Would you find this comment offensive? Irish

[erpali]

Started a new job. At the team meeting I was asked to introduce myself and tell the team about my story on how I got here.

I grew up in the far west of Ireland. We spoke Irish Gaelic at home and I went to a Gaelic school. Moved to the UK for university, which was the first time I'd actually studied through the medium of English.

I mentioned that I grew up in a bilingual household in Ireland.

My boss comments in front of the team that "I'm sure your language skills will be very useful to us when dealing with our clients in Latin America". Clearly an attempt at a joke, and others in the meeting guffawed.

Obviously it's not going to be useful to be bilingual in Irish if clients speak Spanish. But I've got to admit that it gave off the typical looking down your nose sort of attitude that I have heard about. It's like he was saying my culture was pointless.

Yes, I would find his comment offensive.

Nobba

@kitsuneghost why does a language have to have a global benefit? It surely has a cultural, societal and local benefit to those it serves?

He sounds like an asshole and very unprofessional, if the boss behaves like this it is very likely many staff will follow suit…..is that the case.
Do you enjoy working there
Keep notes on further comments

By the way I wouldn’t bother saying anything to him, he Dosen’t sound evolved enough for it to even register

Fellow irish person here

Amadán
So ignorant. I'm bilingual. I went through my whole primary education in Irish then studied it through to degree level. I even got to oxbridge on the back of my fantastic language skills! Served me very well. Bilingualism has many benefits. Your manager was rude, ignorant and was offensive.

People may have laughed but I bet they were secretly thinking he's a bit of a cunt.
Rise above it

A fiver says he'd struggle to order a beer in anything but English. Putting you down to make him feel less inadequate.

Very rude. He sounds like a prick.

Irish is a working EU language and all EU documents are translated into Irish. There is an increasing number of Irish and non Irish people learning Irish through Duolingo and also adult classes.
Attitudes such as yours make living in the UK as an Irish person intolerable and was a factor in my decision to return home.
In addition to Irish, I'm also fluent in French, German, Spanish and Italian. I also speak Latin, a language which forms the basis of romance languages, but, in your little mind, it too is a "non global language.

May I ask what global languages do you speak @kitsuneghost ?

I'd start looking for another job because if that's how he welcomes you, it's not going to be pleasant working there.

Exactly this

What's gaellge for wanker?

Seriously, what an arsehole.

Is dóigh liom gurb é sin an uair a dhéanann tú meangadh gáire agus a rá piss off as Gaeilge.
😉

Ah tá gaeilge agam mo chara ach níl sé foirfe anois! That’s awful OP!! We have an English partner in our Irish firm and the contempt and inherent snobbery he has over Irish workers is a joke. With the Irish language growing you just never know when it might be useful and, even if it isn’t, the skill of being bilingual is amazing and contributes to other areas of life and learning as well!

He's a bully, stamping his authority - I'm very impressed personally, glad you've been able to continue with Gaelic and also speak English too - my DH family has similar in Scotland, in fact one uncle speaks very little English , what he does speak is with a very thick accent -
Enjoy your job, but don't let this asshat get under your skin

Sounds like a bit of a dipstick. Being brought up bilingual is said to be good for the ould grey cells. My friend was brought up in English and German. She learnt Spanish in jig time.
Go néirí leat!

Came in handy for me once in Amsterdam. You just never know....

There’s a lot of ignorance & prejudice around Ireland. I remember a boss saying to me they were unsure about using an Irish supplier as obviously the Irish can be dodgy 🤔. And at uni someone asked me how many of my family members were in the IRA 🤯
Many people in England don’t even seem to realise NI & Ireland are separate countries & one is in the UK & have very little understanding of the Troubles

Also I'd imagine that being Not British would give you a head start in Argentina.

😆

He might be a prick who was showing off in front of his team. He probably thought it sounded better in his head. Or he could have been a bit nervous and blurted it out without thinking. Time will tell. But I wouldn't say it was offensive or racist just unnecessary and irrelevant to the conversation.

Perhaps not, however anyone who is bilingual can usually learn other languages more quickly than most so the dickhead boss could have taken the opportunity of asking if op was interested in learning another language for future dealings with the Latin American clients.

My dgs is bilingual Welsh/English. He went to a Welsh led primary, a family member asked me why the school didn’t teach a more useful second language.
I answered, they do, they teach him English his first language is Welsh.

Agree with many PPs. There's a vein of anti Irishness through the UK.

Obvs not all and not everywhere. But its widespread enough to make it seem socially acceptable.

It's a fundamental failing of the UK education systems that the British Empire is never scrutinised. Folk don't realise about the slavery, the famines caused, the ethnic cleanisings all in the name of Crown and Country. Instead many think they are superior to whatever pesky locals don't speak engerlish.

I also have had similar experiences as a Scottish Gaelic native speaker. Ignorance is widespread.

Éire abú

Amadán indeed.

It’s wildly offensive.

It's a crass comment by your boss.

Is he normally ok or is this standard for him?

As an aside - what sort of introduction were you asked to give? Talking about your upbringing sounds a bit unusual in that situation - was he expecting you for focus on your professional background?

Why does a language need a global benefit?

Couldn’t be bothered by it - bad joke but nothing to get worked up about!