One of my most favorite stand-up comedians is Eddie Izzard. He is deliciously irreverent while also emanating a sense of real intelligence, which is a combination I am particularly fond of. In his perhaps most famous show, Dress to Kill, Izzard talks about the European melting pot. He notes that when the European Union came together, the British were rather…slow to take part. Part of the problem was that the British simply didn’t want to learn everyone else’s language. They didn’t feel they should have to be able to speak French, German, Italian, and all other languages just to conduct business. Izzard quotes an imaginary British person saying, “There’s no way a person can hold more than 2 languages in their head at a time!”
To which Izzard retorts, “Then again, the Dutch speak about 6 languages and are also always high.”
This segment of his show was always amusing to me, but now that I am in the online world, it actually resonates a lot more. Over my year or so doing this blogging tweeting Facebooking thing, I’ve encountered tons of people for whom English is not their first language, and yet they write exceedingly awesome blog posts in English, predominantly tweet in English, predominantly update their Facebook pages in English, and converse in English at conferences.
Now, I, on the other hand, cannot return this favor in the least. For a very brief time I could speak decent Hebrew. For a semi-brief time I was semi-fluent in Spanish. Never did get a grasp on that whole Subjunctive tense though. And now that’s all gone pretty much. I didn’t feel I “needed” to take a foreign language in college, so I did not.
I really regret that now.
“But everyone speaks English”
I think that this is symptomatic of a really serious problem us Americans have with the world at large, and let’s face it…when you’re advised to pretend you’re Canadian so the rest of the world likes you better, you’ve gotta be getting that message. America is a powerful country, but we are also one of the youngest countries in the world…still. And even if it’s true that English is the “language to know” (which I don’t happen to think is true), why is not a priority for Americans to learn how to talk in other languages? Why is not expected that I should be able to talk to someone in French, German, Spanish, or Italian? At least a little bit. At least past “Hello” and “Thank you.”
Why is it just a one-way street?
It’s not just about language
Of course, just looking at the linguistic angle of this is not adequate. I’m encountering people from all sorts of cultures that I have no familiarity with whatsoever. I am entirely clueless as to what life is like in Malaysia or the Philippines or Australia or Norway. I have no idea how those cultures differ from my own, and thus I have no idea how what I might say innocently could be misconstrued as deeply offensive. I have no real understanding of faiths that have not directly touched my life. If we are really engaging in social media, isn’t this stuff pretty important? If you have the chance to engage with the entire world, why limit your perspective to just those things with which you are familiar?
Maybe it’s just me
Maybe this is more a personal failure on my part. Maybe other Americans don’t have these problems. But I do most certainly feel that it is a failure on my part at the very least. The more I am exposed to people who can talk, at any given time, in 3-4 different languages, the more I feel that my role as a citizen of the new world is not being fulfilled properly and adequately. That really bothers me.
What do you think? If you’re not from America originally, do you find Americans generally ignorant of your country and culture? If you are native to America, do you feel as troubled as me about our inability to converse as readily with different people speaking in different tongues?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Hi Margie, This is an important topic, and your frankness is refreshing. I’m an American and have mixed feelings on this issue. On on hand, we’re geographically isolated and somewhat uniform culturally, whereas in Europe, for instance, you experience cultural and linguistic changes almost as rapidly as you can cross a street. On the other hand, we could spend less time playing FarmVille and more time paying attention to what’s going on elsewhere in the world. For me, I’ve found social media to a plus. It’s allowed me to meet people from all over the world and learn more than I ever thought I would. Yes, I have a long way to go and my ability to converse in other languages is inferior to yours, but progress is progress and I feel like I’m making some.
@BradShorr That’s an interesting point. We are far away from Europe, but all the more reason why Social Media raises this question. On our computers, we’re equally close to everyone, so that rationale kind of falls by the wayside, right?
Very interesting! I’m completely stupid when it comes to languages. However! I use a translator online when I converse with someone that speaks a different language or I receive a message that was obviously difficult to write.
