Just when you think you are tolerant and understanding

If you choose to live in a different country, perhaps learning the language should be one of the conditions of being allowed to do so, we kind of have the same problem here!!!!

Val

 

Easy to say, hard to enforce. Passports are given out on a totally different basis to learning the language. Are you going to chuck out someone's 85 year old Asian granny when all her family are UK citizens because she hasn't learnt enough English?
The idea of culture/language testing to obtain continued rights to live here also sounds tempting. If they'd made me sit one when I lived overseas I'd soon have been out on my ear, however. What goes around comes around!

 

I soooo hope that you are joking! Unfortunately, there are vast areas of France where the Brits do just that

 

Sarko tried to introduce a minimum level of language ability about 4 years ago. It seemed fair to me.....after all, if an immigrant can't read or write the language of their host country, how on earth are they going to cope with the bureaucracy? You end up with a situation like the UK where every document is translated into several languages, with an ongoing problem as new and different nationalities arrive!

 

She's out of touch.....
Everything 'British' is all the rage recently.....except for mint sauce

 

The thing that really annoys me is that we all knew who was going to win before the silly contest started just like Lordi a couple of years ago

 

Maybe we should not ever expect art to trump politics. There was still some real talent in the contest, as there always is. Also I liked the stage design this year.

 

I can read and write French perfectly well. I can speak French as per the language tapes and what I learned at school, many years ago. I cannot, however, understand chti, which is the local dialect. I do try, very hard, but the strong accent and variance from 'proper' French make it really difficult to have anything more than a basic conversation with my neighbours. Hopefully, in time, I'll get an 'ear' for it. But at the moment I struggle. I could pass a language exam I expect though.

So, speaking of UK immigrants, learning English may not prepare them for living in Newcastle/Glasgow/Devon etc

 

Whayay man us Geordies speak perfect english

 

When I lived in Sheffield, I lived in an area that had a very high percentage of immigrants. It caused me no problems, in fact most people got along fine, so I don't really get why some people are bothered by it. Right, that's the disclaimer out of the way.

There is a good reason to expect people to learn at least the basics of the host country's language. I remember a few times going to the GP, and and people also wanting to see the GP who could not make themselves understood by the reception, and likewise could not understand the receptionist. I remember getting quite frustrated one time while the receptionist tried for about half an hour to explain to the person in front of me in the queue that their appointment was the following week. But worse than that, while we're constantly hearing that the NHS is skint, there I heard more than once while in the GP's reception, the receptionist getting a translator on the phone. Translators are not cheap. So by not bothering to learn the language, they actually cost us and place unnecessary burden on our services. It can't be easy for the individuals concerned either. If I was somewhere where nobody spoke my language, I'd do everything in my power to learn to speak their language in the shortest time possible.

 

Yes, I think we possibly took a wrong turn on that back in the 70s when immigration really started to grow. It set an expensive precedent although it might be cheaper to supply leaflets than to deal with the fallout from immigrants being clueless about everything. I rather respect the French refusal to compromise on the French culture aspect -whilst still letting in plenty of immigrants, which I think is the right thing to do.

 

Just to get this thread back on topic, whatever else you may think this guy has got a great voice and this is a GREAT song, I love it!!!!