people talking their 1st language at work.

[ghostspirit]

im not going to say anything although sometimes i want to. because i think its rude. there are people at work that can speak English well. but they talk in their 1st language. im sometimes the only one in the room who does not understand. and it makes me feel quite isolated.

Monkey that's bloody rude too. Do they only socialise with other expats kids?

What's the point in bloody emigrating in the first place?

There are tons of reasons why you wouldn't learn the local language, the main one being that you feel you can get around perfectly well enough with not learning it.

Lots of expats live in a bubble. Home language friends, work, school. Plus they would usually know enough people who do speak enough of the local language to help them out with tradespeople, appointments etc.

I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying it happens. A lot.

Oh god forbid my phone added an extra word on, hardly ironic great

Actually sorry tumble I didnt convey what I meant entirely correctly. I meant in public as in the workplace, at a dinner party, a meeting a private etc. Not the two of them having a conversation in a supermarket. I completely understand how it seems I meant differently.

Grays I don't think it was the "country country" bit that was ironic, it was this:

"And if they don't speak well enough english?"

More Brits leave the UK every year than foreigners coming in.
That hasn't been disputed but it's irrelevent to what we're talking about, the majority of those are leaving for commonwealth countries where English is spoken.

I wouldn't count Welsh and English as truly bilingual. I mean, only a handful of people speak Welsh and not English.

My boss used to ring her family and speak with her "mother tongue"
..wouldn't of bothered me until she kept saying my name and obviously talking about me!!!

ghost I had Polish neighbours for four years. They were very self contained and spoke little English when they first arrived. They were constantly in their garden as they would bbq most evenings, and socialised with other Polish people they knew. I had car trouble one day, and although I hadn't done more than nod and smile at them, the man fixed my car for me. After that I would sit in the garden with them and basically listen to them speak to each other in Polish. I may not have understood a word but I made eye contact and smiled, and occasionally would ask what they were talking about, which they duly tried to explain. I now do speak a little bit of Polish, and they speak a lot of English. They aren't neighbours anymore, and I still see them, and in fact am birth partnering for them for the second time. Language is a barrier, but if you want it to be different you have to be prepared to work at it. If they are being unfriendly, I think that's a different matter, and nothing to do with language. Try and make friends by asking about the language they are speaking - people love to tell you about their language and culture. If you aren't prepared to do that, it's you who misses out.

I wouldn't count Welsh and English as truly bilingual. I mean, only a handful of people speak Welsh and not English.

"Bilingual: able to speak two languages with the facility of a native speaker"

It has nothing to do with how many people can speak the language, it's the ability to speak it as fluently as a native speaker.

As many people have said, if it's about work it should be in the business language. But I cannot see why that rule must apply during breaks. Certainly I don't expect to be party to every personal conversation that happens in my workplace and the fact that I'm not doesn't make me feel got at or insulted.

Regarding the bus situation, I think it's a bit precious to expect colleagues to want to wait at the bus stop with you or chat on the bus. I get a shuttle bus to work, I certainly don't expect people I work with to chat to me/sit with me at the bus stop or during the travel time unless I regard them as friends - and often not even then. That's my own time. I see enough if my colleagues.

" After that I would sit in the garden with them and basically listen to them speak to each other in Polish"

Sounds scintillating. Who would want to miss that???

mrsruffallo you wouldn't count Welsh and english speakers as truly bilingual?!? Have you looked up the meaning of the word bilingual?

I find that offensive. They speak two languages fluently, of course they are bilingual!

But with anybody of any country, surely the trick is to find a common language by which everyone can converse?

So, for example:

If you're Russian, you can speak German or English
If you're Spanish, you can speak English or French
If you're Italian, you can speak German or French
If you're Danish, you can speak German or English

Not very many people from those countries would be able to speak Welsh, I suspect, fluently or otherwise. Not everyone can speak any of the above examples fluently - they are just an example. More people can speak any of the above examples than can speak Welsh (unless you live in Patagonia, of course).

Sorry Evans what is your point?

Presumably any group of people who want to converse will choose a common language, if they have one.

If two people speak a common language and want to converse with each other, they are under no obligation to choose a language that they have in common with every other possible listener.

If there is no common language, well you just have to get on with it!

Are you suggesting those nationalities all speak those languages?

Welsh in incredibly handy if you live in Wales.

It's not so handy if you don't, which is why people who don't live in Wales don't tend to learn Welsh.

What's your point?

Sounds scintillating. Who would want to miss that???

It's called having an inquiring mind and wanting to socialise with your neighbours irrespective of the language barrier. You know, being interested in learning other languages rather than wishing to remain uneducated monoglots.

Didn't realise they were teaching you Polish, you should have said. Are you fluent by now?

Tak jestem

YANBU, but it may not have occurred to your colleagues that they are being so rude. Can you gently ask them what they are talking about so they get the hint?

She did say mrsruffallo.

You're not coming across well in your last few posts.

"And if they don't speak well enough english?"

That and the other two mistakes in the preceding sentence. Not counting the extra "country".

I wouldn't count Welsh and English as truly bilingual. I mean, only a handful of people speak Welsh and not English.

"I'm not bilingual, I only speak Welsh and English".

Nope still not getting it.

Having the Welsh/English language pair not counting as REAL bilingualism comment was one of the daftest things I have read on this site.

That said, I can't imagine sitting outdoors listening to my Polish neighbours for an length of time. I can't help but think they must have been rather bemused by your behaviour, trashcanjunkie! You come across as a lovely person, though.

I should point out that I'm not the poster who had the Polish neighbours, however, quite a few people learn languages by listening to others speaking it.

We communicate in many ways to get our meaning across even when neither of us speak the other's languages. I think we've all done the 'mime' thing when we don't know the word for something in a specific language when visiting another country.

I've worked in places where people have slipped into their first language without realising, as I've been looked at for a reply I unfortunately only speak English I don't think it's always deliberate they also used to switch back and forth. Very confusing but not deliberate I don't think.