I send my responses in English as well, but I try to respond first (same message, just before) in their own language.
I had an important one, not too long ago, that meant a lot to me, to get right, and guess what?
I just happened (!!) to have friends (online) who I thought may be able to help me by proof-reading it for me… I asked, and was thrilled when there was NO hesitation, only “sure! send it over!” Simple. Simply wonderful! (I LOVE this world!!)
I know that we (Americans, as a group.) must seem pretty ignorant to others, but there ARE ways to be respectful and courteous, right here at our fingertips!
Amber-Lee
@girlygrizzly That’s interesting, Amber-Lee. I’d be curious to know what kind of translators you use. I’ve heard that Google is not entirely reliable.
@margieclayman I just checked my bookmark. It is Google. I had John and Ameena check my letter for me and (it was a complicated and lengthy) said it was dandy.
I’ve used it quite a bit to respond, especially for FaceBook, I seem to get more folks wanting to comment and chat from all over the world there than anywhere else.
Mostly, the folks that write me in another language, are not really interested… I respond, but that is usually the end of it. The folks that TRY to communicate in English, they are the ones that make the effort a real prize. I have new friends! (They really appreciate the effort right back.)
Smiles.
בגלל שאנחנו אמריקנים יהירים, אנחנו פשוט מניחים את כולם הבא שלנו להוביל.
I know, that’s scary and I hope it didn’t translate into you have a nice mustache or something equally unacceptable.
The US and Wall St in particular is the financial capital of the world; money and English are spoken there. However, it is somewhat arrogant on our parts to assume English is the only language.
I would love to have learned a second language, but have a hard enough time with English as it is. I went to Monte Carlo, Nice & Geneva Switzerland two years ago and that was my first time into being totally immersed into a non-English speaking environment (Tijuana, Mexico doesn’t count). It was pretty cool; I enjoyed it quite a bit.
I have my share of English is their secondary language in my community and that is cool too.
Food for thought, it is.
@bdorman264 Nicely done Bill. I don’t know that I would have phrased it exactly like that, but I got the gist. You know it reminds me of a time I was standing on a corner in Jerusalem.
An American guy approaches me and I can tell he wants directions. He points at me and then at himself and proceeds to read from a Hebrew-English dictionary. Each time he pronounces a word he shouts it, as if I am deaf.
Ten minutes later he finishes and I respond in English- “You are better off taking a cab, It will take an hour to walk there.”
He looks at me dumbfounded and then shouts why didn’t you tell me you spoke English. My response was something to effect of, “Back home in LA I would have answered you in Hebrew. He “loved” that.
In response to the post in general, I was born and raised in Los Angeles but I come from a home where language was important. My parents met in the Peace Corps in Ecuador and when they didn’t want us to understand they would speak Spanish. I had grandparents who spoke Yiddish and great grandparents who spoke more than 4 different languages.
When I am not speaking English I view the world slightly differently. Some things just don’t translate the same way. It does impact your perspective and POV on some things.
@TheJackB Yes! I remember learning Spanish and finding out there were words that literally couldn’t be translated into English, like words for love and other examples I can’t remember right now. And then there is the often quoted example that Eskimos have several different words for snow. Many Native American tribes had no word for “me” because it was all about the community. Talk about influencing how you live!
@margieclayman@TheJackB Some great points here. Members of my family are big supporters of the Yiddish language.
Yiddish is a mesh of many languages and it has allowed Jews to communicate anywhere they roamed. It reflects not only a culture but a history. The Resurrection of Hebrew is relatively new. It is one of the few “dead” languages to find new life and there is a lot of symbolism in that rebirth.
Goes to show that thoughts behind words can transcend their literal meanings. How else could we have poetry?
@susansilver@margieclayman I took Yiddish in school for a while. One of these days I have to spend some time learning how to speak Ladino.
