Posted

Nov 24th 2007

Mood

Angry

No, my journal would not be an act of racism, but I had some bad experience with people who doesn't speak my language.
I tell you the story:

I'm a Swiss. In Switzerland we speak 4 languages: Swiss German, Italian, French and a kind of Romance. You really can't say that we are fixed on one language and we don't refuse every foreign language. We are open and in the big citys multi cultural. I work in Zurich in a shop and there live a lot of foreign people and there are also a lot of foreign tourists. The main language of all tourists is English. So far so good. BUT! And now it comes: I HATE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT EVERYBODY CAN SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!!!! Man, thats so ignorant and barefaced! Often they come in and without a "Hello" or "Hi" they speak to us salespersons. Sometimes they went angry if we doens't understand what they want. Not all of us salespersons in my shop can speak English, but they can French, Italian and Spanish! Of course English is a very important language in shops which stands in a tourist place, but its a sign of civility to ask, if they speak English. This is also true for the Germans. Swiss people often understand the language of the Germans, but the Germans can't understand the Swiss people. And they are often "shy" or too proud for to say, that they can't understand us and that we should speak in theyr language. Foreign people, thats no problem for us!
One time, an English speakig person went to me and aks me something and I answered in my own language. Man, her irritated face was so funny xD But sometimes they speak in English to me and understand what I say in Swiss German, thats cool

So, now you know my frustration about foreign languages and ignorant clients ^^
Anyway: Be kind to the salesperons, every time!