# If you are going to run a business in America, SPEAK ENGLISH. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 30, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279 "2003-06-30T03:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/181 "2003-07-13T13:43:02Z")
I think the issue at hand here is courtesy. Barring a predominantly non-English-speaking neighborhood, it is courteous to staff your business with employees who can speak English at least well enough to communicate. To rephrase, it is courteous to provide good service, though it is by no means obligatory. As someone already pointed out, the free market decides whether or not this puppy lives or dies. If enough people are annoyed with a lack of Englishness, then it will shrivel and die. But obviously, many businesses do thrive despite little Ingles, and some people are frustrated at that. But we really shouldn’t be mad at people ranting about poor service; if this thread had been about a computer illiterate salesman at CompUSA, I doubt sailor or pure’s outrage would have traipsed in such a shitstorm. There’s nothing wrong with wishing that: A) A business with poor service fails B) A business with poor service improves its service I think we all wish for both of these at some point in time, so I don’t really see what the big fuss is about. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/182 "2003-07-13T14:14:44Z")
> [@](#): > > I wonder how many of you have tried being a foreigner? It’s not fucking easy, okay? \ Six years in South Korea, bub, with stops around the world. Did I expect the Koreans to cater to me by speaking English? No, I jolly well learned Korean so I could function independently in that society. Many other folks here can tell you the same story. If a business caters only to an immigrant community, then they need not hire English-speaking staff, but a business that has a wider scope of clientele, like McDonald’s, should hire staff who can be clearly understood in English. This is America and the immigrants are required to learn our languages, not us theirs. In my area, we have a huge influx of immmigrants from around the world–should everybody who lives here, native and immigrant alike learn Urdu, Russian, Tamil, Farsi, Thai, Arabic and the plethora of other tongues spoken here? O rwould it be more useful to have one language spoken as a general means of communication, English? When I’m in their country, I learn their language; when they are in my country, they learn mine. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/183 "2003-07-14T00:51:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LonesomePolecat \* > \*\*Just pointing out what a hypocrite you are, that’s all. \*\* Gee, thanks eversomuch for the informative answer. I still have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, but whatever. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/184 "2003-07-14T20:13:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OpalCat \* > \*\*Wow, you know all this about them just from reading the OP? \*\* Wow, OpalCat, with the ~2500 posts you have, you think you’d know sailor’s M.O. better. The immigrants aren’t from the USA, therefore they are inately superior to anyone who is native to the USA. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/185 "2003-07-14T21:24:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Merijeek \* > Wow, OpalCat, with the ~2500 posts you have, you think you’d know sailor’s M.O. better. > > The immigrants aren’t from the USA, therefore they are inately superior to anyone who is native to the USA. > > -Joe Please show me where I have said this or anything which remotely implied it. Idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/186 "2003-07-14T21:27:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pure \* > \*\*My god you’re a motherfucking bigot. People like you make baby Jesus’ pants less perky. I’m truly sad for you ☹ > > _I also like how you ignored everything else in my post._ \<—please note that was in italics, so it was important. _It’s how I emphasize things. Maybe if it’s like this people will believe it._ > > PS. The joke was not funny. It was the most anti-climactic joke ever. After reading all that set up, the punchline is “Well no, he didn’t mention that.” Major case of humour blueballs. \*\* As someone who has had blueballs, I find you offensive! Waaaaah! There you go. Same as your posts, but it gets to the point much quicker. Waaaaah! -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/187 "2003-07-14T22:02:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Please show me where I have said this or anything which remotely implied it. > > Idiot. \*\* Okay, Spanky. > [@](#): > > - > > They arrive with nothing, not even the language, and they manage to start a business and by the second generation they are above average in America. - I don’t even disagree with your point above. But there you go. > [@](#): > > - > > There are plenty of Americans who have it much easier and can’t do shit but stay on welfare. You see them hanging out at street corners every day complaining about how America is giving them a raw deal. - And again, even more direct this time. > [@](#): > > - > > It all came to an end when an all-American teenager shot and killed the grandfather in an attempt to rob the money in the till. - And in that anecote, the Evil American™ even had a gun. > [@](#): > > - > > I see kids hanging out in street corners and up to no good every day and they ain’t the Chinese kids. Maybe some American kids could learn a thing or two from the Chinese. - Yeah, Chinese kids. At least they’re not Stinking Irish™. > [@](#): > > - > > I often have difficulty communicating with Americans selling burgers who speak their own brand of ebonics and, even if they speak decent English sometimes cannot figure out the simplest things. There’s a reason they’re selling burgers rather than designing computers or airplanes. > > (various crap…followed by) > > The Chinese guy might not speak good