Do you think there is a "Polish" problem in the Uk now that it's become the 2nd language in England?

[NomadsLand]

I've been to Poland and I like Poles a lot as a people. I think Warsaw is a great city and I have nothing against Polish people.

My mother complained back in 2007 about the number of Poles in Liverpool changing the 'culture'. What she meant was that she loves to banter with people in shops and restaurants and she used to get a lot of chat back (Liverpudlians are generally very funny - IMHO - and love a bit of verbal 'how's your father'). She complained that this had changed and that she was increasingly met with blank stares. This is high insult to my mother!

I didn't think much of it. But I am now finding the same - I approached a new restaurant outlet at my local services today and joked about them selling hot dogs and milkshakes and what a welcome addition to the usual (was hungry and about to make an irresponsible food choice!). I got the same blank stare. Didn't understand a word I said.

I finally understood what my mother has been saying. AIBU?

[bluegnuboo]

Haven't the posters who agree with you turned up yet op?

How odd, any minute now I'm sure.

[ComposHat]

the number of Poles in Liverpool changing the 'culture'

Yes Poles have a reputation for being hardworking, Liverpool must be a terrible culture shock.

You see it isn't nice when people make crass generalisations about a group of people.

If you know anything about the history of Liverpool, claiming about 'migrants changing the culture' is the most absurd and blinkered statement you can imagine, considering half of Liverpool is made up from the descendents of Irish, Chinese and African-Caribbean immigrants.

[Jinsei]

popty ping is lovely. :)

[NomadsLand]

Well, it's no wonder England has gone to pot.

[Cornycabernet]

nomads

[cerealqueen]

Yeah, like the 'blacks' and the 'Irish' and the 'asians' were all 'problems'. YABvU.

[EllenParsons]

I'm not sure if you are serious very unpleasant op either way and yabu!

[StuffezLaBouche]

OP, you're either thick, bigoted or have an appallingly crap understanding of cultural evolution.
These ponderings of yours seem to have come about after a Polish woman on a till didn't banter back at your joke?!
Or are you just shit stirring?

[NomadsLand]

I didn't delete it. MNHQ did because some crawly little twit reported it.

[GetOrf]

I live in a multi ethnic city. And I am very pleased to do so. Immigration is a good thing.

I think if I went far enough back I would find out I am from somewhere else. Most of us are.

OP you sound positively ghastly.

[MildredIsMyAlterEgo]

Nomads why do you think England has gone to pot?

BTW don't you mean the UK? Or is it only England that's gone to pot?

[GetOrf]

I hope the whole thread gets deleted as it is pointless goady crap.

[StuffezLaBouche]

Oh. So that's what your deleted post said. You're a waste of oxygen.

[NomadsLand]

I am actually quite a reasonable person. I'm not UKIP. I'm just normal.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Maryz no idea! I'm Welsh and never studied Welsh literature. People who go to Welsh speaking schools invariably study total immersion as opposed to their own culture. Is an odd one. It's not even as though historically speaking Wales had a dirth of bards etc!

[GetOrf]

You forgot the ab.

[MildredIsMyAlterEgo]

Nomads are you Nick Griffin? You are aren't you. Admit it.

[out2lunch]

What a load of rubbish op

I read the whole thread and was going to comment about my polish family but am glad this is going to be deleted

[Cornycabernet]

Nomads - the fact that you don't care that your views have offended people speaks volumes

[ThingummyBob]

Viva its **popty-ping (scuse sp.) I believe but its my favourite word of all time EVER!



OP. you are aware that you sound like a horribly racist and xenophobic twat bigot about now aren't you?

I mean this has to be a fucking nasty wind up, right?

[ReallyTired]

"I guess Arabic would be even harder to learn, what with different letters an'all."

My son went to an Urdu class for a term at the age of six. He told me that learning greets like alsalam aakeum (no idea how you spell it) was quite easy. Orginally the club was for children with no knowledge of Urdu, but then the Indian/ pakistani parents complained and wanted their children to join. Teacher then went up about 100 notches in difficulties. My six year old son was taught the Urdu alphabet and Urdu phonics. Sadly its was over ds' head.

Poor ds got very confused because English phonics blends from left to right and Urdu reads in the opposite direction. Urdu has about 50 characters. He had barely learnt to read in English and declared with great frustration that "Urdu was a backwards language". (Luckily the pakistani parents found it funny and realised he wasn't meaning to be racist.)

The experience of struggling to learn a different language gave him insight and empathy into how the EAL children felt. Prehaps some posters on this thread could do with a similar experience.