I wouldn’t, but again you’ve entirely missed the point I was making.
The OP has never bothered learning a single other language, yet is disgruntled that the brother’s girlfriend doesn’t speak hers, despite speaking 3 others.
I travel a lot around Europe with my job, and have spent time living in 3 other European countries, and I’ve found that more and more people don’t speak English nowadays, for a variety of reasons. I would never expect anyone else speaks English. Not only does the OP expect the girlfriend to speak English (maybe reasonable, to some extent), she’s actually disgruntled that she doesn’t (unreasonable).
Not sure why we’re arguing about this though, it’s just my opinion.

Did you and your much younger brother have very different upbringings?

Why is everyone so against being spoken to slowly and loudly? Surely that is exactly what you should do if speaking to someone who speaks very little of your language?

You speakimg loudly and slowly yo someone who barely speaks language will not magically make them understand vocabulary they don't know....

Wow.

she’s joining your family.
how you treat her now will determine how closely you can maintain connection to your brother, how close youll be with their children later.
your brother loves this woman
he will want to create a family,
a life, memories with this woman.
and if you don’t make an effort to welcome her, to be hospitable, to be generous and patient then she will withdraw, taking your brother with her.

as is true for so many sons when they marry.
it’s very often the women of a family that maintain connections, that arrange get to gathers.

and you are suggesting there is no point in trying to get to know this woman.

if language really is an issue, then there are other ways to foster warmth and connection.
walking together, visiting tourist spots where there are things to point to, or nature.
you could cook together.
go to ballet/dance/theatre performances
things where you can share an experience if not the language to talk about it .

id be gutted if my family didn’t want to find ways to welcome my new partner.

Knobbish attitude