Speak English or what...??
Okay, I have a lot of Spanish speaking employees. That is becoming normal in restaurants around here. Therer are a couple of girls in particular that actually are some of my best service people--friendly, quick, clean, accurate--the english they know was learned mostly on the job. Of course, I get complaints now and then because their accents are hard to understand if you don't pay attention. I understand that will happen. I try to be sensitive and helpful. One complaint I got recently was this..exact words:
"Why don't you be hiring more english people? These ('deese') people be takin all our jobs away! McDonald's be goin out--you be racialism. I don't got time for this ('dis') kind places. Tell them ('dem') peoples to learn english or..or.."(cell phone rang, she left).
I smiled and said "good morning" to my next customer.
I am wondering if maybe..just maybe..immigrants can't learn english because we don't speak english. Whose english is correct? England's, America's, Philly's, West Virginia's........_________?
"Why don't you be hiring more english people? These ('deese') people be takin all our jobs away! McDonald's be goin out--you be racialism. I don't got time for this ('dis') kind places. Tell them ('dem') peoples to learn english or..or.."(cell phone rang, she left).
I smiled and said "good morning" to my next customer.
I am wondering if maybe..just maybe..immigrants can't learn english because we don't speak english. Whose english is correct? England's, America's, Philly's, West Virginia's........_________?
4 Comments:
At 12/23/2005 9:16 AM, adam said…
Sadly enough, studies show the best english is actually spoken in the scottish highlands. weird.
Nevertheless. I think y'all know that Southern enlish is best.
At 12/23/2005 11:15 PM, Chris said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At 12/23/2005 11:28 PM, Chris said…
you's gots to be kidden
At 12/28/2005 6:43 AM, Anonymous said…
Perhaps those of us who speak and teach English (with a capital E) can seem to be snobs, but I see that even those of us with the best intentions to promote formal English are losing the battle. Anyway, languages change over time. The will of the people to communicate will actually win the battle. The question is: Where will the changes lead us? If your employees communicate kindly with your customers, it really won't matter if "they be speaken 'hood' language."
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