# Is talking in a foreign language rude at work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-talking-in-a-foreign-language-rude-at-work/660141>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 4, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-talking-in-a-foreign-language-rude-at-work/660141 "2013-06-04T18:57:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-talking-in-a-foreign-language-rude-at-work/660141/81 "2016-06-06T18:43:45Z")

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> [@Blaq\_Out](#):
>
> Being a latino myself I know for a fact that latinos talk smack about people amongst groups or out in the open in Spanish so the person doesn’t understand. Its rude and unprofessional to speak a different language at work around people who don’t speak your language… IMHO. I don’t do it and when people approach me at work speaking Spanish I respond in English.

Which is also a bit rude.

The fact that insecure people feel excluded doesn’t give them the right to eavesdrop.

Sure, sometimes people use a second language to gossip about people in the room who don’t speak that language, but that has to be a miniscule portion of people’s conversation.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-talking-in-a-foreign-language-rude-at-work/660141/82 "2016-06-07T18:16:37Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope, **Blaq Out**! Just so you know, the post in this thread prior to yours was made 3 years ago (almost to the day!). While the poster you quoted is still around, they may not wish to re-hash an old argument.

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**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-talking-in-a-foreign-language-rude-at-work/660141/83 "2016-06-07T18:58:05Z")

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I was working at one place where the supervisor would walk in and start talking with some of the workers in spanish and not share the same conversation in english.

Now what would happen if that spanish speaking person gets promoted? Couldnt the other workers get an EEO complaint that the supervisor was showing preference for spanish speaking persons?

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