@TheJackB@susansilver Yiddish is pretty amazing. A few random words have been passed down in my family. I know how to say “Sit your butt on the table,” which often comes in handy…………?? 🙂
@bdorman264 Yes indeed it is. I often wonder why people on Twitter follow me when their entire profile and most of their tweets are in a language other than English. Then I realize they probably can understand me a lot better than I can understand them. Food for thought indeed.
@margieclayman@bdorman264@TheJackB my favorite Yiddishkeit is the saying that roughly translates: If my grandmother had balls, she’d have been my grandfather.
My mother lived in an expat community in central Mexico until she passed away. It was in an area where most of the locals didn’t speak English, but the gringos (their own term for themselves) largely refused to learn Spanish. Not only did it isolate them from the culture, it also showed the infamous American arrogance. Expecting people to learn English in the U.S. is one thing, but demanding that people learn our language in their own countries is beyond arrogant. The French deal with this pretty handily by ignoring us; Mexicans tend to be polite and helpful to “ugly Americans.”
@Kim Phillips My high school Spanish teacher told me a story about visiting one of the beautiful churches in Salamanca, I think. It’s a sacred spot and a bunch of Americans were making jerks of themselves. She pretend to be a native 🙂 The issue is something I’ve sort of tracked every since.
I learned French in high school and I could read it pretty well and speak it somewhat (with a horrible accent), but every summer it would fade out of my brain because i didn’t practice. Now I can’t even recognize the words. You really have to speak a foreign language all the time if you ever want to be fluent, and most Americans don’t have that opportunity. I think if we taught different languages starting in kindergarten and continued right along through college, Americans would be much better at communicating with the rest of the world. But then the question is: Which languages should we teach?
@sigonee I don’t know that you have to choose just one. Why limit ourselves? And there could be groups created where you just go and speak that language, eat the foot…that could be fun!
@margieclayman It’s not just you (second time today I’ve said that!). It’s endemic in American ‘culture’ to be ethnocentric to a fault. This has always bothered me, and I’ve made a concerted effort to touch and experience as many cultures and languages as possible. I studied French in high school and a little in college, learned a great deal of Italian as an opera student, and my Dad is fluent in Spanish, Mom spoke Portuguese, in-laws Yiddish, husband speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, and I know tiny bits of all but honestly couldn’t hold a REAL conversation in any of them.
Meanwhile, we have a German Au Pair in our home this year, and she speaks English fluently as well as some Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch and of course: fluent German. She’s 19. Yeah, I feel stupid.
@cynthiaschames Hah. Yeah, it’s amazing, isn’t it? What’s really amazing is folks who speak that many languages are always apologetic for their English, even if it’s extremely good. I’m always even more humiliated when they say that as the word “No” or “Nein” or “Non” calmly leaves my lips. And then I got nothin.
@margieclayman Exactly! Hahaha!
A very thought provoking topic Margie, when I was in Highschool we already taught on how to construct sentence in the correct grammar using the different parts of speech. I’m not an American person and I love American people because they are very kind and thoughtful. As far as I know Americans are great explorer and probably they do not ignore any country and particularly it’s culture.
@emeliafallick Well, we don’t ignore cultures maybe, but I don’t think we engage with cultures like we should. There’s a big difference there. Thanks for your perspective!
My biggest regret is not taking Spanish in high school. In Southern California is it one of the most common languages you will encounter. It hasn’t stopped me from participating in events like Day of the Dead and appreciating the traditions of the culture.
Sometimes I am sad about the language debate in America because of our heritage as a nation formed by immigrants. I think part of it is a fear of losing our dominance in the global economy. English has been the language of business around the world for a long time. There is a power that comes from that and it makes it very intimidating for outsiders.
I used to ask my friends who spoke other languages to teach me their slang words. In high school I had a running collection. Weird hobby, but it is amazing how similar exclamations are across countries. I also learned that almost all of French slang relates to food.
My favorite, “Je n’ai pas un radis” literal trans. I do not have a radish. Real translation, “I’m Broke”
@susansilver Great comment and point, Susan. People don’t even keep up with the languages in their own family. If I did, I’d be able to speak German, French, Yiddish, and who knows what else. It’s a sad thing.
