[QUOTE=Guy Betty]
I’m not questioning that. But it’s a big step to then accuse the OP of being snobbish about being monolingual. We’re talking about John Q. Citizen doing his job in America. If The OP was on the border of, say, Mexico he might well be expected to know Spanish. But to be in middle America and be expected to field whatever language comes in is a bit much.
[/QUOTE]
Again, no one has said that OP himself should know Spanish, or that he’s being snobbish about monolingual. Rather, a few have suggested that perhaps the company should be able to support their Spanish speaking customers (who they have already taken money from), and perhaps OP should drop the attitude towards people who help write his paycheck.
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya]
AT&T has a language line service 1-800-874-9426. I use it all the time when my own company’s bank of Spaniards are busy interpreting for other calls or dueling with sabers. Or when I get calls from other sorts of non-'Merkins who’ve had their cars smashed up. Tough nuts, OP. You’re going to get non-English calls, you know only English, you’re providing the service, find yourself a tool to accommodate your customers.
[/QUOTE]
This is true. I use language line all the time. However, there are people who refuse to use a translator and insist that you be able to speak directly to them in their native language.
[QUOTE=sugar and spice]
Again, no one has said that OP himself should know Spanish, or that he’s being snobbish about monolingual.
[/QUOTE]
(Bolding mine)
Post #92:
[QUOTE=Antinor01]
However, there are people who refuse to use a translator and insist that you be able to speak directly to them in their native language.
[/QUOTE]
I yell at these people.
I think it’s a bit much of some here to disparage people for only speaking one language. For the past 50 years, foreign language has not been a focus in schools–in some places, it’s not even required. For all I know, it may not even be offered everywhere. My HS used to teach Russian, German, French, Spanish, and Latin. All that is left is French and Spanish. 2 years of foreign language were the requirements to graduate. That has now been increased to 3.
Still, if one has no opportunity to practice the language, (and perhaps no interest in the culture–just doing the requirement), how does one gain fluency or even basic communication? 100% of all interactions for the average American take place in English (hell, most people don’t even speak English as their first language correctly!).
English IS the official language of the US-no, not be law or deed or statute, but by custom, practice and overwhelming numbers. Until we emphasize foreign language as a necessary tool, most people will make their way through HS Spanish and promptly forget everything they learned. Europeans learn more than one language because of geographical proximity and sheer necessity. But look at Nava’s example–sometimes that doesn’t work. That’s not a reason to shun learning more than one language, just a fact.
I’ve been cussed out in Serbian–I have no idea if it was because I didn’t know the language or because I was starting an IV on the woman. She has someone there to translate, but the lady was discrete. The pt was in her 80s–been in the country for 60 years and didn’t speak a word of English. :rolleyes:
[QUOTE=sugar and spice]
Again, no one has said that OP himself should know Spanish, or that he’s being snobbish about monolingual. Rather, a few have suggested that perhaps the company should be able to support their Spanish speaking customers (who they have already taken money from), and perhaps OP should drop the attitude towards people who help write his paycheck.
[/QUOTE]
I absolutely agree with your earlier response to my post about companies who market specifically to groups who may speak other languauges.
However, from an update by the OP, it appears that the caller(s) were inquiring about rebate cards issued in connection to the purchase of phone((s) service).
Presumably (of course I don’t know) those purchases were made within the US (hence, their calling the MN service center) or at least *not * because of any specific marketing effort towards speakers of that language.
As such, the presumption is that English would be the expected currency of exchange and anything additional would not be the subject of an irate demand.
Just to clarify, my employer doesn’t seek out individual customers regardless of what languages they do or don’t speak. My employer contracts with other businesses to handle certain aspects of their customer service as it relates to credit and debit cards. For instance, a mall sells you a gift card and you have a question about how to use it, you call us. One of our clients is a cell phone provider that offers rebate cards for phone purchases. They may very well market to people who speak Spanish or Polish or Click; we don’t.
Well, sorry, but I have been yelled at on at least one occasion per language for not speaking each of those languages. Spanish is the most common but I’ve been yelled at more than once for not speaking Chinese and once for not speaking Polish.
[QUOTE=sugar and spice]
Again, no one has said that OP himself should know Spanish
[/QUOTE]
Hell, Inigo thinks that the OP should learn a bit of every language.
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
. . . 100% of all interactions for the average American take place in English (hell, most people don’t even speak English as their first language correctly!) . . . . I’ve been cussed out in Serbian . . . . She has someone there to translate, but the lady was discrete. The pt was in her 80s–been in the country for 60 years and didn’t speak a word of English. :rolleyes:
[/QUOTE]
I certainly hope so!
Fluent English speaker here. 
I look at it this way. If I was going to live in a country where another language was first, English second, I’d sure be learning the primary language and not whine that no one spoke English as a first language.
Sorry, that’s how I feel.
[QUOTE=Zakalwe]
Bullshit. (Please indicate your native language and I’ll look up how to say that in your preferred language). How much clearer than this can he get?
“incident one billion of someone who hasn’t bothered to learn to speak enough English to make a telephone call getting pissed off at me because I don’t speak their language.”
