Like in Korean nail shops they chatter in their language to each other while they do my nails. It makes me REALLY uncomfortable. I respect their culture but once a friend of mine understood a little Korean and they were talking about her.
2007-07-18 12:46:21 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
But they talk to each other for the WHOLE time across the room.
2007-07-18 12:59:01 · update #1
Okay, pretend you and your friend lived in Korea and you spoke Korean, but you're originally from America. Would you and your American friend speak Korean with each other? Or English? My money is on English. It's just awkward to speak a second language with someone who speaks your native language. And your friend should have totally called them out, because I bet they wouldn't do it again. They're ingnorant for thinking that nobody else would understand them.
2007-07-18 12:53:29 · answer #1 · answered by Nicole B 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If it was a shop run by Koreans, I'm sure they feel comfortable speaking their own language. However, I've always felt, that when someone speaks a foreign language to or in front of someone they know or suspects don't speak the language, they're doing it, because they don't want the person to know what they're saying. Your friend should have commented on what they were talking about, just to see the looks on their faces. Maybe that would teach them to think twice before talking about someone (in front of them) in the future.
2007-07-18 12:54:01 · answer #2 · answered by hopeihelped 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
People have a right to speak to each other in their native tongue even if they assure you that they are saying nothing about you or anyone else. Sometimes, their mastery of the English language is poor or non-existent and they need to communicate in their native language.
I would politely ask them to speak in English or not at all - if their conversation bothers you so much. I would also not patronize that business if they continued speaking in foreign language.
2007-07-18 12:55:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Most people feel more comfortable speaking their native language. If you and some friends were in a foreign country, wouldn't you speak English among yourselves, even if you had some knowledge of the country's language?
As far as worrying about people talking about you in a foreign language, just assume they are saying nice things.
2007-07-18 12:54:04 · answer #4 · answered by Wise@ss 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
They do it so they can talk to each other without everyone else knowing what they are saying.
We all saw that Seinfeld episode when Elaine took George's dad to translate.
If it makes you that uncomfortable tell the manager that you will find another nail salon where they speak ENGLISH!
2007-07-22 11:24:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am american but i speak french and english usually when you dont want people to know what your saying i say it in french.
Its just to have a conversation in privacy without you hearing. Just like if in english and you want to tell someone a secret.
You would go in a quiet place instead of saying in public its the same thing.
2007-07-18 12:56:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah. That's it. They wanna talk about people that are around them to their friends. It happens all the time. Once, I was in a bookstore and I was looking at a magazine, and the couple in the next aisle was talking in their language. Haha. Too bad I know their language. They were talking about everyone else in the bookstore, including me. So I walked into the next aisle, and muttered to them in the other language, "It's rude to talk about people, you know." They were shocked and embarassed. Loooooosers. :]
So basically, just ignore it. It just means they don't have the guts to say it to your face in a language you both understand.
2007-07-18 12:53:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
actually...u may feel that they're talking in their mother tongue while you're in their shop...but just like you, ppl keep coming in the whole day...so they'll have to talk in a foreign language the whole day....coz wen u leave somebody else comes in ...isn't it? they can't talk in a foreign language all the time!
...and anyways...ppl will always talk behind ur back if they can't talk in another language infront of u....it's just the same thing!
2007-07-19 06:54:48 · answer #8 · answered by ihavetheanswer 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stop going there.
It could be that your the rude one, going into a Korean shop and not bothered to converse in Korean.
Ask them that your interested in learning their language and they may start talking to you.
Being able to speak 28 language's I still am not bothered if I do not understand what other people are saying if they are not talking to me.
2007-07-18 13:45:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I found out why when we went on a class trip to France. When we were there, we wer supposed to speak French because that was why we were there. Every chance we got, when the teacher wasn't looking, we spoke English. As someone said, it's easier. Also, why would you speak your second language when you are with people from your country?
2007-07-18 13:07:38 · answer #10 · answered by nubiangeek 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