Great topic Margie and one that I love.
I speak three languages and lived on three continents so this is how I see it. We are all the same.
I remember when I first got to Egypt from Canada, I took a taxi from the airport and the taxi driver was in a bad mood. I asked him what’s wrong? He said he had an argument with his wife because he didn’t pick up bread for dinner.
I almost felt like I was in the wrong country, this happens everywhere, people are people.
Are Americans ignorant? Not anymore than any other nation, I live in France and most French people I met say they will never travel to a country which doesn’t speak French.
It’s really up to us to make an effort, open our minds and take in other cultures. What do we have to lose?
This is such an excellent and interesting topic of discussion Margie – one that I’ve very often had with friends both abroad and in the US. There’s actually so much to say on this and I’m afraid to leave you with a novel for a comment lol.
I speak 4 languages – French, English (obviously lol), Arabic and Spanish. The first 3 are mandatory in schools where I come from. I grew up in quite a few places around the globe but I also lived in the US for a very long time. I feel that every nation has its level of ignorance when it comes to knowing about other cultures and so forth but I do feel that the US is more so than others. Again – this is a personal opinion and I could be wrong.
I feel that most people ( I don’t mean to generalize but from what I know) in America tend to watch the local news much more than they would the international news – unless there’s some major crisis which pertains to the US somehow. But I also recognize that people were always interested to learn more about my culture and where I come from when I was introduced to them. More often than not – they didn’t even know the basics. When we watch the news – whether CNN or another local channel – the news will tend to cover major happenings around the world an not simply what’s going on in that particular home town. So in a way – if you watch the news – you’re somewhat aware of what is going on in other countries.
When I told people that I had lived in Egypt for 10 years (when living in the US) – I was asked whether I lived in a mini pyramid or rode a camel to school. When I told them I was from Lebanon – they often assumed it was Lebanon, New Hampshire and if not that…they asked whether it was a desert. We’re on the Mediterranean. When I’d say that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs – some were often confused so I’d have to give the example of Indonesia being the largest Muslim country in the world but them not being Arabs. When I’d say I’m Catholic – they’d ask how come.
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When it comes to languages – I do recall people in the US being rather impressed that I spoke 4. I used to take that for granted because where I come from – most people with a similar background will speak at least 3 – regardless of the accent.
Maybe it’s because the US is like having 50 different countries next to each other who all speak the same language – therefore no need to really know more than that one – or maybe Spanish as well. I’m not sure really – but I do think that English is the most or at least one of the most important languages that people should know how to speak today.
In any case – I don’t mean to ramble here just trying to share a few of my experiences. I have to admit though – that living in the US was by far the most eye-opening experience and probably one of the best in my life. I didn’t feel isolated – quite the contrary – I was surrounded by people from all around the world and in a way it enriched my life so much more and I’m grateful for that.
Just my 10 cents ;). And as you know, I could add another dollar to this post…ummm…I mean comment lol.
Thanks for writing this piece Margie – it’s so interesting to read what others here have to say.
Cheers
I love this post Margie! I agree with you. I used to say ‘but this isn’t europe where you drive 8 hrs and cross 4 countries and languages’. But after 17 years in Los Angeles where the fast food employees are bi-lingual and I am not. Where the most languages are spoken each day in the all of the US. Then I see the ‘English only’ xenophobes in congress and state legislatures. I wonder if we don’t have a culture that says being stupid is an ideal vs a handicap.
I mean the fact that a few states are trying to put creationism in schools to combat evolution proves it all. Evolution has nothing to do with creationism, which really is vs Big bang. Evolution is a proven fact. Bird Flu. Swine flu. Anti-biotics not working because bacteria and viruses are mutating. All proof of this real time. Yet these people refuse to believe. We live in a country of stupidity (sadly) with bright islands of brilliance living of our past glories. And I think of Rome around 400AD. Sigh.
