Ethnic unemployed have to learn English?

Question

so for the people who can't speak english and who are looking for a job they will be taught english or there benefits will be stopped

see more here

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/12022007/325/ethnic-unemployed-learn-english.html

so the question is what do you think about this ? is it fair on them to have to learn english to get a job ? or do you think that they should be able to speak english before they even think about living here ?

but what about us english going to live in somewhere like france and who can't speak a word of english ?

Answer 1

I think that we should go a step further. If you can't speak English then translators will not be provided for you - and all the forms you need to fill in for benefits, and job seekers should all be in English (or Welsh).

If I moved to France or Germany I wouldn't expect them to be running around pandering to my ignorance, no, I'd expect the learn French or German.

Here in the UK we have a national language, and everyone should speak it... (or Welsh which is their national language)

Answer 2

I have one of these people as a lodger at the moment and the silly sod has been in the country for 2 years, has done jobs like cleaning and kitchen portering and still has really poor English skills. He is now waiting for his DSS claim to go through (and owing me rent I might add) and is just sitting around the house all day watching the TV. He is certainly not improving his English and he's having real trouble getting another job. I think people should learn the language of the country they're living in, even just to make life easier for them.

Answer 3

You're only delaying your own independence and progress if you don't speak the language. I think it's a great idea to get people English lessons who want to work in England. I wish they did that in the U.S. Sometimes people need a push to do the right thing for themselves and others. My grandparents are living in the U.S. for thirty five years now and my grandpa can barely utter a full sentence in English. I think that's ridiculous. If you're going to move to a foreign country and stick only to your own kind then stay home. I'm not at all against immigration I just think that if you're going to live in someone else's Country the least you could do is make effort in integrating and learning the language, it's only right.

Answer 4

First of all, I have nothing against immigrants whatsoever and have a lot of friends who are immigrants... but if I were planning on moving to or even visiting a foreign country I would learn at least some of the language....at least the essential phrases...people in foreign countries always say how they hate it when Americans or English-Speaking people in general come to their country and just expect everyone to know English....I think it's just a common courtesy to learn enough of the language to get by in whichever country you decide to live in or visit.....

Answer 5

I lived in Germany for 2 years, and at first it was hard, knowing almost no German. I studied every day, and got better. And now I can speak and write it well. The point is that the person going to another country has to put forth the effort to learn the language of the country they are living in.

Answer 6

I agree that everyone should make an effort to learn English so they can better adapt to the environment, and not just for employment reasons. In order to feel accepted in a foreign country, you will need to learn about its language and culture. Of course, there are instances where some don't have time to learn the language because their sudden emigration to this country was unexepected (ex. refugees of war-torn countries), but an effort should def. be made. My mother escaped a war-torn country during the early 90's and learned English in a matter of months. She also speaks 4 other languages, so maybe it was a bit easier for her to learn, but that does not mean not everyone can learn.

Answer 7

i work in a jobcentre in bradford & we have a high percentage of non englsih speaking customers, so i find it frustrating when you interview people who have lived in UK for many years who can not speak English, have no intention of learning but still wish to claim benefits as they see it as a right

the amount of money we pay out for translation services is stupid especially when the jobcentre offers courses for benefit claimants to learn english, never mind all the free courses run by colleges & local primary schools

i agree with everyone else if i was to move to another country i'd learn to speak the language & its about time we did the same

Answer 8

I think it is very sensible. If you go to work in another country, you are going to need to speak to the locals, who, by definition, will speak their local language to you. It is not being racist to expect people to be able to communicate with you. I am a carer, we had a girl from South Africa working with us a while ago and she confused the heck out of my ladies and gentlemen by asking them to come for dinner at 5pm. In my neck of the woods, we have breakfast, dinner and tea (with supper a bit later if you want to be posh).

Then there was the Indian man we had working with us who very nearly lost some of his teeth when he went to one of our more burly gentlemen (complete with tattoos) and called him 'darling'. Fortunately, I'd heard him and ran to stop the bloodshed. After about ten minutes of negotiations, I'd managed to convince him that there were three options open to him ... mate, marrah or the gentleman's name.

They could both speak reasonable English but were heavily accented and some clients found them hard to understand and being a carer is something of a closed profession. You don't have the general public to contend with and the general prevailing attitude is of mutual respect on both sides.

It is a lot easier for the customer if they can understand the person who is trying to help them and I'm sure there would be a lot less animosity and even abuse for the worker who can converse in reasonable to perfect English.

As for the last part, if you want to work in France, learn to speak ?French for exactly the reasons I've outlined above.

Answer 9

I am a native (British IC1) English speaker and am unemployed (yes I am looking). I say if they can't be bothered to learn the local language they should be invited to leave and go somewhere where they can converse. S'only reasonable and would happen anywhere else.

Answer 10

My Mother and Father-in-law have moved to Spain and they are learning Spanish.
I think it is a good thing after all we are British and why shouldn't anybody living in this country speak our language.
What a mess it would be if telephone companies and banks and post offices etc etc etc would have to recruit multi lingual staff just to suit the needs of people who are not willing to learn the language of the country they are moving and living in!!!!