I was told I can’t speak English

[Yoloohno]

And no one can understand me while I wax at work.

I speak clearly and use correct English phrasing and terms.

is it discriminatory?

I find it interesting actually that I can easily distinguish the country someone is from, from their accent. I can tell an American accent from an English or Scottish accent. Yet we're all speaking the same language! I can't identify, even now, where someone is from within England from their accent. I can distinguish a Liverpudlian accent, but that's as far as my ability extends!

The primary goal of speaking is to communicate something

Nail on head and all that; as you said yourself it doesn't matter a stuff how something's put as long as it's understandable, and that applies wherever someone's from

My own weak spot is Scottish accents - I'm absolutely hopeless, but that's my problem so doesn't matter
It mattered to the guy in the next bed to me though, who ended up with the wrong drugs because he couldn't communicate with the Scottish agency doctor, and changes to the language requirements for immigrants won't do anything to help issues like that

I come across all kinds of things. But that is not the normal way in East London or anywhere else to ask someone for their current address. The doctor's receptionist you spoke to cannot do the job properly and there's no point pretending they can.

Much more context needed. Who said it? What is your job role? If you work in a role where accuracy is important and a misunderstanding can be the difference between life or death (medication dosages, pilot, air traffic control, emergency call handler etc) then if people can’t understand you it’s going to be an issue. It’s not discriminatory to point this out if it’s a fact.

If a manager said this to you in a one-to-one setting or developmental review and it was said with the aim of finding ways to help you (arranging English lessons, further training, etc), it’s not discriminatory.

If a customer said it in an off-hand remark, not a formal complaint, such as a customer in a supermarket trying to engage with you whilst they pack their shopping I wouldn’t pay any attention. If it’s become a formal complaint because a misunderstanding led to the wrong items being ordered or something like that then it’s not discriminatory.

It would only be discriminatory if you were treated any differently because of it or denied a promotion or raise because of it.

I”m jot sure if you’re asking a genuine question because you don’t know what discriminatory means or if you’re the type of person to just look for a race issue everywhere, even when there isn’t one.

I can tell an American accent from an English or Scottish accent

Ah, but can you tell American from Canadian, whoknow?
Weirdly I can do it when I'm in the US, but as soon as I come back here it somehow gets rubbed out

It's the same with French, which I speak reasonably well - but only when in France. Surrounded by the accent I can assimilate it, but on the journey home it disappears like a child's writing on one of those magic slates where you lift a plastic film and it vanishes

Nope! And I apparently can't distinguish between Aussie and Kiwi either!

When I moved there first, I took some questions quite literally and everyone got confused lol.
E.g. What was your postcode? I'd give the previous postcode. What they actually wanted was my current postcode.

I always find it funny when receptionists ask "...and what was the name?". It makes me want to answer with"Well it was [my name] but I've just changed it to Princess Lulu Trixibelle."

If anyone knows exactly why the phrase the questions that way, I'd be very interested to know!

Irish, Scottish and Welsh have different native languages. You might as well throw Liverpool in there with the Irish lol. That accounts for the differences in phrasing and accent I think. London is a melting pot of different languages of origin. America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are hybrid in terms of cultures there which would account for their varying accents.

I tend to mix up Canadian with American, Kiwi with Aussie, Kiwi with English and Kiwi and South African!

^ Oh dear, lots of Muphry's Law in my post!

Glad I'm not alone then, whoknow!!

I can recommend "Lovely accent - where's it from?", but you do have to hope it's somewhere you've heard of instead of a place in the boondocks, in which case you're no further forward

I think "What was your name?" might sometimes make sense because you've given the name before e.g. "I have an appointment at 12", "What was the name [it was booked under]?". If asking a question the first time it doesn't really make sense though!

I studied translation and it can be a result of direct translation from a native language (not English) rather than a proper translation. When you translate, you don't directly translate. Some grammar doesn't translate well literally. I would say perhaps having parents from a different language, might be a cause?

Some grammar doesn't translate well literally

Neither do some local idioms, which my late mum learned to her cost when she called a Yorkshire child "a lovely little tuppence ha'penny"

In Derbyshire it's slang for a cute small person, but imagine her horror to be told - after a long and icy silence - that up there it means a prostitute

I wouldn't say it was discrimination no. I struggle to understand people with strong Indian accents for example, it's not that they aren't speaking English correctly it's just the accent is so strong it takes me a few repeats to fully understand what they are saying to me.

But on the flip side of that there are accents all over the UK that even us English people struggle to understand at times another one for me is the strong Glasgow accent and even the fast paced Irish accent confuses me at times.

Some people just struggle more with strong accents. It doesn't mean they are discriminating against you. If they can't understand you then it is what it is. Best case scenario would be for the people who can't understand you to listen better and for you to try and work on enunciation of the words your speaking.

There's a post I read earlier in this thread where the poster teaches English in a foreign language and can understand the typical errors. I speak a few languages too, so I'm also attuned to what the intended meaning is - there are grammatical differences in different types of language.

Accents though, can confuse me. I spent one hour on a phone call to my telephone provider at the time whose call centre was in Glasgy. One half of the extended time was as a result of us having the craic (banter) and the other half was because I hadn't a fucking clue what he was saying! I gave him 5 stars though in the review. And signed up to a further year!

@Puzzledandpissedoff in Derbyshire Tuppence usually refers to the vagina, it's used by parents who don't want to teach their kids the anatomical names. It hasn't really been a thing here since the 90s, I haven't heard the word tuppence since I was a child. I've lived here all my life. So the Yorkshire meaning isn't too far off what it actually means here. I've never heard it said in reference to a small child.

My late grandmother always told us to "keep yer hand on yer ha'penny". This basically meant not having sex 😂

Surely they mean "what was the name it was booked under?" though?

No it's just how they ask things.

'What was you calling for?'

I've been asked that too!

I haven't heard the word tuppence since I was a child

Nor me, headaches, but then I'm an old gimmer and it was a long time ago!!

@girlmom21 I'm guessing but it might be because some people think asking a direct question is rude. Therefore they use a form of words to soften the perceived blow. I know people who say: "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" That always makes me brace for something deeply personal but it's always something like: "I like your coat. Where did you get it?"

They also use words they think are more correct or polite - we've all heard Apprentice candidates using "myself" instead of me or I.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear: "what was it you were/are calling about?" instead of "why are you phoning?" or "and what would be the name/postcode?" instead of: "what is your name/postcode?" It's not peculiar to East London and I'd expect most people to understand because it is flowery but still clear.

If someone asked me: "what was you calling about?" I'd realise the mistake but understand from the context and would just say. But that is because I am a native English speaker and NT so can interpret instead of taking things literally.

If I was that person's boss I'd take them aside and ask them not to repeat the mistake which they would interpret as me saying their language skills were not good enough for the job. In some jobs, and doctor's receptionist is one of them, there should be no room for guesswork or avoiding hurting someone's feelings. That is dangerous and if someone's language skills are not up to the job they should not be doing it.

Very true. I'm Irish and we have a very roundabout way of asking things.

Of course people in England especially the SE don't have an accent 🙄

@EggRollsForever of course English people have accents. If you watchTowie or EastEnders that's what mine sounds like. I'm sure you have a beautiful speaking voice too.