Thank you for being a bright island of brilliance Margie!
@HowieSPM Hi Howie. The diversity in LA is one of the things that I love best about it. When we walk through the malls I hear a thousand different languages. There are a million different types of food to try.
Sorry, love my city.
@TheJackB don’t feel sorry Jack! It is my adopted home. I am half angelino after 17 years there. Just because I am migrating to the forest and mountains doesn’t mean it will leave my blood. And most of my friends are still there so will always call it one of my homes. Great city!
@HowieSPM@TheJackB I love LA for exactly the reasons you mention. I was fortunate enough to have lived in Caracas Venezuela for four years growing up and I picked up Spanish pretty easily. I am not completely fluent but can speak well enough to be understood and i can understand enough to be dangerous.
the best thing about growing up in another country was the exposure to another culture. Boy did that ever change my life as I am now always intrigued by people who are different than myself and I strive to learn as much as i can about them!!! It has served me well
@HowieSPM Wow, Howie. What a great comment. You took it a step further, which is awesome. It is stunning how much people bury their heads in the sand. Stunning and sad. Thanks so much for stopping by. I really appreciate it!
@HowieSPM Howie, I live in Seattle, does that count? You know many here call this Cascadia, along with Vancouver. I think we’re actually more Canadian. I have some relatives with a very xenophobic attitude, kinda sad really, they’re also convinced the ghost of Lenin lives here. 🙂 😉
A colleague of mine told me her father was actively against her learning another language–even though his parents were Irish immigrants and spoke Gaelic.
There are all kinds of benefits to learning at least one other language, but the simple fact is that most of us native Anglophones don’t learn any other language because we really, literally don’t have to. Everyone we know either speaks it or wants us to teach it to them.If we leave home, we find translations everywhere.
I’ve always been fascinated by language and am can read, write and at least semi-speak in three other than English, but I always wish I knew more. There’s so much to learn about the way people think when you learn how they use language.
In Spanish, desahogarse means to unload one’s troubles on a friend. But it literally means to “undrown oneself.”
What else are we missing out on?
@ShakirahDawud All of my great grandparents spoke multiple languages but when they came to America they were determined to be American so they told all of their children that they would only speak English at home. It was part of their way of trying to be a part of society.
@TheJackB
I know; I’ve seen it happening in the families most of my friends born of immigrants today.
@ShakirahDawud That’s a great point and a great question. What else are we missing, indeed. There are so many amazing languages, so much history to learn, so many religions to study. Saying that you aren’t allowed to pursue those things seems like a sin to me. But hey, what do I know?
I feel this way all the time. I’ve been to Iraq and Kuwait four times, and still can’t say but about two words. I work with about 500 people that speak Spanish (which I am getting a fraction better at understanding), we have run-ins with French and a LOT of German.
Can’t speak a lick of any of them. The worst part? It’s all laziness on my part. I have full free access to Rosetta Stone software for work and could actually get paid more if I learned a language.
Yet, despite it all, you can still communicate relatively well with non-English speakers with a little practice. There are a lot of universal signs and gestures that convey messages.
I think if I ever do get off my duff and learn a language though, it’s going to be sign language first. It think it would be more meaningful and useful in the long run.
@BrandonPDuncan Well, I’m sure it’s not laziness, my friend. You do have a *few* things cooking 🙂 But it is interesting – if all of us made a little time in our busy lives to learn something new about a different culture each day, what would happen? Crazy to think about, huh? 🙂
Sign language is pretty amazing. I had a Sesame Street sign language book when I was a little girl and I loved it to pieces. Wore the binding off the book, in fact 🙂
Eh, one or two, lol. And learning other cultures isn’t the problem. It’s the lack of acceptance of them that is the biggest issue. People experience them everyday, but without embracing our differences, we will never see the similarities. @margieclayman
I for one Margie, enjoy learning about other cultures and people. I try to pick up at least a few words to be polite, while I am travelling outside of the states.
