Is it rude for people to speak English when there are present people that only understand Spanish?

Answer 1

no, not if you're in the U.S.A...english is our national language, it's not our responsibility to learn other country's languages...if they want to live here they can learn our language.

Answer 2

Not in the US which is an English speaking country. It is far more rude for people to speak Spanish in the US in front of people who only understand English yet this is done constantly without regard for others. I am not talking about private conversations either...I have been to shops in the US where you would actually need a translator if you didn't speak Spanish. You could not do this in any other country and I do not understand why people get so offended when it makes people here angry.

Answer 3

It depends on the location and who you are talking about.
1. If everybody in your scenario is in Mexico and everybody present speaks Spanish, but not all speak English, yes, it could be rude to exclude the others.
2. If your scenario is in America and ALL the people present speak Spanish, but not all speak English, yes, it could be rude to exclude those that didn't speak English.
3. If your scenario is in America and the people speaking English only know how to speak English, naturally it isn't rude to not speak Spanish no matter who is present. English is the COMMON language in the U.S., just as Spanish is the COMMON language in Mexico.
4. If people to any country from another country, they should learn the COMMON language of that country.
5. Since English is the common language of the USA, and people come here from nearly every country of the world speaking dozens of languages, don't expect or even think that WE should be expected to learn anybody's language.

Answer 4

How is that rude? Maybe said person doesn't speak Spanish. In which case is it rude for the people who speak Spanish not to speak English to the person who does not understand their language?

Answer 5

Not if the situation is one where English is expected to be spoken, or if the person is only capable of speaking English. If you mean someone who is bilingual speaks English instead of Spanish, in a closed conversation with a few people, and one of them speaks only Spanish... Then it can be seen as rude.

Answer 6

Depends on a lot of specifics. What country? The US? No, it's not rude. This is the US and the common language is English. If it was Mexico and the people who spoke English lived there, not just vacationing, and they refused to learn Spanish, for whatever reason, yes it is very rude.

Your question opens up a debate, and I see where you are trying to go with this, but there are too many different circumstances that will change the answer to your question. It is too open for interpretation.

Answer 7

I would think that it all depends if the people are involved with conversing with you. You probably already know that answer unless you are bilingual. I have picked up enough of the Spanish language that if possible and they are interested i will translate if possible. Do i think it would be rude, not really. And for me it does not matter if it is America or not, the person may be visiting from another country. But before I learned Spanish I would sometimes feel uncomfortable not knowing what was being said.

Answer 8

It depends on where you are. If you are in an English speaking country that would never be rude. It is not the host countries responsibility to learn Spanish in order to make the Spanish people more comfortable. If you decide to move to a new country it is your duty to learn their language.

Answer 9

Are you in the USA?

Is it rude for people to speak SPANISH when there are people present that only speak ENGLISH?

Silly me, to expect someone to learn english when they move to an english speaking country! What was I thinking!?

Answer 10

if they are in America, no. if they are in a Spanish speaking country then, no. as long as they are speaking to each other and not a Spanish person then it is not rude. but in America the Spanish person needs to learn English and understand it.

Answer 11

No - because not everyone speaks Spanish or any other language - but we are in the U.S. of A. and I believe everyone should at least have an understanding of the English language.