Learn to speak English

[0oAmericanGirl]

Or, don't get mad at me if I don't speak your language.

I am sick and tired of people that come to the hospital and get mad at me because I don't speak Spanish. They're mad at me because I can't speak spanish so they get all huffy, roll their eyes, and sigh at me. I've been chewed out over the translation line by a patient who thought the hospital was racist.. (more like cheap) I fail to see how this is my fault especially when our small town has 4 different centers that give free english classes and one offers free transportation. At the least why can't you get somone to translate for you? Ok maybe the hospital should have somone to translate for you, but we don't and these patients know that because they're been here before. Using the translation line makes a 10 minute registration last 30 minutes and we simply don't have the time for it when we're always understaffed. If they dont' have somone to translate for them then they shouldn't get mad at me.

Today I had a woman who spoke a little English and she asked me if I spoke spanish and I said no (it's a lie, I understand a bit and talk less but I don't know enough to register somone) and she got angry and said "why". I ignored her because she would either not understand me or it could be offensive and I don't want this to become some kind of issue that would get me wrote up if I didn't answer it correctly.

Normally the state appoints translators to patients who are going to physical therapy, to go with them to Dr's appointments, and other medical appointments. There are just not enough translators to go around especially when the patient is just there for simple lab work.

Don't want to speak English? Fine, but don't get mad at me because I don't spek Spanish ok?

[thenotoriousajc]

Hehe...depending on location I would say alot of us have this problem from time to time :P The weirdest one I ever got was a guy who didn't speak English...or Spanish. It's especially odd because I'm in the central valley of California...the language he spoke is probably has less than 1% of all people in the state speaking. Anyways... I think he was speaking Israeli (I'm not sure what the correct term is for the language and what not so correct me here). I eventually had to help him by drawing pictures and having him circle the correct thing lol. It's definitely frustrating to say the least.

[Phone Jockey]

I speak English AND Spanish fluently but I won't travel to a country whose language I don't speak. I'm learning French now...Montreal, here I come!

[Ciarrai]

That is a major problem here in Vancouver, except it's Chinese. I've had so many people yell at me for not understanding them. I'm doing my best, but I'm Canadian. I speak English and French fluently, but I understand very little Chinese.

[ds_36]

I think he was speaking Israeli (I'm not sure what the correct term is for the language and what not so correct me here).

Hebrew, although I think it's really pretty unlikely that that was what he was actually speaking.

[Phone Jockey]

I speak English and French fluently, but I understand very little Chinese.

French, eh? Hmm... wish I knew more. I'd say something SASSY to you!

[ArenaBoy]

Est-ce que Français un langage d'amusement à apprendre, n'est pas il est-il jockey de téléphone ?

*Translators are fun

[Knightmare]

I can swear and say other "suggestive" phrases in Swedish. It comes in handy when I curse out my bosses or coworkers and I don't want them to know what I'm saying.
But for real-world applications, I have yet to meet a member of the Swedish Bikini Team to try out the better phrases.

[wj_737_700]

I'm learning French now...Montreal

I'm pretty sure there is a difference between Parisian French and Quebecois french (not a major difference though)

I fortunently know enough basic french to "get by" if needed, if I didn't i'm sure all of my french teachers from grade 4 up would be dissapointed. I can read it and translate but have a hard time speaking and understanding it (same goes with spanish which has many similarities to French)

Other than that i'm SOL, although I can cuss in Welsh...my great grandfather would be so proud

[Giggle Goose]

I didn't know so many people could speak French. I speak a little Spanish, enought to have a basic conversation. My boyfriend learned it at a young age and I think it is very sexy ...at least coming from him.

[Pagan]

French, eh? Hmm... wish I knew more. I'd say something SASSY to you!

Here ya go - "Fiche-toi" (the informal version of "go to hell")

I can also conjugate the verb "enculer" (the infamous f-bomb)! Actually, I do pretty well, in French. I should, I have a BA in it! I understand and can read a lot of Spanish due to being born and raised in southern New Mexcio. It's really funny to see the looks on the faces of some people. They assume that I haven't lived here very long since I'm an anglo. Yeah, us Anglo native New Mexicans are kinda rare!

I fortunently know enough basic french to "get by" if needed, if I didn't i'm sure all of my french teachers from grade 4 up would be dissapointed. I can read it and translate but have a hard time speaking and understanding it (same goes with spanish which has many similarities to French)

Other than that i'm SOL, although I can cuss in Welsh...my great grandfather would be so proud

That's because French and Spanish are both Romance languages along with Italian and Romanian.

I know how to say "kiss my ass" in Gaelic and I've used "sassenach" on a couple of English people who were being total pendejos. And I do pretty good with insulting people in Scots!

[Greenday]

I took spanish since I was in first grade through my sophmore year in high school. I understand a decent amount. Not fluent but I know enough. My problem is, the Mexicans in my area are the only people who always speak spanish and when they do, they speak WAY too fast. And then get pissed off at me because I ask them to slow down. If spanish was my first language, I doubt I'd have any problems like english, but it's not. It's not the main langauge in my area, so don't be pissed when no one speaks it. That's what we like to call IGNORANT.

[0oAmericanGirl]

That's what we like to call IGNORANT.

Yup yup! These patients live here and most of them are not citizens, but I don't know if they're illegal, if they have visas, or whatever. All I know is that ignorant to live in a country and not try to learn the language especially when they try to teach it to you for free!! I understand and can speak a fair amount of spanish, but I don't know how to ask things about insurance, about medical history, about advanced directives (living wills) and I don't think I should have to learn if I don't want to, but it's getting to the point to where I'm going to have to learn spanish to get a nursing job.

[Ree]

0oAmericanGirl, we have had several threads along this vein on the site, and they usually end badly.

So far things seem OK, but please, everyone, remember

[AFpheonix]

Heh. Usually when someone starts talking to me in spanish faster than I can catch it, I apologize and tell them "Estoy blanca". That usually makes them laugh and slow down

Fortunately in our pharmacy, we have a lot of different ethnicities represented so we have most of the languages in the area covered. I speak enough Spanish to get by, we have 2 Vietnamese pharmacists, one of which can also speak German, a couple of Cambodians, a Chinese pharmacist, and a Korean tech. Comes in handy pretty often, especially with the little old Vietnamese or Korean ladies and gentlemen who haven't and probably never will get the hang of English.