to think that in the Uk you should speak English at work?

[Wrongornot]

I can't make up my mind?

My employer have banned the use of any language other that English being spoken during working hours?

Are they being unreasonable?

www.scotsman.com/news/odd/lidl-polish-workers-banned-from-speaking-own-language-1-3596137

(Regular but name changed)

Do all British ex-pats in Spain ensure that they are fluent in Spanish?

Unlikely, but obviously this is entirely different to a workplace situation.

If I worked at Lidl and was Polish, if I was in a situation where a Polish customer didnt speak English I'd refuse to talk Polish to help them. They can't have it both ways

If i'm reading that correctly that is nonsense.

If I'm in China (for instance) I would look for someone who spoke English to help me. If I found an English speaker who refused to speak English because I 'should' be speaking Chinese, i'd probably complain.

It's only common sense for shop workers to speak to a customer in another language, if that's the only language they have in common.

Unrelated to the thread but just an anecdote - I speak fluent Arabic...which I suppose is a fairly 'unexpected' language for a fair skinned British girl to speak. Last year we were in Egypt on holiday and there were two young Egyptian guys near us on a beach, otherwise filled with (obvious) tourists...they'd been next to us for about half an hour. They were having a loud (because they thought no one would understand them) conversation about various women walking past. Nothing really offensive, but comments along the lines of 'That dark haired one is really pretty' and 'Go and say hello to that one' plus a couple of sniggers at various topless women and teenage comments about boobs. I leaned over and asked in Arabic if they knew where there was a good restaurant about (and really over-egged the conversation so they knew I was fluent) and I've never seen anyone look more mortified before . You should never be too careful when you think no one else can understand!

yy walking similar here discreetly bf v. young DD1 at a table outside a bar in Edinburgh during the festival (busy, no tables inside etc and still feeling pretty self conscious about it). Two young French girls noticed and went on to say it was disgusting etc etc ...I understood some of it - native French speaking DP was with me and spoke to them in French as they were leaving - they were mortified (well deserved in my opinion).
I think that is actually part of the problem - people do say things they wouldn't otherwise if they think people can't understand them, so we know it happens...and that is maybe why it makes us feel uncomfortable.

We have a ban here. We have a lot of staff whose English is poor. Part of their Application to Remain includes learning to be fluent in English. So, whilst they are here, at their place of work, the only language they speak is English - even between themselves in their breaks.

It is part of the deal when they apply for a job. We set aside time for them to attend language lessons: they only speak English at work.

Walking I think that was the point - that management can't expect the bilingual staff to offer this "extra" service to customers (speaking their language in order to help them more effectively) whilst also banning the workers from speaking it between themselves in their down time.

Ie, hit the management where it hurts (well, slightly anyway)

my uncle is an 'expat' and lives in Spain. He speaks the language fluently and reads the paper in Spanish.

Walking, sorry I think you misunderstood.

I'm angry for the Polish workers who aren't allowed to speak Polish to each other in their breaks. My point is that if a non speaking Polish customer wanted help then the management quite rightly would expect the Polish assistant to speak Polish.

In fact I'd wager a guess in some areas they're employed with this in mind, that their bilingual skills are an asset in an area with a lot of non English speaking customers.

So I don't think that management should have it both ways. Ban their staff when it suits them and then expect them to speak Polish at other times.

I was on the train when a lad joined a table of 3 already seated, one of the 3 asked if he minded that they were speaking in a foreign language Arabic) - he said fine.
Nice of them to ask.

I think Lidl should fexk right off with telling workers how to behave on their breaks. Chatting in Polish is hardly outrageous conduct that will make Lidl look 'bad' publicly.

It's also stupid of Lidl to restrict their staff in terms of potential customer service.
The Police are using Polish speaking officers ffs.
Lidl's reaction makes them look a close / narrow minded company. Plus, whilst this is their UK arm. Is their Swedish company onboard with this? I am fairly sure when in Sweden store staff have spoken to me in English because my Swedish is shit

Or is that Aldi (I'll never be able to distinguish those)

YABU to even be wondering whether Lidl are out of order here. They were using their most natural method of communication during a break! What can be the problem? Also, given the recent changes in the EU, Polish speakers in UK businesses are a valuable asset in many areas.

It is xenophobia, which is creeping into Britain recently and taking over, that ks to Britain first/UKIP etc.. That is the bottom line. It is very insidious and very scary.

Xenophobis is becoming acceptable and mainstream

*xenophobia

My DM was in hospital recently and she needed to be moved. The two Eastern European nurses were talking to each other in their own language and completely ignoring Mum. I thought it was really rude of them, at one point they pointed to her arm which they wanted her to move.

I remember being told that only English was to be spoken at work, including breaks in the staff room as it was considered rude and excluded colleagues. It was a very multicultural environment. Somehow no one ever complained about anyone speaking French because many of the staff understood French as a second or third language but Japanese was totally frowned on.

I think during lunch hours and breaks people should be free to speak in their own language. But while actually doing their job then yes I think they should speak English. Of course if they are speaking to customers in a common language then that's a different matter entirely.