english but he is probably twice as intelligent as the American kid. Take the American kid from McDonalds and send him to China and see how well he does. - Damned stupid American kids. Not even half as intelligent as your average Chinese kid. But that’s right, you didn’t even imply anything like that. Since we know that Chinese \> American, care to tell us where all those other ethnic groups fit in there? It’d be nice to know which groups I should bow down to, and which ones I can spit at when I pass them on the street. > [@](#): > > - > > So you are saying schools in the USA should make sure children who will later be flipping burgers can communicate in standard English? I agree, but I am not holding my breath. - Because, see, those Chinese kids are smart, and those American ones are just plain dumb. But, again, you never so much as implied anything of the sort. > [@](#): > > - > > Customers like the OP should stay home and never eat out. If it’s not the language they’ll find something else to be picky about. - Damned whining Americans. I’ll bet the Chinese never complain. > [@](#): > > - > > This is like the bums who hang out on street corners and do nothing and then justified the riots and lootings and general stealing of the Chinese stores on account that “they charge too much”. - Man, and when they riot they aim just for the Chinese restaurants? You think the Chinese would start complaining like Americans, then. Do the bums go and rip the “Restaurant:Chinese” pages out of the phone books when they’re preparing their Master Plan Against Chinese Occupation? MPACO. I like that. I think I’ll have to come up with another meaning for that acronym. Anyways, sailor, I’ve always found your anti-Bush rants entertaining. A little on the foaming side, but fun, still. Now, it seems a little more obvious that you’re not anti-Bush, so much as anti-USA. Bush just happens to be in charge right now. Or his puppeteers. Whichever. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/188 "2003-07-14T22:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Merijeek \* > \*\*Wow, OpalCat, with the ~2500 posts you have, you think you’d know sailor’s M.O. better. > \*\* This will be post 8247 for me… and yet **sailor** has managed to go completely under my radar. I have no idea who this person is nor what their M.O. is. Don’t think I could tell you anything else they’ve posted off the top of my head. Sowwy. ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/189 "2003-07-14T23:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Leaper \* > \*\*Uh, so how do you know that this is an actual story, and not something he heard from someone else, or was just making up? Just taking his word for it? I wouldn’t. Not that that reflects on him poorly in any way; [even Douglas Adams has done it](http://www.snopes.com/crime/safety/cookies.htm). And, as the link points out, even if it DID happen to him, that doesn’t mean that he originated the thing. > \*\* Sorry, I’ve just discovered this thread (so many threads, so few hamsters…), and I had to point out that the late Mr. Allen was **not** the first to publish the “morny, rune sorbees” story. A full 27 years ago, my father brought home from a business trip a book he got from the hotel he stayed at; it was called _A Hotel is A Place…_ and was written by the comedian Shelly Berman. That story, word for word, was in that book. It was the funniest damn book I’ve ever read in my life - when I read it I laughed so hard tears were rolling down my face and I couldn’t catch my breath until I put it down. So, if Mr. Allen published that story (which seems to be in question) in his book published in 1998, then it must be another of those things like the referenced Douglas Adams story. (Hey - what do Adams and Allen have in common? See what happens when you steal a story like that?!) We will now return to your scheduled rant, already in progress. ---
**Author:** ![Mearl\_Dox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Mearl\_Dox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mearl_Dox)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/190 "2003-07-15T00:54:13Z")
I didn’t mean that the Sierra Mist girl was evil, or shouldn’t be allowed in the US, or shouldn’t be allowed to hold her job. I thought it was funny in multiple ways… she was _sort_ of at an ethnic resteraunt, and yet I never think of Taco Bell as being truly ethnic. I couldn’t tell if a lack of fluency was the problem, she seemed to just mumble a lot and jumble her words together. Although I’m caucasion my girlfriend is asian, and her family moved over from Taiwan when she was younger and she spoke not a word of English. I realize it’s scary to come to a new country, and I know it takes forever to become even passably skilled in a foreign language, much less fluent. I have respect for that kind of dedication. And I don’t get mad when someone doesn’t speak English well… sometimes a little frustrated or confused, but not mad. It’s not something to get mad about. When I went to Japan a few years ago, I only spoke pidgen Japanese and had to rely on a lot of broken sentences and pointing to get ideas across. The people I met were all very willing to help me, and I took it in good humor when someone burst out laughing at one of my questions. Hey, I was doing my best, but I knew I wasn’t exactly Madame Multilingual either… 😃 Of course it’s good to respect people who are starting to learn English and not to mock them. But sometimes people make mistakes that are funny, even native English speakers. Being funny is part of being alive, you know? ---
