Law for foreign workers/students....

Rossonero

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

pete

Can we encourage the natives to speak in something approximating understandable english first, please?

The Saint

...and everyone who goes to Ibiza should speak Spanish. :rolleyes:

John R

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

So you expect two people who share a common foreign language to speak in English to each other? Why, so you can eavesdrop on them?

If you were in a foreign country with some other Irish people would you be happy to be forced to not use English with them?

Herr Capitan wrote:

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

The phrase you used in the second part of that sentence sugests that the first part of that sentence is not entirely accurate.


As for foreigners learning Irish, frankly I think they should be immediately deported for taking the piss out of all us natives who after 12 odd years of forced Irish language education still cannot speak a word of it.

Nuttzz

that would be great, get all the nigerians comming here to learn Irish, then they can converse with..........

Frank Grimes

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

Are you saying they shouldn't speak their native language at all or that if they're working in the service industry (for example) they should have a good level of English?

monument

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

What part of ‘our’ culture? Our English?

landser

in the immortal words of Andrew Dice Clay, "if you can't speak the language, get out of the fcuken country"

i'm tired of being lead on by the promise that my three pints will actually be "free pants" by my oriental waiter.

pickarooney

You talk the bollocks of one with no clue or experience, my friend Herr Captain. Personally I'd consider it utterly bizarre to speak Dutch with my missus.

therecklessone

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

And this should be a law? Ridiculous suggestion.

The Corinthian

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

It depends. I never speak to my father in English (let alone Irish). That’s not likely to change simply because it offends your sensibilities.

If people want to talk to me they can do so in a number of languages and as long as I can speak in those languages it makes little difference to me which one it is. And if I can’t they’re welcome to speak to someone who can.

The Saint wrote:

...and everyone who goes to Ibiza should speak Spanish. :rolleyes:

Anyone going to Ibiza to work should be able speak Spanish or at least make a concerted effort to learn.

Of course, there's a matter of supply and demand to consider - foreigners, particularly of the non-EU veracity, are cheaper to employ. So if you want a well spoken waiter, be prepared to pay for it.

DadaKopf

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

How about YOU respect THEIR culture?

Memnoch

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

Maybe you should get the majority of the irish population to be able to speak irish before you ask this of foreigners. Why do you care what language people converse in? Quite frankly i don't think its any of your business.

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

your remarks certainly do sound very xeno-phobic in MY opinion. Also you shouldn't make such gross generalisations? Who is feeding off who? People who work here pay tax regardless of their nationality. An arguement could easily be made that the irish are feeding off the foreigners employing them for cheap labour, at rates that Irish people would be unhappy to work at. To add to this the same can be said that the Irish are feeding off foreign doctors by getting them to work here with little promise of promotion or advancing their careers, while keeping them in jobs below their experience. And these honest hard working people tolerate it because its better than the conditions they would have to endure back home.

However i'll play your game. I think the Irish should learn to speak chinese, hindi, urdu and arabic in order to respect the culture of the people they are feeding off.

landser

The Corinthian wrote:

It depends. I never speak to my father in English (let alone Irish). That’s not likely to change simply because it offends your sensibilities.
.

i don't think the point of the OP was that they can't/shouldn't speak their own tongue at home or with their friends... but they should be able to speak english if they want to work here. we should insist upon it. i'm sick of having to speak pidgin english every time i go to the pub or shop.

it's not for me to learn their language... i'm not in the their country, english is the predominant language of the state... they must be able to speak it

i have lived abroad and spoke the languages concerned.

The Corinthian

landser wrote:

i don't think the point of the OP was that they can't/shouldn't speak their own tongue at home or with their friends... but they should be able to speak english if they want to work here.

I agree with you on being able to speak English if you're going to work here, however that's not what the OP actually said. His only condition was that they would be that they would be in “this country for long periods of time” - presumably residents. He did not mention that this was in any way related to work or their professional behavior, or even whether it applied to discussions in public or not.

bonkey

Herr Capitan wrote:

I believe people who come into this country for long periods of time, and have reasonable English/Irish should speak that language instead of speaking in their natural tongue while in the country.
Foreigners who don't have adequate English/Irish should do their best to learn it.

Should....yes. Must....not by law (in my opinion), no.

I'm not anti-foreigners nor am I xeno-phopic , but they should have respect for the culture in which their feeding off.

Maybe its just me (although some other posters already appear to be of the same opinion) but the phrasing of the second half of that sentence would seem to be at odds with the claims of the first half.

jc

Victor

You might actually speel "Herr Capitan" as "Herr Kapitän" (if speaking in German) or "Herr Captain" (when referring to an English speaking officer), unless you are referring tot he Spanish place name "Capitan".

The ironing is strong with this one.