Current Events > Is it rude in the US when coworkers speak in a language other than English?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Kajagogo posted...

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine goes to the Korean nail salon, and the women who work there switch from English to Korean when they want to talk shit about their clients. What's ridiculous is, is that you don't think that ever happens in real life. It does.

Are you fucking serious
Are you really using a fucking comedy show that deliberately exaggerates things as proof of how reality works? Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.
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SGT_Conti posted...

Kajagogo posted...

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine goes to the Korean nail salon, and the women who work there switch from English to Korean when they want to talk shit about their clients. What's ridiculous is, is that you don't think that ever happens in real life. It does.

Are you fucking serious
Are you really using a fucking comedy show that deliberately exaggerates things as proof of how reality works? Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.
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That does remind me of a funny story from work. One of my coworkers called an employee from another department because the latter made a mistake and was trying to get some information from her to correct it. The lady on the phone started talking to someone next to her in Spanish about my coworker and trying to place the blame on her instead... and my coworker called her out on it. The funnier part of it was that she has a very obviously Hispanic first and last name and yet the lady on the phone still tried to talk crap about her in Spanish. Like, lady, have some sense lmao.

And even if she didn't have an obvious Spanish name, trying to trash-talk someone in Miami in Spanish is just asking for it since there are very good odds they know Spanish...
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Kajagogo posted...

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

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Kajagogo posted...

FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble

Kajagogo posted...

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine goes to the Korean nail salon, and the women who work there switch from English to Korean when they want to talk shit about their clients.

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I was hired as a process development engineer for a German company right after I got my PhD. They conducted official business only in German knowing I didn't speak it. I was clearly not getting the whole story from my translator. After putting up with that crap for a while, I quit. My boss was my boss only because I didn't speak his language. That was total crap. I felt disrespected. They tried to get me to stay but would not change the language spec or get me the training needed.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

nah I mean people definitely do this, specifically because you can't understand them or because they think you cant

its still not any more rude than having a conversation with someone at work, though. when I talk to someone quietly, I can shit talk the boss or you or whoever just as easy
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SGT_Conti posted...

Kajagogo posted...

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.
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lightwarrior78 posted...

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.

the possibility they could say bad things without you knowing about it doesnt make something rude
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lightwarrior78 posted...

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.

Are my previous posts invisible or something? I've addressed it exists. I've addressed situations where another language shouldn't be spoken.

SGT_Conti posted...

Cleo_II posted...

I used to work in an office full of Filipinos. They would speak to each other in Tagalog all day long. About projects I was also part of. I was totally excluded. We went to a site one time and I was in the car with them. Tagalog the whole drive. Even during our lunch break. I was the only one who didnt speak the language. It was extremely rude. Id never work in an office like that ever again.

See, this is something I'm not defending. It's exclusionary to a member of the team, deliberate or not.

Really, focusing on languages is so narrow, especially if you're going to ignore whispering and non-cc emails in the workplace. Why don't you send emails to everyone in the entire company? Maybe someone with knowledge can chime in with their advice. Shout all your questions across the room so people won't think you're insulting a coworker.
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lightwarrior78 posted...

SGT_Conti posted...

Kajagogo posted...

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.

Why do you think that there's a greater possibility that people holding a private conversation in a foreign language are talking shit about you more so than if that conversation were in English? Regardless of the language being used you're still being excluded, so why does them using Spanish to converse amongst themselves chap your ass more than them doing it in English?
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A_Good_Boy posted...

lightwarrior78 posted...

SGT_Conti posted...

Kajagogo posted...

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.

Why do you think that there's a greater possibility that people holding a private conversation in a foreign language are talking shit about you more so than if that conversation were in English? Regardless of the language being used you're still being excluded, so why does them using Spanish to converse amongst themselves chap your ass more than them doing it in English?

Because it only matters if you can hear them. Isn't it a non-sequitur to assume things out of context in this case? People won't talk shit in front of others if they know that the person can understand them; on the other hand, people might talk shit about someone in front of them if they know they cannot understand what is being said.
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krazychao5 posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

lightwarrior78 posted...

SGT_Conti posted...

Kajagogo posted...

It happens in real life dude! FFS Keep living in your fantasy bubble where no one does anything malicious.

SGT_Conti posted...

Yes, people talk shit in other languages, but more often it's because they are actually more familiar with it and not for any nefarious purpose.

So the answer is, yes it is rude, but you just don't care.

Why do you think that there's a greater possibility that people holding a private conversation in a foreign language are talking shit about you more so than if that conversation were in English? Regardless of the language being used you're still being excluded, so why does them using Spanish to converse amongst themselves chap your ass more than them doing it in English?

Because it only matters if you can hear them. Isn't it a non-sequitur to assume things out of context in this case? People won't talk shit in front of others if they know that the person can understand them; on the other hand, people might talk shit about someone in front of them if they know they cannot understand what is being said.

In what reality do you live in where you think that people don't attempt to talk shit about someone that's in the same room as them?
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krazychao5 posted...

People won't talk shit in front of others if they know that the person can understand them;

Uh...
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A_Good_Boy posted...

In what reality do you live in where you think that people don't attempt to talk shit about someone that's in the same room as them?

SGT_Conti posted...

Uh...

So then you both believe that coworkers are talking shit about others when they use a different language...

Got it.
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dolomedes posted...

oddly enough yesterday after participating in this topic, i got to work to hear about an incident that had happened earlier in the day.

i work in produce in an 'upscale market' in chicago. two of my co-workers were on the sales floor, speaking to each other in spanish (one is first-generation mexican immigrant, he's fluent in english but more comfortable in spanish). a customer asked the two of them if they speak english, and they both respond pleasantly, 'yes ma'am, how can we help you?' she says something to the effect of 'will you speak english when you're in america?'

What did they say?
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Yes.
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