How interesting. You went straight from “don’t get mad at me because I don’t speak your language” to “how dare other businesses offer services in a language other than English”. Can you explain why? Can you possibly explain where the OP indicated anything of the sort? Thanks ever so much. Tool.
[/QUOTE]
My native language is English & I’ve spent most of my life in Texas. I understand “bullshit.”
No, the OP wasn’t clear. But later entries indicated he’d been exposed to really rude phone behavior, many times. The offenders should simply have hung up quietly & taken their business elsewhere.
Sorry that I took his example of the Bushman’s language as “racism.” I guess he just wanted to use the most outlandish example possible.
The OP did not use the phrase “Any American who resents the intrusion of other cultures…” LonesomePolecat has that honor.
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke]
No, the OP wasn’t clear.
[/QUOTE]
I think the problem lies with you, not the OP.
He even included this bit of text:
which you apparently missed more than once. And back off from the Offenderati club, sheesh.
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting]
I certainly hope so!
Fluent English speaker here.
[/QUOTE]
Oh, crap. :smack:
She was tactful.
<slinks away in shame, but still not speaking Serbian!> 
[QUOTE=CBEscapee]
That sounds like bullshit to me.
[/QUOTE]
Have you ever heard a South African trying to communicate with a Cajun? My mom’s friend (the South African) said that they had to bring in a nurse to translate for them. This Spanish speaker seems to give Una’s story credence.
[QUOTE=askeptic]
Any other Spanish speakers giggle a little when they read “Estoy Americano”? I mean "Yo soy, El es, tu eres, nosotro somos, ellos son…
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, my Spanish stinks, I can ask you where the library is at, but if you answer, I still won’t know how to get there. Don’t even remember how to say “smart ass” in Spanish, which would be so handy right now!
[QUOTE=Zsofia]
<snip> I’m always surprised that isn’t more of a terminology issue, with us calling ourself the name of two whole continents. What I don’t get is how “Norte Americana” means me and not the Mexican girl, but “Americana” would get a laugh.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t get that either - Mexico is part of North America, as far as I know. The more accurate thread title would have been, “I speak English. Know why? Because I live in the United States!” Mexicans are also Americans (as are Brazilians, Cubans, etc.), but that would totally muddy the waters of the OP.
Could those of you who are posting completely in non-English supply an English translation? That is actually a rule of this board.
My wife and I deliver magazines on a route that contains predominately Mexican neighborhoods.
Some of these Mexican Mom and Pop businesses where we have racks don’t have a word on their signs in English. Their clientele snaps up our predominately-English
car-ad publication, nonetheless; “2004 Impala, $9995”,for instance, accompanied by a photo, is understood by all without need for interpretation.
The problem is with unexpected closures for deaths in the family that are explained only in Spanish.
The notices never have anything that looks like a closing date (cerrado) or a re-opening date(abierto) anywhere on them. All we get is a lot of jabberwocky and the word"muerte".
Who is muerte? The proprietor, in which case we may not need to come back to stock the rack? A friend or family member of the proprietor, in which case we will have to come back at a later date? But when, exactly?
Can’t these people learn, to name an example “Closed due to death in family, back Tuesday 9 a.m.” in English, or at least get to the point. As I said, I know Spanish days of the week, and I know cerrado and abierto and I know both 12-hour and 24-hour international or “military time”, so why not a straightforward “Cerrado. Abierto manana 0900” and can the rest of the long-winded gibberish?
I know the government can’t deport ALL illegal Mexicans, but a concerted effort at enforcement would at least make them leery of being seen in Spanish-only businesses,for fear that these places would be obvious stakeouts for the Feds.
To stay in business the Spanish-onlys would have to go bi-lingual.
[QUOTE=Una Persson]
My clients from Spain took a holiday in Mexico, and claimed that the people there spoke a dialect so alien to them that they had to ask them to speak in English to be able to understand them.
Oddly, my Portuguese client says a similar thing about when he goes to Brazil.
Since I speak none of the above, I cannot comment from personal experience as to why this would be. I admit I find it difficult to believe.
[/QUOTE]
Try watching a Welshman on BBC America. You’ll come close to what they were trying to convey to you.
[QUOTE=zenith]
My wife and I deliver magazines on a route that contains predominately Mexican neighborhoods.
<snip>
<snip>
To stay in business the Spanish-onlys would have to go bi-lingual.
[/QUOTE]
And for you to stay in business in a predominately Spanish-speaking area why can’t you go bi-lingual? You’re doing business with people who’s first language isn’t English. It makes sense for you (or your wife) to learn the language of your customers.
[QUOTE=Frylock]
I don’t believe his claim that he has been yelled at repeatedly by people who were angry at him for not knowing these languages.
(Out of curiosity, what is it you thought I was saying I didn’t believe?)
[/QUOTE]
That’s exactly what I thought you meant. I just don’t think it’s that uncommon to speak to people in 3 different languages if you get calls from all over the country, so I thought your disbelief just based on the probabilities was a little odd.
And given the fact that the OP deals with people who are already having trouble with something, the fact that they get angry and start yelling (in whatever language they know) is unremarkable to me.
I just dealt with a telemarketer for a bank and about 4 of his supervisors and related supervisors. If I knew any other language besides English, I’d be screaming it too.