The_Squid Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 Imagine. Two people whose first language is French speaking French together. The f'ing nerve of them. That's what I was thinking.... I was wondering where the issue was, or what the point was. Quote
cybercoma Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 I think it means those damn Frenchmen should know better than to speak their filthy tongue around their English superiors. Argus would have to confirm. Quote
jbg Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Posted November 13, 2013 This is related, but quite aside from the thread. Out of curiosity, do you speak French? My wife wants to travel to Québec City sometime, but I'm worried about the language barrier. My French is awful. I don't speak or understand it very well at all. Is Québec City like Montréal due to tourism, i.e., most people are bilingual in Québec City?Seriously, you'll probably love Quebec City and have a great time. It is a bit of a tourist trap but still fun. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
jbg Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Posted November 13, 2013 Imagine. Two people whose first language is French speaking French together. The f'ing nerve of them.Well my parents, when I was seven, used Spanish or French when they didn't want me to understand. Done among adults that's plain rude. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
Smallc Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 Even when it's....one of our official languages? Quote
The_Squid Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 Some people sure are sensitive.... Don't worry... They aren't talking about you.... Quote
jbg Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Posted November 13, 2013 Even when it's....one of our official languages?Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
cybercoma Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation.No. That's not the purpose. The purpose is that it's easier to communicate in one's first language and French is their first language. You're inability to understand French is inconsequential and it's pretty ethnocentric to think that it's about you anyway. Quote
Smallc Posted November 13, 2013 Report Posted November 13, 2013 Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation. That makes zero sense. Quote
jbg Posted November 14, 2013 Author Report Posted November 14, 2013 Not when an English-speaker was originally part of the discussion, a bi-lingual person joins and then the discussion proceeds in French. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
bleeding heart Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 Right...an individual case of rudeness. Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
jbg Posted November 14, 2013 Author Report Posted November 14, 2013 Right...an individual case of rudeness. Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French. We're talking about a bunch of different transactions. And I'm sure English-speakers sometimes are guilty of this. However, after the Labor Day Weekend 2006 windstorm, a bunch of workers were slacking off in my neighborhood rather than cleaning damaged trees. The partying stopped when I addressed them in Spanish. It happened I had a tree leaning on my kitchen window. Fortunately, the window didn't break and the tree was removed before my house was damaged. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
waldo Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 We're talking about a bunch of different transactions. And I'm sure English-speakers sometimes are guilty of this. However, after the Labor Day Weekend 2006 windstorm, a bunch of workers were slacking off in my neighborhood rather than cleaning damaged trees. The partying stopped when I addressed them in Spanish. ahhh, to live in such a great country that even arborists have a command of the Spanish language. Only in America... only in America! Quote
Argus Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 No. That's not the purpose. The purpose is that it's easier to communicate in one's first language and French is their first language. You're inability to understand French is inconsequential and it's pretty ethnocentric to think that it's about you anyway. I"m not sure where you live, but apparently you live in blissful ignorance of life and its realities. As someone else said, it's basic manners not to insult and exclude another person present by speaking in a language they don't undrestand. Briefly, yes, but to go into an office where they are speaking with someone, or to sit at the table where they are at, and engage in a long convesation in French you know they don't understand is rock bottom ignorant. Frankly, no one with even a modicum of manners would think that was anything but ignorant and rude, which tells a lot about what kind of a person you are. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Argus Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 Right...an individual case of rudeness. Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French. I don't know that you can find a unilingual anglphone who works in Ottawa's public service who has not experienced this many times. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
bleeding heart Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 I don't know that you can find a unilingual anglphone who works in Ottawa's public service who has not experienced this many times. Speculation about others' possible personal anecdotes doesn't sound altogether convincing. Or maybe there's something about the language of French that simply makes people behave abominably....an odd theory, and one that I've never experienced growing up in the only officially bilingual region in North America...... Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
cybercoma Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 I"m not sure where you live, but apparently you live in blissful ignorance of life and its realities. As someone else said, it's basic manners not to insult and exclude another person present by speaking in a language they don't undrestand. Briefly, yes, but to go into an office where they are speaking with someone, or to sit at the table where they are at, and engage in a long convesation in French you know they don't understand is rock bottom ignorant. Frankly, no one with even a modicum of manners would think that was anything but ignorant and rude, which tells a lot about what kind of a person you are.Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies. I'll let you rethink your response in that regard. Quote
bleeding heart Posted November 14, 2013 Report Posted November 14, 2013 Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies. I'll let you rethink your response in that regard. This underlines the point I just made, so thanks. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Guest Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up. Quote
bleeding heart Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up. Exactly my point. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
cybercoma Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up. Regardless of language? So if you're in the room with another person who uses english as a first language and an Asian person who has difficulty with English, do you switch to their Asian language for them? Quote
Guest Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 Regardless of language? So if you're in the room with another person who uses english as a first language and an Asian person who has difficulty with English, do you switch to their Asian language for them? If I and the person I'm talking to are fluently bilingual, as Argus described, and the third person is fluent in one language only, of course I would. It would be unthinkable not to. Quote
Topaz Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 I don't care if the orderly was French-speaking or English, he showed no compassion to a dying man and if he did to this man, how many has he done it to or will? Quote
Argus Posted November 15, 2013 Report Posted November 15, 2013 (edited) Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies. I'll let you rethink your response in that regard. Then your comments were even more astonishingly ignorant and stupid than I'd previously thought. Edited November 15, 2013 by Argus Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.