Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 13:09     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If they are speaking across the room and having full conversations in full view of others who can't understand deliberately when they can use English, yes it is rude.

I am bilingual, though don't speak Spanish. My father always told us when we were kids not to speak in our native language in front of others who couldn't understand unless it was just a few words because it is rude and I have always followed that.

+1, I grew up ESOL too and my mother taught me the same thing.
I will admit, DH and I speak our 'native' language to each other when we want to talk about people or if we want to say something snarky and we are in public. We also use it when it is convenient to speak privately in a public place (for example, negotiating at a car dealership) and don't want the other person to know what we are saying. However, I would never speak anything but English at work. It seems exclusionary and rude to do otherwise.


Don't always assume that the car salesman (or whoever you are trying to exclude) does not speak your language...
I don't look Hispanic, and I've had people speak Spanish to each other in front of me, not knowing that I understood every word.

We don't speak Spanish.
We speak a fairly uncommon language.


It doesn't matter, it can be any language. I just used Spanish because that is what I DO speak, even though I don't look like a native of a Spanish speaking country--so that is MY experience. I know many people who speak foreign languages that they wouldn't necessarily "look like" they would speak. Many of my friends are Mormon, and they did 2 year missions in foreign countries.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 11:37     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
I think if they are having a small personal conversation while on break off by themselves, that is fine. You really don't need to be a part of every conversation or be able to eavesdrop. If you wouldn't have been part of the conversation even if it was in English, then it isn't rude.

If you are all sitting around the table in the break room , then it is rude as it is a conversation you would be a part of if you could speak the language.

Anything work related should be in the shared language, English otherwise it is rude an unprofessional
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 11:35     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
I don't know, if it is at their lunch break and they are sitting in a break room, I don't think it is a big deal. They are not on company time at that juncture. During any work time, they should speak English.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 11:31     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If they are speaking across the room and having full conversations in full view of others who can't understand deliberately when they can use English, yes it is rude.

I am bilingual, though don't speak Spanish. My father always told us when we were kids not to speak in our native language in front of others who couldn't understand unless it was just a few words because it is rude and I have always followed that.

+1, I grew up ESOL too and my mother taught me the same thing.
I will admit, DH and I speak our 'native' language to each other when we want to talk about people or if we want to say something snarky and we are in public. We also use it when it is convenient to speak privately in a public place (for example, negotiating at a car dealership) and don't want the other person to know what we are saying. However, I would never speak anything but English at work. It seems exclusionary and rude to do otherwise.


Don't always assume that the car salesman (or whoever you are trying to exclude) does not speak your language...
I don't look Hispanic, and I've had people speak Spanish to each other in front of me, not knowing that I understood every word.

We don't speak Spanish.
We speak a fairly uncommon language.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 11:00     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they sharing information that you are required to know for business purposes? If not, MYOB. If they are, ask that they speak English. Done.


Wrong. They are on the business's premises, and the language of the business is the shared language, in this case, English.

OP, I used to work in a large international organization. We had people from dozens of countries in and out of the office all the time. No one would ever dream of speaking their native language in the office, even if they were speaking to another person from the same country. It would be considered the height of bad manners. If it HAD to be done, it was done with apologies all around, and very briefly. I once saw a Tanzanian gentleman gently correct an intern who tried to practice her Swahili with him, saying he would love to talk with her, but it would be inappropriate to speak Swahili in the company of so many colleagues whose foreign language skills (and we all have them) didn't include it.


Oh, puh-lease. I also worked for a large international organization - and overseas. Having small personal conversations in a shared language is fine. Discussing business in another language that excludes others is not. Evesdropping on personal conversations is rude, regardless of the language in which it's spoken. I speak French and when I worked in England I met a few co-workers who spoke French. We sometimes exchanged morning pleasantries in French. Would OP need to know what I was saying? Would it really matter to her that we said we enjoyed our weekends?
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 10:49     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:Are they sharing information that you are required to know for business purposes? If not, MYOB. If they are, ask that they speak English. Done.


Wrong. They are on the business's premises, and the language of the business is the shared language, in this case, English.

OP, I used to work in a large international organization. We had people from dozens of countries in and out of the office all the time. No one would ever dream of speaking their native language in the office, even if they were speaking to another person from the same country. It would be considered the height of bad manners. If it HAD to be done, it was done with apologies all around, and very briefly. I once saw a Tanzanian gentleman gently correct an intern who tried to practice her Swahili with him, saying he would love to talk with her, but it would be inappropriate to speak Swahili in the company of so many colleagues whose foreign language skills (and we all have them) didn't include it.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 10:25     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Are they sharing information that you are required to know for business purposes? If not, MYOB. If they are, ask that they speak English. Done.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 10:24     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
09:59 this
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 10:05     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:If they are speaking across the room and having full conversations in full view of others who can't understand deliberately when they can use English, yes it is rude.

I am bilingual, though don't speak Spanish. My father always told us when we were kids not to speak in our native language in front of others who couldn't understand unless it was just a few words because it is rude and I have always followed that.


Sometimes, when out in public, I've heard (from a distance) parents speaking a foreign language to their children. When I get a bit closer, and they notice me (for example, at a museum--and I am getting closer to look at the exhibit) I notice they switch to English. I've always thought this is very polite of them.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:59     Subject: Re:What is the etiquitte around this?
In the workplace, it's rude. You all have a shared language and a shared space, and it is common courtesy to speak the shared language IN the shared space. If you're having a conversation that cannot be shared, then you need to wait until you are in private to have it.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:58     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
It's completely rude, OP. Completely.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:44     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?

I am bilingual, though don't speak Spanish. My father always told us when we were kids not to speak in our native language in front of others who couldn't understand unless it was just a few words because it is rude and I have always followed that.

+1

, I grew up ESOL too and my mother taught me the same thing.
I will admit, DH and I speak our 'native' language to each other when we want to talk about people or if we want to say something snarky and we are in public. We also use it when it is convenient to speak privately in a public place (for example, negotiating at a car dealership) and don't want the other person to know what we are saying. However, I would never speak anything but English at work. It seems exclusionary and rude to do otherwise.


My DH and I do this all the time
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:41     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
My older siz does this all the time and I find it very annoying. I usually respond to her in English but for some reason she doesn't seem to get it. Sorry OP you just have to learn to deal with it.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:34     Subject: What is the etiquitte around this?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If they are speaking across the room and having full conversations in full view of others who can't understand deliberately when they can use English, yes it is rude.

I am bilingual, though don't speak Spanish. My father always told us when we were kids not to speak in our native language in front of others who couldn't understand unless it was just a few words because it is rude and I have always followed that.

+1, I grew up ESOL too and my mother taught me the same thing.
I will admit, DH and I speak our 'native' language to each other when we want to talk about people or if we want to say something snarky and we are in public. We also use it when it is convenient to speak privately in a public place (for example, negotiating at a car dealership) and don't want the other person to know what we are saying. However, I would never speak anything but English at work. It seems exclusionary and rude to do otherwise.


This is not good.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2012 09:33     Subject: Re:What is the etiquitte around this?
Completely rude, OP. The only way this is acceptable is if the people involved don't speak English. Otherwise, they are intentionally excluding you and anyone else who doesn't speak Spanish. This is indeed cliquish, rude behavior.

My DH is Vietnamese is you can bet he and his friends switch to English they are around people who don't speak Vietnamese. Then again, they have manners, so...