Not understanding broad Scots accent "racism"?

[Ponders]

I hesitate to say this is PC gone mad - but this is PC gone mad

Alex Ferguson & Kenny Dalglish would generally benefit from subtitles on the rare occasion they agree to an interview - why is it racist, FFS? There are dozens of strong British accents which can be hard to understand if you're not local to them!

Collins should not have "made a grovelling apology" (if he actually did )

Gaelic is a different language yes,but a Scot speaking english isnt another language

language is the composition of words,symbols,to form meaning and communicate

dialect is regional differences in spoken language

I live in Corby, which is kinda little scotland...and I often have to ask people to repeat what they said, because I simply didn't understand them...am alright with a scots accent, but not when someone uses full-on scottish dialect, iykwim....
working with an irish girl right now, and there are several irish girls on the course I am doing, and well, sometimes I have to ask them aswell to repeat what they have said...
and I am german and every now and than I get asked to repeat whatever I mumbled, because someone didn't catch what I said...

but to ask for translation is rude...but not racist, I think...

This thread just reminded me of the time when I was chatted up by a scot when living in Cyprus...because he was with a scottish regiment out there, he obvioulsy spoke to me in broadest scottish dialect....and I could not understand a word he said, I just couldn't....my face must have been a picture of questioning...

Fairlady
We have family in Niederbayern and I definitely need a translation to understand Onkel Sepp

lol...oh yeah, I can't understand teh very bavarian dialect...am roughly alright with the Plattdeutsch one....well, I can kinda understand it, but I wouldn't be able to speak it....
I am from the North of Germany and from the border to Ammerland...which explains why I find Plattdeutsch easier than Bavarian dialects...

ScottishMummy - I thought Scots had been classified as another language as well by the Scottish Executive and recognised as so by the EU, in fact am sure it has [goes off to look].

Yes It has been recognised as a language under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and there is an increasing awareness of its cultural and social value. In recent years there has been an explosion of writing in Scots, some of it in the writer's own distinctive dialect, and new technology has provided opportunities for Scots speakers to express themselves in their own language. they are encouraging the promotion of regional dialects and diversity

At present Scots is primarily a spoken language, with a number of regional varieties, each with a distinctive character of its own, and is heard widely in most parts of the country. Scots use a mixture of Scots and English in their speech, with some using mostly Scots and others mostly English. In this sense the language exists as part of a continuum with Scottish Standard English. You can hear people speaking Scots and using Scots words in most parts of Scotland. People have a strong emotional attachment to the language and often feel most comfortable using it amongst their friends and family.
After centuries of neglect and indeed opposition, Scots is now much more widely appreciated as an important part of Scottish culture.

Scots Gaelic is classified as another language by the Executive and funded accordingly

Scots gaelic is a different language same as Irish and Welsh are. However teh people in question werent speaking Scots gaelic. they were speaking English with a Scottish accent.

Have to say I had great difficulty with understanding lots of accents/dialects across britain when I first moved to this country but then dp still doesnt understand what I'm goign on about sometimes when I use Irish dialect words.

I don't see Scots regional accents or dialects as different from any other regional accent or dialect and why it's so much more incomprehensible and therefore requires immediate and automatic subtitling.

but the speaker was scottish speaking english in a dialect that collins didnt understand

yes,as discusssed previously gaelic is acknowledhed as different language and gaelic schools etc

i have met many english people with accents i dont understand,doesnt infer racism though

I don't think he's racist and have said that often enough on this thread.

I do think 'translate for me' is wanky and snobby.

Why not just, 'Excuse me, could you please repeat yourself and go more slowly, I'm not from around here and didn't quite catch that.'

yes it was tactless and rude.but not worth all the aggro

I don't think anyone on this thread has been aggro. Most people agree he's not racist.

Doesnt translate mean to interpret?
If you don't understnad something whats wrong with asking someone else to help. Think its actually ruder to just no and smile like I do with the guy down the road bu then I'm not even sure if its not just the need for new teeth with him.

I have to 'translate' dds speech for DH sometimes. Should I really have to be rephrasing that so I don't insult her?

I use subtitles on everything on tv though so I can find out whats happening above the caterwauling of the dcs.

you have got the wrong end of the stick with the face,aggro from the union rep.not here on MN

oh lordy and i have got the wrong face lol, the union rep has made a disproportionate deal out of this

Bronze, in the context in which he was speaking it was potentially offensive - they were both speaking English, so for the English English speaker to ask for a "translation" or interpretation of the Scottish English speaker's speech was insensitive/rude/patronising, etc etc - not the same as clarifying what a child who's learning to speak has said.

Nothing wrong with apologising for not understanding an accent you're not familiar with and asking for help - asking for "translation" is wanky.

'Think its actually ruder to just no and smile like I do with the guy down the road bu then I'm not even sure if its not just the need for new teeth with him.'

Why not just ask the questioner himself? It's not like he's unable to slow down and repeat himself in such a formal setting, rather than just pass him off as some incomprehensible local oaf and give up and ask someone else to 'translate'.

Maybe he should have just smiled and nodded then. Wanky word it might be but I personally think it was better that he was interested to know what they were saying than just garbled a load more shite like most people involved in politics do. I often can't think of the exact right word at the right time but am happy if people get the gist of what I am saying.
Maybe he should carry a thesaurus around with him.

Or maybe the people who are complaining should look up the definition of the word translate and stop being so wanky about it.
Surely to be racist you need to be negative about something. There are some accents/dialects I don't understand but I could listen to for hours as they sound musical. I'm now not sure if that makes me 'racist' though thinking about it that can only happen if its a not English accent/dialect.

What were they saying that he couldn't understand anyway?

I have to admit to the nodding and smiling like a spaniel with my head tilted to one side when strangers chat to me here and I don't understand. Sometimes it is just easier. That is an actual language problem though, not a dialect.

Expat I have on numerous occasions asked him to repeat himself but can never understand. Neither can my friend who I walk with. He speaks quite slowly anyway and just looks at me like I'm stupid. The reason I suggest teeth though is because we can't even work out if it is an accent problem as the sound is a sort of fuzzy blur if that makes sense and theres nothing distinguishable about it.

Bronze, the definition of the word translate has been discussed in some detail, as has the difference between accent and dialect, and numerous other technical issues, elsewhere in the thread.

No-one has said that asking for clarification was wrong, and no-one has agreed that it's racist. Translate was a stupid and pretty patronising thing to say, and he's a politician, presumably with a decent grasp of political history, and press/media training which should help him avoid saying stupid wanky things like this.

I still don't get why its more patronising than asking for someone to intepret for example. The person had repeated themselves and they still had problems.
I think I will just nod and smile in future situations I don't want to be accused of anything I didn't mean.