**Author:** ![pure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@pure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pure)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/191 "2003-07-15T02:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lezlers \* > \*\*Oh, you’ve done it now, **Zoggie** , **pure** will come barrelling in here any minute now ranting and raving all calling you a bigot… > > :rolleyes: \*\* No, just you. It’s okay though, bigots don’t usually know they’re bigots. I can’t blame you for your own ignorance, and in fact it’s just a part of who you are. Truly sir, you should embrace your bigotry. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lezlers \* > \*\*I still have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, but whatever. > > :rolleyes: \*\* I do not find this at all surprising. ---
**Author:** ![pure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@pure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pure)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/192 "2003-07-15T02:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Merijeek \* > \*\*As someone who has had blueballs, I find you offensive! Waaaaah! > > There you go. Same as your posts, but it gets to the point much quicker. > > Waaaaah! > > -Joe \*\* ROFL!! I’ll do you one better: > [@](#): > > \*content of Merijeek’s post \* > \*\*sadgfasdfhaskg > > -Joe\*\* There is no emoticon to express my feelings. :eekeleventybillion: will have to do. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/193 "2003-07-15T02:22:35Z")
I have no words. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/194 "2003-07-15T04:40:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pencilpusher \* > \*\*I called the power company here in Colorado and got on the phone with a hispanic person that couldn’t figure out I wanted to pay my bill. After 20 MINUTES of TRYING to tell this person I wanted to make a payment I hung up. For FUCKS SAKE if your going to work in a call center FIGURE OUT HOW TO COMMUNICATE!! Don’t even get me STARTED on the fucking creditors that call with their mispronounciations and garbled speech. Damnit all to HELL if your going to call me DEMANDING money then at LEAST have the common courtesy of speaking a language that I fucking understand JEEZUS!!! Now someone wanna tell me where the fucking sign is that I point to when I want to pay a bill?!?!? \*\* uh HUH! Like the lady who worked for “a major communications company” (irony?), and was “assisting” my Uncle with his retirement paperwork, she didn’t understand English well enough to communicate. She kept asking him where his last place of employment had been, and he kept saying “Anchorage, Alaska”. She would come back with something that could NOT be understood at all, and he’d say “NO!!!, Anc CHOR AGE, A Lask A!!!, ALASKA, You know? Snow??? Igloos? Dogsleds”? He finally got a supervisor who, while still not able to speak english very well, at LEAST understood “Anchorage, Alaska”. To which she replied “no eligible for retirement ‘less you wok’ in United States”. ??? The thing is, that if an American moved to a foreign country, opened a business, and then refused to learn the language, the “ugly American” mill would run OVERTIME with spewed venom about how “arrogant” we are, etc etc. The POINT of most of the folks replying to this, and in agreement with being annoyed (read: being ANNOYED, NOT demanding perfection, NOT “making fun of,” merely being annoyed), is that what we’re annoyed with, is those who won’t learn ANY english, not in requiring instant compliance with english as we deem fit. Just some grasp of the language enough that we can somewhat communicate. And as for the melodramatic “how can people working three jobs, have time or money to learn english”??? Um, ??? It only took me about 3 months to learn a working knowledge of french (canadian french to be sure, but french just the same) and I only had ONE co-worker from whom to learn it, and a rusty, 10 year-old, HS french course under my belt. My canadian friend and I practiced while at work, using basic items in our workaday world. Didn’t take long at all. I wasn’t some perfect speaker with “the ear” or anything either, but by golly I could get a cab, find out where the bathroom was, and order some sort of food!!! Are you telling me that someone who is working day in and day out with almost exclusively english speaking customers is unable to learn the basic words from his own business? come ON! And again to those who don’t seem to be getting this… Annoyed does NOT = thinks these people should be vilified, sent back home, stripped of their businesses etc. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/195 "2003-07-15T07:39:08Z")
If english is not your primary lanuagage, or you do not speak it at all, you can expect some diffilculty in routine business transaction. If you cannot communicate with a person that seems to think that pseudo-english works just fine, don’t ever go there again. This country was founded by (let’s leave out native americans for now) people that were fleeing oppresion, and wanted to make a new idebtity for themselves. Immigration is welcomed here, however, communication is a very primary, and neccesary means of doing business here. Sink or swim, adapt or be obsolete. Things are no easier for american small businusses, except that they speak the language, you almost can’t win otherwise. Count the number of companies that have gone to China on an English-only platform, and we’ll compare results. Being an immigrant is tough, obviously not tougher than where you came from, because you’re here. If being Bi-lingual is a pain, either deal with it, or go back. America is the land of the free, not the free-loaders. Everyone does their part, we all get paid, everyone’s happy. ---
**Author:** ![BooksWoods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@BooksWoods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooksWoods)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279/196 "2003-07-15T16:55:45Z")
I have now seen the word **pronunciation** misspelled as _pronounciation_ at least three times in this thread. I’m doubting this is a simple typo and, in fact, am assuming that the people who spelled it incorrectly also pronounce it incorrectly. That’s kind of funny. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-going-to-run-a-business-in-america-speak-english/185279.md?page=9)