The more I think about this, the more i'm just not sure if LIDL actually are bu.

To put another slant on it - I live in S Wales. Welsh isn't particularly common down here (as opposed to the further North you go) but I still know a fair few Welsh speakers who are fluent, went to a Welsh school etc. I understand it at a novice level and can throw in a few sentences, but would struggle to understand a full-blown conversation.

I have two Welsh speakers on my team who speak to each other in Welsh. They do it more for a 'use it or lose it' reason because they're in the minority, and they switch easily back and forth to English when needed. I don't mind at all - because they're two on a team of 14, so no one is particularly left out, there are plenty of us who can't join in. As part of their job these two are required to speak to customers in Welsh if someone requests a Welsh speaker.

However, if 12 out of the 14 on my team were all Welsh speakers and all were talking in Welsh on breaks and lunches, I can imagine that would get very tiresome for the ones that didn't understand...and from a childish pov, i'd probably feel quite left out paranoid if I never understood the conversation around me.

^If this was my work and by chance Welsh was being spoken by the majority, I actually think my employer would be reasonable in suggesting to Welsh speakers that they use English instead to promote a good team environment and all the rest. Even though we're in Wales. No Xenophobia there...just common sense.

I can't really see a difference between this and LIDL, so on the whole i'd say LIDL are not bu.

I think the Welsh example is tricky because the expectation is that most people who speak Welsh will also be English speakers (I'm not aware if anyone is solely a Welsh speaker any more) - whereas a Polish speaker may either not speak English (in which case they are not an ideal choice for customer-facing work, and should be supported to learn English) or may not speak it fluently. I can, for example, get by shopping and ordering food in French, but would struggle to have a conversation about the news, tv, etc.

My uncle moved to Wales and talked about the experience of going into shops and finding there would be a sudden silence then the conversation would switch from English to Welsh - that is rude. People chatting naturally in Welsh - not rude. People answering in Welsh a question that was asked in Welsh - not rude.

We native English speakers are in a very fortunate position that the rest of the world all run around learning our language while we have to make no effort at all. I work in another country teaching English and many people find it very difficult to learn, and suffer in their careers as a result. Many of my (adult) students tell me how often they are in meetings/conf calls where all the participants are French, except one English or American person, which obliges all the rest to speak English instead of their shared native language.

This isn't completely related to the OP as it is a different country so different setup. But I do think some people forget that in practically every other country in the world many people are obliged to speak both their native language and English, and there could be dozens of other dialects going on as well. I think that because English is the native language of the UK AND happens to be the world's inter national language some people lose sight of the extraordinary position the country is in, and shut their ears to the fact that multilingual environments are perfectly normal in most countries of the world.

Excuse me while I apologise for having been born in the UK.

Also, hold that thought whilst I hold myself personally responsible for the hundreds of years of history that have fed into English being the business language of the world.

But I have nothing to do with the reality that Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, followed by Spanish, leaving English (pigeon or otherwise) in third place.

I am not ignoring, forgetting or shutting my ears to anything. Quite simply, like most other people, I am trying to live my own life and don't really have all that much free time, brain space or cash to try and save the rest of the world!

Bleating about how lucky I am to have been born in the UK is of no use to anyone. Why try to somehow make me feel guilty for being British?

Definitely very rude to speak in a language which excludes others from joining in the conversation. It's as bad as passing notes to each other or whispering.

I wasn't suggesting guilt, rather tolerance.

FFS, no one is making you feel guilty for being British. Having English as your first language is an enormous privilege. That doesn't mean it's wrong or bad to speak English fluently or as a first language, but you should recognise that you are still lucky to have that ability. Saying men have male privilege does not mean they are responsible for a millennia of misogyny and should feel guilty for being men, saying white people have white privilege does not mean they are responsible for the centuries of racism and the slave trade, or should feel guilty about being white. You're making it about yourself.

Saying you are lucky shouldn't make you feel guilty- I am lucky to have been raised by non abusive parents, doesn't mean I should feel guilty for that, I am lucky to have been born without a physical disability, doesn't mean I should feel guilty for that, I am lucky to have been raised speaking Russian which is a very useful language to have job wise, doesn't mean I feel guilty for that.

In my home country, people chatter away in Belarusian and Russian, usually Russian as it's more commonly spoken, and sometimes a bit of Polish on the borders. No one cares less. This is a manners problem, not a language problem!

Shlep... get over yourself a little. Not everything has to become the 'power of the man'. And the accident of my birth place is not a privilege, nor is speaking English - that I at least had to work at, same as everyone else has to work at learning any language, natal or otherwise.

Riverboat - I have tolerance. I teach many immigrants to speak, read and write English and I don't find it offensive if someone chooses to speak in their first language.

I just don't think that history and good fortune have anything to do with the dilemma the OP posted. It's a when in Rome thing. The shame we Brits should carry is that we think we take Rome with us wherever we go... living elsewhere and remaining unable to communicate in the language of that country.