Workers banned for not speaking English.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....ge-health-safety.html

This all seems a little too extreme on Waterstones part, health and safety or not.

But it does raise the topical issue of foreign nationals settling into this country speaking in their native tongue.

David Cameron recently brought the matter up by suggesting that benefits could be cut if some refuse to learn English, also a little extreme maybe.

But the fact remains that because some refuse to learn to speak and read English, other problems occur. Take for example the matter of the cost to the taxpayer of providing interpreters:

The need to erect notices in public buildings all in a multitude of different languages:

The need to print extra amounts of paper publications also in different languages:

And then there is the problem of classes of school children where only a minority of pupils speak English.

Apart from all these, I learnt today that in some hospitals patients are put at risk simply because some nurses cannot speak English, and that content notices put on the doors of storage cabinets are being replaced by pictures of what the cabinet contains.

[sara3]

because all white people say please and thank you? I think not!

[joeluke]

Those of us with manners do

Every day I hear requests beginning 'I need' or 'Give me'

Poles are the worst offenders

[boxtops]

A lot of this is cultural, though. Some cultures will ask straight out - they don't consider it to be rude.

[joeluke]

Johnny English......'What is your name mr johnny foreigner ?'


One would like to think that they wouldn't need to be taught their own name

[reefer]

// because all white people say please and thank you? I think not! //

There are Black people who have been born here.

[ChuckFickens]

Boxtops is correct.

Polish people are not trying to be rude when they say "Give me" instead of "Please may I have" it's half a cultural thing and half a language thing, the polish equivalent of Please may I have translates closer to give me than anything else.

[joeluke]

So we just have to accept their ignorance and bad manners?

I don't, when they say 'I need' and 'give me' I reply 'please' and wait for them to repeat it

Eventually they will learn to say please without being prompted

[joeluke]

Why would I want to do that?

[boxtops]

We have to accept some of it, JL, once we're aware of cultural differences, yes. They are speaking a foreign language - I can think of very similar instances when Brits abroad don't bother to say "s'il vous plait" or "por favor" - they just ask for a beer (as often as not, in English). If they asked me in polite tone "two beers", I wouldn't be offended if they didn't say please. It's not bad manners at all, it's a different set of cultural norms.

[sara3]

reefer, gosh.. I never knew thanks. thanks for enlightening me.

[reefer]

No problem Sara

[ummmm]

He's made it clear that he doesn't want to do that Johnny.