What Ticks You Off (Most) About Hearies?

Hearing immigrants who work at McDonalds as cashier. I wrote down a SIMPLE order on a small piece of paper as follows:

"2 sausage biscuits
1 medium coffee with cream and sugar"

He/She went to his/her manager and asked what it was said. The manager had to come over and place orders for me!

:Oops:
 
LinuxGold said:
Hearing immigrants who work at McDonalds as cashier. I wrote down a SIMPLE order on a small piece of paper as follows:

"2 sausage biscuits
1 medium coffee with cream and sugar"

He/She went to his/her manager and asked what it was said. The manager had to come over and place orders for me!

:Oops:
Click to expand...

That's an everyday occurrence around here. I would say for every American, there are 4 immigrants where English is a 2nd or 3rd language. Written English does not count at all with these people. I still say, "If they want to live here and work here, then they should learn the language."
 
KristinaB said:
That's an everyday occurrence around here. I would say for every American, there are 4 immigrants where English is a 2nd or 3rd language. Written English does not count at all with these people. I still say, "If they want to live here and work here, then they should learn the language."
Click to expand...

One problem with saying this is that there's no official national language, so "the language" is undefined. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If my daughter, whose first language was ASL, had not picked up English as a second language, I wouldn't want her disrespected in her own country for using ASL rather than the far more common English. While I think that language and broad communication access is important, and I do hope she becomes fluent in many languages, I don't think she should be required to use English in her everyday activities just because the majority does. This is one important reason why she's at a bi-bi school: if she has greater access to a concept in ASL, or if she feels more comfortable expressing herself in ASL than in English, I don't want there to be any limitation in her exercise of this freedom to communicate.
 
GrendelQ said:
One problem with saying this is that there's no official national language, so "the language" is undefined. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If my daughter, whose first language was ASL, had not picked up English as a second language, I wouldn't want her disrespected in her own country for using ASL rather than the far more common English. While I think that language and broad communication access is important, and I do hope she becomes fluent in many languages, I don't think she should be required to use English in her everyday activities just because the majority does. This is one important reason why she's at a bi-bi school: if she has greater access to a concept in ASL, or if she feels more comfortable expressing herself in ASL than in English, I don't want there to be any limitation in her exercise of this freedom to communicate.
Click to expand...

Somehow, I knew I would get some flack about his post of mine. I am speaking about the immigrants who move the 8-25 people in their families to live in a 2-3 bedroom apartment and try to get on all the welfare and US Government or State assistance they can get. I am not speaking about children who are adopted or people who are actually trying. These are the people who just want everything for nothing.

And, around here, we do have "Primary legal language" from what I understand. Miami-Dade County has Spanish as the primary (I was told this by quite a few people, but I have no documented proof). I am in Palm Beach County and it's coming to that around here.
 
LinuxGold said:
Hearing immigrants who work at McDonalds as cashier. I wrote down a SIMPLE order on a small piece of paper as follows:

"2 sausage biscuits
1 medium coffee with cream and sugar"

He/She went to his/her manager and asked what it was said. The manager had to come over and place orders for me!

:Oops:
Click to expand...

There's a reason why I don't go to fast food places. :P
 
GrendelQ said:
One problem with saying this is that there's no official national language, so "the language" is undefined. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If my daughter, whose first language was ASL, had not picked up English as a second language, I wouldn't want her disrespected in her own country for using ASL rather than the far more common English. While I think that language and broad communication access is important, and I do hope she becomes fluent in many languages, I don't think she should be required to use English in her everyday activities just because the majority does. This is one important reason why she's at a bi-bi school: if she has greater access to a concept in ASL, or if she feels more comfortable expressing herself in ASL than in English, I don't want there to be any limitation in her exercise of this freedom to communicate.
Click to expand...

True...

It is a sticky situation. You want people who work at service jobs to be fluent in the language that a majority in this country uses but at the same time, they should be respected because they are learning a new language and will become bilingual which most Americans arent.
 
English is the official language of America. All other languages are considered 'secondary'. I don't want to come across as hateful because I am not, but the person who is taking customers orders at a busy restaurant needs to be fluent in English at least in understanding it at the speaking and reading level. If I were to go to another country whose primary language is something other than English I would be fully expected to learn their language if I were to live and work in that country.

JMO FWIW.
 
Dixie said:
English is the official language of America. All other languages are considered 'secondary'. I don't want to come across as hateful because I am not, but the person who is taking customers orders at a busy restaurant needs to be fluent in English at least in understanding it at the speaking and reading level. If I were to go to another country whose primary language is something other than English I would be fully expected to learn their language if I were to live and work in that country.

JMO FWIW.
Click to expand...

Totally agree.
 
Hey, waitaminit! How come I've always thought that, technically, there is no official national language?
 
Pardon my rant, please?

Today my hearing boss (I have posted about this boss before..grr) told our new VP of Fiscal affairs (on an office tour) that I was deaf, but it was no problem to her. That I was really no bother.

This, while I was working my butt off. She takes all day to do a simple task, brings personal problems to work, plays on the computer, checks her facebook and texts and emails her friends and family.

Our service desk was full of customers, my desk loaded with work, our work studies were really hurrying to help and I was doing everything that any one else was doing..."no bother"????

The VP looks at me with a very surprised question face. I signed "I am deaf. My boss is lazy."

