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Often people think that they can say whatever they want in public as long as they don’t speak English. They sometimes even say rude things about the people around them. But sometimes people understand the other language. There is no guarantee that the strangers around you don’t also know French, or Yiddish, or Japanese. So be polite and don’t tell secrets in public, no matter what language you are speaking.
You mean to tell me that when I’m talking to my colleague while we’re inspecting factories in Beijing that the Chinese assembly-line workers might understand Yiddish?
Is it because your the “representative” of bp but don’t know Yiddish so you can’t communicate with your own citizens? 😉
In any case, most people are more than astute enough to realize when others are talking about them, even if it is in another language. This makes it even worse.
I don’t understand English. Is anyone talking about me here?
Rebyidd- Was there a specific incident that prompted this? (I didn’t chap the shaychus in the Yiddish thread either)
But you never answered me in Yiddish if you know Yiddish then write something in Yiddish
Languages have “borrowed words” and one can many times figure out what is said from words that are borrowed from another language
voosepes- “5-Please try to post in a language somewhat resembling English. Visit spellcheck.net if you need help. Mozilla Firefox browser also offers a spellcheck option. If your comment is not written in normal English, it will not be approved.”
Aha u know a language u can’t speak very believable indeed
Yiddish is a Germanic language, so any Chinese worker that studied German in high school has a chance of understanding you. Did you ever hear airline announcements in German? Pretty clear to understand, no?
It’s usually considered rude to speak in a foreign language around people who cannot understand. The first thing they think is that you are talking about them.
The first thing they think is that you are talking about them.
100% agree. I know from experience!
SiDi™
My room in seminary has girls from three different countries (well, five really, but two are English speaking) and each speaks a different language on the phone home. I can never understand the paranoia of feeling like they’re always talking about us… 🙂 I mean, at least once one of them actually was- the only word she said that I understood was a word that meant that she was talking about how none of us could understand her… that wasn’t awkward at all :).
Totally agree.
Once me and my friend who was working in a store were talking when two chassidish gilrs walked in and began speaking yiddish about us. My friend is chassidish, but dresses like she’s litvish and was speaking with me in hebrew and english. They totally thought she didn’t undertsnad…
After they paid she said good night in yidish to them, but they just thought she was one of those people who knew like 5 words in another language and when meets people who actually speak the language, tries to impress them with their large (not) knowledge. So they laughed.
But when they left the store, it was us who were laughing more.
Often in my store spanish speaking customers at my register will talk and laugh about something i dont know if its about me and usually i dont care but it is annoying.
Latinos are sometimes shocked that I can understand them and can speak Spanish (I am not fluent, but I can speak complete sentances)
Isn’t talking badly about other people in any language, whether or not they understand you, a bad thing to do? Am I missing something here?
Avram
When you speak another language besides english people get paranoid and THINK you are talking about them even if its not true.
It’s just a matter of treating people decently. Don’t say bad things about others. And don’t speak any language around people who don’t understand it.
For some reason Yiddish Speakers never got this message and do tend to speak Yiddish even though they know everyone around them speaks english
zahavasdad,
When you speak another language besides english people get paranoid and THINK you are talking about them even if its not true.
I agree that in most cases, common courtesy dictates that people should avoid conversing in a different language when around others who don’t speak that language. The paranoia you describe, however, is not as much a result of the lack of courtesy as it is a reflection of the listener’s xenophobia.
For some reason Yiddish Speakers never got this message and do tend to speak Yiddish even though they know everyone around them speaks english
I work in an office where a lot of people speak Chinese, and many times in break rooms and meeting rooms I hear people conversing in Chinese around non-Chinese speaking Americans. I have lived in areas with a lot of Spanish speakers, who converse in Spanish around English speakers. Just the other day two women in a store were conversing in Russian in front of me at the checkout line. Everybody does it, so why are you picking on Yiddish speakers?
My mothers first language was yiddish (She hasnt spoken it in years as she has nobody to speak it to) and it was my grandmothers as well. I can somewhat understand it if spoken loudly , slowly and clearly (Im sure it wouldnt take too long to be up to speed as I used to hear it alot when I was smaller) , so to say I have a problem with yiddish speakers is just wrong.
I understand spanish and can speak it and if anyone tries the spanish trick on me, they immediately stop
zahavasdad,
so to say I have a problem with yiddish speakers is just wrong.
I didn’t say that. You said:
For some reason Yiddish Speakers never got this message and do tend to speak Yiddish even though they know everyone around them speaks english
And I am asking why, given that many X-speakers speak X even though they are surrounded by Y-speakers no matter the languages, you singled out Yiddish speakers.
Most people consider English to be the language of the sophisticated and educated and everyone wants to speak it (Ive been about the world a bit and thats how it is) People used to feel that way about German and French. People who did not speak english tended to apologize how poor their english was
Yiddish speakers tend not to feel that way
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