I'm doing nursing school clinicals in a public hospital. This is Texas, so I'm surrounded by Spanish. I have no problem with learning it, as multilingualism is a great gift. I do believe that people who come here should learn English, but that's not what I am bitching about.
One of my biggest pet peeves are people who make no fucking effort to communicate effectively. I don't begrudge them for not knowing English, but some people will make no effort to take byways. They'll keep talking in their rapid language, and some will get mad that you don't understand them.
It's already been established that I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU. Continuing to jabber rapidly or more loudly will not make me understand you. Jesus, they say we Americans are ethnocentric (A French friend said that American tourists have a bad reputation in his country because they expect everyone to speak English, but that the French will warm up to them a lot more if they at least try). If I can't understand, start by trying to SIMPLIFY things. You know, speak more slowly, use what little English you do know, say the key word that you're trying to communicate, pantomime, draw a picture. You know how when talking on the phone with a young child, s/he will nod or shake her head, not knowing that we can't see them? Some people never grow out of that.
When I go traveling, I carry a Berlitz manual and a bilingual dictionary on me at all times. I am not above pantomiming, and although I can only draw stick figures, I can still get the point across. I don't keep jabbering on in English, expecting it to magically make sense to the hosts that I take for granted. I FIND OTHER WAYS.
I understand that they're in pain, they can't concentrate and will revert back to their mother tongue, they might not have a bilingual friend immediately available, and that this is a tough situation. However, some people can't realize that they're not being understood. For christ's sake, get over yourself. Make a fucking effort to communicate, don't get pissed at me because I don't have a Babelfish in my ear.



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