If ever there is an interpretor watching the security cameras..... yikes.
 
Tousi said:
Hey, waitaminit! How come I've always thought that, technically, there is no official national language?
Click to expand...

In everything I have been taught, English is the official language of the United States of America. All other languages are recognized but not primary or official, however you wish to call it. However it could have been changed recently with more and more non-English speaking Hispanics joining the labor force at all levels. All official government documents are in English and to work for the Federal Government at any level it is required that you are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English. Any other languages only help you for promotions in working with minority groups whose first language is not English.
 
Dixie said:
In everything I have been taught, English is the official language of the United States of America. All other languages are recognized but not primary or official, however you wish to call it. However it could have been changed recently with more and more non-English speaking Hispanics joining the labor force at all levels. All official government documents are in English and to work for the Federal Government at any level it is required that you are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English. Any other languages only help you for promotions in working with minority groups whose first language is not English.
Click to expand...

Not when the person who worked at McDonald instead of the government offices. I agree with Shel that it is not a big deal as the person was learning new English language. Maybe the person was good at being a cashier, but not good with taking orders which the person could not make out what the orders are. Just have to give the person time to read what the manager or someone who tried to help her with reading the orders. The person will get the hang of it. Still it is better to show respect if the person came from another country.

What about First Americans (Native Americans) who spoke many different languages all over North America? They can speak English as taught by the Priests and other religious missionaries. But we are trying to hold our own languages so that our native languages would not disappear. It does not matter what the official language is whether English or Spanish or French. We should be respected as people that are struggling with trying to have second language. So give the person a break. :roll:
 
Dixie said:
In everything I have been taught, English is the official language of the United States of America. All other languages are recognized but not primary or official, however you wish to call it. However it could have been changed recently with more and more non-English speaking Hispanics joining the labor force at all levels. All official government documents are in English and to work for the Federal Government at any level it is required that you are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English. Any other languages only help you for promotions in working with minority groups whose first language is not English.
Click to expand...

I already discussed this with NAD....

Matt --

Your interest in having ASL recognized as an official language in America is
shared by many. In fact, this was the focus of an NAD priority established
during the 2008 NAD conference (from
http://www.nad.org/about-us/priorities/2008-conference-priorities):

TITLE: Federal Recognition of ASL
CR RANK: 4
CODE: 2008-LA-PUB-002
INTRODUCED BY: Larry Forestal (Arizona)
SECONDED BY: Glenna Ashton (Florida)
PRIORITY: The NAD shall pursue, as part of its long-range plan, federal
legislation recognizing American Sign Language as a natural and legitimate
language of deaf Americans. Further, the NAD shall investigate legal
precedents, as well as historical reviews of other nations that have enacted
legislation with respect to their sign languages.
ASSIGNMENT: Public Policy Committee (Civil Rights and International
Subcommittees)
STATUS: Completed.
The Civil Rights and International Subcommittees researched legal precedent
within the United States for recognition of languages and conducted a
historical review of other nations' legislation and actions to recognize
their respective sign languages. The subcommittees determined that the
United States has never officially recognized any language, not even
English. In this respect, the United States has a very distinct nature from
other nations in how it handles the recognition of languages. Focus should
be on implementing recognition of American Sign Language as a language
appropriate for credit in schools and colleges to encourage an increase in
the number of students studying ASL, in addition to implementing standards
for the use of ASL interpretation within the legal and medical fields.

New priorities established during the 2010 NAD conference continue to focus
on ASL in many ways. See Priorities | National Association of the Deaf.

I hope this information is helpful.

Rosaline
Click to expand...
 
Wirelessly posted

Tousi said:
Hey, waitaminit! How come I've always thought that, technically, there is no official national language?
Click to expand...

There's not. You are right. That's one reason why official documents such as ballots are required to meet the needs of local language users--and are available in English, Spanish, mandarin, and so on.

It also means that ASL is just as 'official' as English, Spanish, and so on, and needs to be supported just as those languages are.
 
ASL is the National Language. End of discussion, folks.
 
Etoile said:
I will be honest, you are the first time I knew someone who didn't like that. Most d/hh people I know (myself included) don't care at all if someone says "that sounds like a good idea" or anything similar. In fact pretty much everyone I know says that kind of thing too!

Blind people are the same way..."What looks good for dinner" and "Did you see that news article about..." are not usually considered offensive.

I guess I am just surprised, because nobody I have met before has expressed what you did. I understand your feelings, so I am careful in this post not to use words that will hurt you, but again I am just surprised.
Click to expand...

To this, with my blind friend (who has recently disappeared -worried-) I'll forget, I asked her,

"Terry, Please hand me -that- blue folder over there." Her reply was-

"Sure where is 'that' and what's blue?"

"Oh, *pause looking* at three o'clock on the table closest to your left hand."

*she passed the folder*
 
FireTiger said:
To this, with my blind friend (who has recently disappeared -worried-) I'll forget, I asked her,

"Terry, Please hand me -that- blue folder over there." Her reply was-

"Sure where is 'that' and what's blue?"

"Oh, *pause looking* at three o'clock on the table closest to your left hand."

*she passed the folder*
Click to expand...

FireTiger, good post. It takes very little time to become educated on how to communicate with someone. Those who don't are just bone-lazy IMO.
 
Back
Top