Learn F@#%ing english a#@$ole.:readit:

[dizneeluvr]

as an english only speaking american, i feel that if you're going to live in this country, or any country, you must learn to speak the primary language of the place you live. i know many people who speak spanish where i work, but won't translate, because there are different dialects, and sometimes the translation isn't accurate. i hear this also from a friend who is bilingual and works in the court system. a co=worker of mine was told that she should learn to speak spanish by a customer, and she said she is american and english is her language and this is her country, and that the customer should learn english.
it's fine to keep your culture alive and speak more than one language , but don't use it as a disability, and to take advantage of things.
someone please get me off my soapbox ;)

[Syndrome]

The language "disability" is just one of the things that Carlos Mencia covers in my favorite song/video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91MtHvcespM

[PirateJohn]

I totally agree!!! there are many CMs that speak a different language, but don't have a language pin.

I know that when I was there, you had to be a CR to get a language pin. And you had to have been working in the park for a minimum amount of time. Plus, you have to be fluent -- I speak a little French, but not enough to get a pin.

[Pinoy_Stitch_84]

Am I being as big of an a**hole by pretending to not speak Spanish? I DO, but not as fluently as some other Cast Members. I'm just sick and tired of Spanish speaking guests taking me around in the deadly language loop:
1) I speak to them in English
2) They tell me they don't speak English, they ask me to speak Spanish instead.
3) I speak to them in Spanish.
4) They start speaking English again
5) I speak to them in English again
6) Repeat steps 2-5 until you realize how ridiculous that game is

Should I continue to sometimes pretend to not know the language so that I won't be taken on this deadly loop? Or should I speak to them using the Spanish that I KNOW and just brush it off when they play the game with me, which I HATE playing?

Please, I hope nobody thinks I have anything against non-English speakers. I just don't approve of the irritating and sometimes unacceptable behaviors and actions they display.

[Syndrome]

They might be practicing their English, if that makes sense. i.e. they don't know it well enough for you to speak it to them, but they are practicing their speech (I do that with Spanish sometimes in Kissimmee...speaking to them in it but ask them to respond in English because I'm not "fast" enough when I hear it). But if that is the case, they should say so.

[Pinoy_Stitch_84]

They're basically speaking English the whole time and I'm going back and forth between Spanish and English. Shouldn't that tell you that they DO speak the language? Why are they asking me to say it in Spanish then? NO offense to anyone once again, but I'm at the point where I make them feel guilty when a language barrier arises.

For example, when I explain to them how a child swap works or which row to go into (they ALWAYS go into the WRONG one) and the line is really long, I apologize to the people behind them for the "delay" or "longer than expected wait time" and tell them that "I will be with you folks shortly." And after the language situation, I apologize to the other guests once again and loud enough for the party who I had the language barrier with to hear. I'll admit some of the language barrier parties had guilty looks on their faces...GOOD! :p:

[Pinoy_Stitch_84]

GO HOME ALL OF YOU! :twisted:

[Euterpe]

At Soarin' we discovered that if you tell them in Spanish that you don't speak Spanish, they still try to talk to you in Spanish, but if you tell them in English that you don't speak Spanish... Then they believe you, I guess.

The worst case of pretending not to speak English I ever encountered was at Blizzard. First, I was at the top of Summit, and these two boys with great English skills, either spanish or maybe russin, I don't know... were nervous about going down Summit, so they we asking me "So I sit like this? I cross my... arms? Yes? My Feet like this? Is it safe?" They were nice and they were competent and following all the rules. I liked 'em.

But the next post in our rotation is the family raft ride, which I hate working because it's whever everyone goofs off and does things that aren't just sort of unsafe, they could get you killed. Anyways... These kids come to Family, and suddenly, they don't know what "sit down." means. they just look at us, and they don't sit. I was so mad because I *know* they spoke perfect English, and I know they understood sit down because we talked about sitting not an hour before!

Bah. Guests.

[wheelieman]

English is the International Business Language. My last job at AT&T was as a Conference Call Moderator[well paid operator]. We had conference calls that included people from countries around the globe, and they all spoke english. What happens is that an American company will outsource to foreign lands, and then have these business calls where EVERYBODY speaks english. They are not Americans, they are natives to their own country. Even telephone operators use english as the universal language. When I was a long distance operator, we would spend all day talking to operators in places like Uzbekistan and Poland and China. They all spoke english, a job requiremen for operator. Heck, even calling to Baghdad and Tehran they spoke english and were glad to get to talk to us. They would strike up conversations of a personal nature, talk about their kids schools, all kinds of things. If spanish was the International Business Language, we would all know a lot of spanish, enough to get by at least. It would be nice to just to see the SG's make an effort. After all, we have let them into OUR country, at OUR risk [these days] and we are pretty good hosts. It wouldnt kill them to at least try to understand.

Enough ranting,
Dave

[Pinoy_Stitch_84]

THREE CHEERS for the ENGLISH language, those that know how to speak, read, and write in it, and are proud to say they do without pretending not to know the language. WHY pretend to NOT KNOW a language when you DO know it? HELLO, the Disney World theme parks are not good places to "practice" one's English speaking skills especially if one is going to end up speaking English anyway or pretend not to know.