Have you ever been laughed at because your command of a foreign language was not perfect?

Question

If so, where?

Answer 1

Yeah I have. But a foreigner wanting to speak the language of the country he/she is in there is nothing else to do just bear it. Imagine someone comes to your country and tries to speak your language. I would find it funny too. But there is a huge difference behind how funny the people think you are. If they think you are just a retard unable to speak their language and calling you names for it, or they just laugh at you because they find it rather cute and pleasing that you are actually trying to learn their language. The latter can be expected from more educated people, usually those who can speak a foreign language themselves. As for the first group, there is really no excuse for that and you should just roll on with your life and be aware that their disrespect only shows their primitivness. Vast majority of them cannot speak any other language except their own. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED! You re not the first and definitelly not the last one with similar problem. The strong ones persist!
Oh, and the last time I got laughed at was in the US. Both ways mentioned above.

Answer 2

I am living in Ukraine for a year teaching at a university. I don't know Ukrainian so when I read the roll before class, there is always a lot of laughter because I mispronounce their names. I have the sounds all correct, but I put the stress on the wrong syllable. There is almost always a moment in a large class when I read a name, wait a moment, and then hear from somewhere "I think that's my name". Huge laughter follows.

The VERY best strategy is to make a little fun of yourself being a foreigner (I've learned the phrase, "I'm just a stupid American") and join in the laughter. You win a lot of friends that way. After all, you are modelling the way that you would like them to behave if they ever come to the US. Sometimes the communication errors are just TOO outrageous to keep from laughing, so it happens. My fiancee is a native speaker of Russian and there are many times this happens. We just laugh together once I've explained the situation. She laughs at me when I try to stumble through Russian. It's just a good strategy.

Answer 3

Only in France. And that was after 3 years of high school French lessons. I have visited over 20 European countries and used a small amount of the local language in each, and learnt those for maybe a few minutes each. But only in France does the local laugh at a foreigner who can't speak the language.

Answer 4

OOOh Yeah!

I am German American and I speak what I call "Deutschlisch!"
since I only learned the Basics as a kid and had to learn the rest from the Travels in Germany and Pen pals when I was older but the basics When we had association with Germans in the Festival Societies and the Turners Clubs when I was young.
I guess more is expected from me because I speak better and represent myself as a DeutschSprachiger rather than the average American so it's permissible to tease me....
Other parts of Europe are pretty nice.
France and Canadaa are a vast Cesspool of sub Humanity and need to be esponged from the Earth!
But of course my firm and solid Assessment and Opinion after having lived there twice and a lifetime of dealing with the French and Canadians has no value so I will probably get a Report and a Deletion for that! You know YA...

"Give us your Answers but DON"T!"

Of course I mean it and Retract nothing.....


I also used to speak alot of Spanish and have lived in Mexico twice, Harlem, S. Florida, Texas, Arizona, N Mexico, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, Oklahoma City etc... and the Latino Hispanic people have always been most gracious in accommodating and teaching me their language.
Wonderful people, Wonderful Culture/Women......

Answer 5

yes and it's not pleasant

In a classroom here in Canada, I said the time ,something like "9 and 5" instead of "5 past 9".
There were 2 students that bursted into laugh.

But otherwise not. I think Canadians are civilized. I have to say many things about this but I asked your question to the point.

Answer 6

Yea I'm in Montpellier France studying abroad right now, and I speak NO FRENCH. When I get smashed on the weekends, I try to speak French, but it's obviously not very good. So the kids usually laugh at me, but usually I'm drinking with some German friends, and what usually happens is that we start fighting these French wimps, so...........yea I do get made fun of.

Answer 7

Yes - in Greece.
But then again I've also laughed at Greeks speaking English ... especailly when they get chicken and kitchen mixed up.
Not nice I know ... but I never said I was a nice person!

Answer 8

NO... in most EDUCATED countries, people will even help me out by giving me the correct pronounciation... it is only in AMERIKA that people make fun of someone who speaks a foreign language and mis-pronounces a word. AND... what is even worse is, when I correct an AmeriKan when I am IN AmeriKa... I don't get a 'thank you'.. like I would in an intelligent and educated country.. I get that stupid dismissive "whatever" that AmeriKans are so quick to give when they have it pointed out how STUPID they are.

When I lived in Paris, I never had a bit of problem... but my French has a British accent due to the language skills of my French Teacher.

Answer 9

Many times. I live in Thailand. Some of the words can have a totally different meaning if you say it with the wrong tone.

Answer 10

Oh yes! if you're a foreigner people think you are stupid or just ugly because they don't know anything about you or your customs or beliefs . People also think you're stupid because you don't have the same accent as them so they're kind of prejudice against you.