I'm saying for example: I am on a bus speaking to my mother in Cantonese and we get a little bit loud... some stranger(americans, mostly) flashes us an annoyed look and later decides to BS about us to other fellow passengers in English. If I didn't have any manners left I probably would have cursed the Sh!t out of them! Who are they to judge and make RUDE observations about us???
There was this time my mom got off the bus and I taught her to yell back at the old *****, "Stupid *****!". So wrong...but funny for us!
2006-10-01 15:15:09 · 6 answers · asked by AWorldThatNeedsToCalmDown 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The reason why people assume foreigner can't speak English properly is right in front of you in your question you ask: "Why do people automatically "assumes" foreigners can't speak English?
The correct way of stating the question is: "Why do people automatically "assume"? It is "people assume NOT people Assumes" It takes a long time to be able to speak English properly but a simple noun verb agreement is
PEOPLE ASSUME" and not the way you wrote "people assume"S" There is no final s on the verb assume when it is used with the noun people. It is, "A PERSON ASSUMES" But People (in the plural) assume without the "S"
For example: Two or more people assume One person assumes.
2006-10-01 15:56:14 · answer #1 · answered by eimittaa 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Americans usually speak only one language, and very often it is even bad english with false grammatics etc.
When you sit in a bus talking a language they definately can't undertand, they might feel threatened? Or maybe it was just the fact you got loud?
I am german, and very often people tell me how astonished they are about my english (I am fluent and think that is normal, nothing special at all). I feel like an idiot then, because they think I must be great having learned their language so well. I usually reply that ALL Germans learn that at school when they are 10, and that I find that a bit late in life. Then I mention my other languages that I also speak, and they are speachless.
Americans find it normal that the rest of the world speaks their language, so they never bother learning any other language, and many don't even learn their own language well enough. So, in that mindset, they don't expect another one (You) to know a second language (english) either. When THEY (the "supreme" Americans) cannot speak a second language, how could YOU (the "inferiour" Asian) speak more than one language?
It is unconscious, I guess, they are most likely not even aware of it.
2006-10-02 08:08:34 · answer #2 · answered by albgardis T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe because you got a bit loud. I speak a bit loud myself naturally, and don't get looks.
It could be that maybe your English is a bit off, but if it's not your first language, this is expected. As long as you are understood, that is all that matters.
Americans themselves can't understand each other, ie Southern Accents are probably the worst for us.
So those willing to understand are worth it to be patient with. The others, don't bother with unless you have no choice.
2006-10-02 02:23:23 · answer #3 · answered by Benjamin W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they flashed you an annoyed look because you were "getting a little bit loud" rather than because you were speaking a different language!
2006-10-01 15:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by Ajayu 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you. What I do is, I keep listening as if I don't understand them, after words I give them a piece of my mind.
2006-10-01 16:22:15 · answer #5 · answered by Manera 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
agree with ajayu... not because of the language barrier but because of the volume.
2006-10-01 15:24:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