Is rude that british abroad speaks only english?

Question

What means is the most common language...why do you expect everybody else have to speak that? In their country?bit arrogant isnt it?

For example i find arrogant as well when immigrants in england speaks only their native language...why is not the same viceversa?

Answer 1

Yes, it is. I go abroad a lot, and I always use the local language whenever I can, because it's simple good manners.

I speak several languages, but I'm not fluent in all of them - when they realise that I'm a foreigner, we usually end up reverting to English (if they speak it). But by that time, the point's been made - I've done them the courtesy of making the effort, and we get along fine.

Answer 2

I'm sure the answer is Yes but:

Firstly, there is a good percentage of Britons who try very hard to pick up some local lingo. Secondly, most Brits abroad visit tourist areas where, whether they like it or not, the locals will often speak English. Finally, why do the British believe themselves to be so linguistically insular?

More Britons speak a second language than do the French, Germans or Spanish.

Your question could equally be asked of many nationalities.

Not all Britons are package tour chavs maxed out on chips and cheap alcohol - these people would be equally rude if they did speak the language. Sorry if I am seen to be chavist.

Anyway, if you think the Brits are bad try the Yanks (unless you're Spanish of course). Or the French.

Answer 3

No not really. It would be useful to them and the natives if they could learn some handy words such as please and thank you and other basics. However, a language isn't something that you can automatically programme into your brain. It need effort, practice and a hell of a lot of time. For example, I've been learning French for four years and I'm still not fluent in it. As I said before though, a few basic words should be learnt to show a bit of courtesy. Also, a lot of Brits can speak a second language.

I do understand what you mean, it is rather arrogant for some Brits who expect people in other countries to be able to speak English since it's an international language. That in my opinion is rude, it doesn't matter whether English is an international language....you can't expect everyone in the world to know it. That is the same though with immigrants in the UK though, they come over here, a lot of them to take refuge from war, famine, persecution etc. The last thing on their minds is the English language. It takes TIME. I'm sure they'd love to be able to speak English fluents but they can't just start speaking it withing a few months of living here.

Answer 4

The rude part is that they never bother to actually learn to speak any other languages, wherever they may be. The worst is when they move to another country to live full time and never bother to learn the local language. They continue to shop in British specialty shops, buy British newspapers and consort only with other Brits. They also tend to make stupid jokes about the culture they have moved into, and seem to wilfully mispronounce the words in the local language, even if said language is phonetically written (such as Spanish). And then they wonder why the locals are so hostile toward them.

Answer 5

Suzanne (above) is absolutely right in her comment.

Unless like her we are fluent in a particular language, then the most that those of us who travel extensively can do is learn a few everyday expressions of the language of the country/countries we visit. For example, I can say the usual 'please', 'thank you', 'hello', 'goodbye', 'I'm hungry', etc., in languages as diverse as Madarin and Farsi, and although I will not be able to understand the replies, I've made an attempt to show courtesy to the host country. And it is astonishing how people appreciate such efforts - it certainly raises a few laughs! I have a fair knowledge of Dutch, but as most of my Dutch friends speak excellent English I don't get much practise in their tongue. In any case, as most countries now teach English in schools, you are usually able to find some one who speaks English when you are abroad. Even China has dropped the compulsory learning of Russian in favour of English. It is the language of international aviation, of science, of NATO, of shipping (maritime) operations, of the Internet, of international diplomacy (even the French have given way on that one!), of academic publications - and when two foreigners meet they will usually converse in English.

You'll just have to accept that English is the world's universal language. Although more people speak Chinese (and that's only because there are more Chinese in the world than any other nation!), the most _widely _ spoken language is English.

Incidentally, why do refugees/economic migrants seek out the USA and the UK? Well, one reason is that they have learned a little English and therefore feel more at home in those two countries than in, say, France, Germany or Mexico.

Answer 6

Please don't tar all the Brits with the same brush.It is the monolingual English that expect everyone (even in their own country) to speak English.(Tina K...people don't suddenly understand English when you shout it..it's you rude English people who talk to them as if they were hard of hearing and slow.)I was in the Cape Verde islands recently and on a couple of the islands I hardly came across ANYONE that could speak English, It was lucky that I had some knowledge of Portuguese.As my wife and I are Welsh,we speak Welsh to each other and we did not hear a word of English for two days.(I wonder what shouting Tina K would have made of that). I'm Welsh, speak both Welsh and English fluently and have learnt French and Portuguese well enough to get by. I'm now thinking of learning a bit of Italian so that I can visit that beautiful country.
One final story: my friends and I were sitting in a pub in Wales speaking(as always) in Welsh when an Englishman came across and asked if we would stop speaking OUR language in OUR country as it was'ignorant' as they couldn't understand. Now THAT is the height of rudeness.
(I won't tell you what I told him.)

Answer 7

It's not just the language issue, but the arrogance of refusing to assimilate whatsoever. (And the very same people are the ones most likely to put up a stink about UK Muslims retaining their own culture.)

Fluency does take time and effort. But it doesn't take much to learn some basic local courtesy and enough to make a start in conversation. Show that you've made an effort and it can make all the difference.

Anything less is rude and making excuses.

Answer 8

It's not rude. People can't possibly speak all languages. I don't think English people expect others to speak English but they ask as they have to communicate somehow. I am English & the only other language I speak is Spanish, so I am ok in Spanish or English speaking countries but what happens if I go elsewhere? Does that mean I shouldn't visit Greece unless I learn to speak Greek first? I think we should all be a little more accepting of people & not so quick to judge a person of another nationality as rude or arrogant just because of a simple language barrier.

Answer 9

Its not rude but it is kind of lazy. In England speaking or learning another language is not deemed as important as it is in other countries. In schools we only have to learn to speak another language until we are 16, then it is not deemed necessary. I think that the assumption that the British make is that if they can't speak another language, the other person will be able to speak English anyway.
I think that if its just a holiday and they can't speak another language then that is fine. But if you choose to live in another country permanently then they should learn to speak the native tongue

Answer 10

Yes I think it is. It doesn't hurt to learn a few everyday words before you set off on holiday, rather than lazily assuming you'll be able to communicate with the locals in English. Anyone who decides to live permanently/for a considerable length of time in a given country should learn the language of that country, it's as simple at that. That's true both for Brits abroad and people of other nationalities who live in the UK. Today, for example, I saw a poster in Polish outside my bank, obviously offering bank accounts to Polish people. I've lived in France and Germany, and neither of my banks in those countries ever offered me any information about bank accounts in English, nor did I expect it. How does that encourage them to learn English? It's just as bad as the Brits who move to Spain but never bother learning a word of Spanish before they go.