I have an increasing # twitter followers who speak Portuguese and Spanish.
One of the things I have started doing is pulling up my favorite translator at the same time I open twitter. Even if I only work out something now and then to say in their native tongue, they are thrilled that I try. They ususally give me hints if I am way off base.
As world citizens, yes we are as lazy as the British in this respect.
It bothers me as well, so I learn what I can, and I think they r trying to do the same.
It is a community effort.
@martinamcgowan
@Doc_1 You’re the second person to mention using a translator. It reminds me of shows like Star Trek and Farscape where there were universal translators. Wouldn’t that be nice? Although I wonder how translators handle weird hashtags. Like, how does a Spanish person see the hashtag #forwhatitsworth? These are things I wonder about 🙂
@margieclayman The hashtags can be tougher. I either separate the words in the hashtags, translate and then sqeezethemtogether. Or I just use the English. They will usually ask if they don’t understand. Just like I do 🙂
The same holds true for face to face. When I make an effort to listen, interpret what I can and ask for help, this opens huge doors. We miss so much trying to stay in our own little bubble.
There are so many little cultural differences between people, even in the states, it is just fascinating to figure out the what and why and how of it all.
Frequently many of these things that we deem cultural oddities are actually already incorporated into things that we say and do.
We just miss out when we don’t reach out to people.
@martinamcgowan
@Doc_1 Exactly! Maybe I’m not really weird. Maybe it’s just the weird mix of ancestors I have! I like that idea!
No, I get what you mean. I think a lot of the way we approach the world is based on how we speak and how our cultures are. We have no idea about how other cultures impact how those individuals see the world, and I agree – that’s a huge gap where we could learn how to connect and communicate better.
Same here, wish I would have study a language other than American English! You know, it’s not too late to learn….
After seeing the most recent “The Layover” with Anthony Bourdain, I wonder if the Dutch are all high. 😉 I joke. I joke, but the Amsterdam show did have a strong focus on cannabis. I loved what he said about the city: On Amsterdam’s level of debauchery: “It’s like the European version of Bangkok.” 🙂 😉 Funny, he also mentioned in that show that EVERYONE there speaks perfect English.
After all these years I want to learn a new language. It took a while, I know, but my wife and I will do it together, along with my youngest son. Spanish it will be. So, we are hoping to learn enough “European” Spanish to get along when we eventually get to Spain, but that should come in handy here as well. We actually have a pretty sizable Latin American population in and around our fine city, and if I can converse in Spanish without someone laughing at me, I’ll call that progress. 🙂 Practicing should be fun.
I’ve never learned a second language, because I have never really had to, but better late than never right?
Also, People are really the same … I don’t think Americans are lazy or stupid and honestly don’t think most are xenophobic, but I do have a few relatives who fit that description.
I would love it if Benny the Irish polyglot would chime in.
It is strange to read that a native English speaking person regrets about not having learned another language as we the ones whose mother tongues aren’t English have to learn English or any other foreign language to express ourselves properly to people who are so called Europeans or any other English speaking people.May be learning a language is like fashion as in our country in the early 19th century French was the most prefered language,then German became trendy and now it is English but in the future it will be probably Chineese ,Russian or even Spanish.But somehow all the people around the world like speaking English as may be they want to speak/share the same language with the singers/artists or whatever they adore.
For me ,English was only another language that I wanted to learn because I knew German very well and my mother tongue wasn’t wanted while applying for a job and I had forgotten french which I had had only for a year at the secondary school..But yes I still want to learn other languages and with the help of one of my friends from Estonia,I am trying to learn Estonian language, I know also some phrases and words in Romanian,İtalian,and Spanish.But to communicate with people in their own language is something else that everybody has to experience.
An Eddie Izzard fan! Hmmmm. Totally my favorite. Followed him since I first saw him in a tiny comedy club in England. Red Rose Social Club. You just knew there was something very special about the guy.
You knew you had an intelectual crowd when people are laughing at jokes in Latin
Great post as ever:)
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