Dilemma of the day

[Fishy]

Not really a what's made your day or a grump.. always like to try out my limited Spanish while on holiday but when you're answered in perfect English do you keep going with it or take the path of least resistance and revert to Brits abroad..

[The Picnic Wasp]

Not really a what's made your day or a grump.. always like to try out my limited Spanish while on holiday but when you're answered in perfect English do you keep going with it or take the path of least resistance and revert to Brits abroad..

Might be a bit like folks' experiences when they're learning Gaelic. Seems to be that locals aren't overly keen on helping them develop their skills and usually respond in English. Might be a "know your place" thing, or maybe just more made up rubbish that I read online.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Or is it dilemna? Never quite figured that one out.

[Slim]

When I worked for a Japanese bank in the '90s, I took Japanese lessons. I had two consecutive Japanese girlfriends, which also helped. The next company I worked for, an American investment firm, sent me to Tokyo for a few weeks.

So I turned up after a long flight from Heathrow and a coach ride into the city to get the key to my apartment at Ebisu Garden Place. The young lady at the front desk was having a bit of trouble with her English, so I gently prompted her in Japanese, just to clarify a couple of points. Unfortunately as soon as she heard the first Japanese word come out of my mouth she refused to utter another word of English, and I understood about 5% of what she said after that.

Some folks in Tokyo quite understandably don't speak English at all. I was quite proud of myself for asking a railway worker "Do trains from this platform go to Ginza?" and fortunately the reply included a positive nod of the head, which is easily decipherable in any language.

[Slim]

Or is it dilemna? Never quite figured that one out.

It isn't

[Thenop]

This is a big dilemma indeed. For people coming to our country to work or live, we ask for them to learn Dutch (residency that is). But the biggest issue is the Dutch themselves: we nearly all speak English - similar to your experience in Japan, but then the exact opposite. Dutch is not the easiest language toi learn but if no one speaks it to you, it is impossible to figure out.

[Fishy]

There's also the added problem when I start the usual pleasantries then I'm faced with replies and ramblings which I have no clue about.. a nod of the head and a smile usually suffices

[dom]

Difficult but you might pick things up that way. A holiday is not ideal as you're only there for a shortish period, but the more exposure the better, I'd say

[Fishy]

Yeah it's all a bit of fun and a learning exercise.. but I do whince when the Brits can't even give the basics a go like hello thanks please goodbye etc

[Matt2112]

Yes, I've had similar experiences to you, Fishy and James, for instance when I've spoken Greek in Greece - the thing is, I'm quite a way beyond the Hello-and-Thankyou level of the vast majority of fellow Brits Abroad (and I'm not criticising them for it, even as they almost always get the stresses in pronunciation wrong), and once that's clear to a Greek native they seem to presume I'm fluent and will rattle off rapid-fire sentences back to me in their own tongue, and I'll be lucky if I fully understand half of it.

Of course, I take it as a compliment, and I politely say in Greek, "Sorry, I speak very little Greek, I'm English(man)".  Usually this prompts a great deal of praise, particularly about my pronunciation, and it's always a massive buzz for me when that happens.

[Fishy]

Yeah couple of years ago j got glowing praise at a restraunt for ordering the food ...bottle of white wine and bottle of water.. very chuffed

[pxr5]

Living in Cyprus many tried to learn Greek. In the 4 years I was there I didn't meet anyone who had learnt enough to converse. I could get by with the pleasantries but most Cypriots spoke English too.

[dom]

Went for a walk today. Caught a bit of a cold at the end of last week and wasn't fully over it so didn't fancy even a short cycle.

The watch recorded my average stride as 87cm. Does that constitute "mean, mean"?

Edit: More of a question than a dilemma tbh

[Fishy]

My two fried eggs cooked both sides yesterday in Spanish got a reply of.. you want sunny side up..  no no no ffs..
So new egg guy today gave it another go.. success although got asked  in English soft or well done So more Spanish homework needed for tomorrow  morning