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Originally Posted by HarryT
But suppose you did come across a visitor from a different country looking for help. Would such a person be better off asking in even the most "broken" of English, or in French, Japanese, or whatever their native language happens to be?
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If somebody were to come asking me for directions, only speaking in French, Japanese, or whatever his native language happens to be, I doubt if I'll respond (at least usefully). If they try even in broken English, at least I'll know what he's asking and can try to help him.
I can give an example of that...
Way back when, when I was still young, we went interrailing (3 weeks, going by train all across Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland). We first went to Denmark. At the train station in Copenhagen there was an interrail "office" (run by students mostly, to help interrailers find lodging and other interesting things in Copenhagen). We had just asked for directions (in English, we first asked which language they wanted to use, as we didn't speak Danish) for lodging when two French guys came in. They started talking in French (and those French can talk fast!), but those two behind the counter made clear they didn't speak French at all. But those two French guys apparently only spoke French as they never switched language... If they had only spoken a little bit of English or German, they would have been able to get their questions across, even with broken sentences only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bilbo1967
I do get quite annoyed though when I try to speak the local language and the local responds in English. This normally happens to me in France and Germany and I guess they are just trying to be helpful but I feel like it should be me making the effort, not them.
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Usually, once they see you tried at least, they're generally very helpful and most often don'd mind making the effort.
Those two French guys didn't even try and the two Danish guys finally just ignored them...