Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-25

[Barrister]

You also don't have to participate in all conversations.

I reckon that, if it was a conversation they wanted me in on, they'd ensure that it was in a language in which I could effectively communicate.  I don't mind being left out if that's what they want.

I've always been of two minds when dealing with someone who is bilingual, while I am unilingual.

I've been there when I enter a group of people all speaking a second language (in this case French) who now all feel obligated to switch to English to talk to each other - even though their first language is all French.  And I feel bad that just one anglo has to affect a whole bunch of people.

But there's also the exchange above - I'm not going to complain that you're talking in French, but you're also clearly not trying to communicate with me so I just ignore it.

[Razgovory]

Americans knowing more than 1 language challenge: impossible.

If Americans pick a second language it's not likely to be French.

[grumbler]

I wonder what percentage of Americans speak at least two languages?  My bet is it is large.

But if the second language isn't French, it doesn't count as a language. 

[HVC]

Being snobby because your parents happened to speak a different language than the majority seems odd to me. And that's coming from someone bilingual* because of such a situation

*crapyily trilingual if you want to get technical

[HVC]

Americans knowing more than 1 language challenge: impossible.

If Americans pick a second language it's not likely to be French.

Chinese

[Josquius]

English speakers get too much shit about monolingualism.
Its just a fact that it's our advantage /curse that English is the international language and we can accomplish tonnes in life without having to learn a language :which would be a huge barrier in all aspects of life for others.

The main place I found this arrogance was Japanese speaking Americans in Japan.
So dismissive when say a German asks if they can get by in English there. Despite that being the normal thing in most of the world.

Though I'm also reminded of a weird conversation with some expats in Lausanne dissing on me for my distaste for/inability to comprehensibly speak French, asking if I even knew a language... I said Japanese. One said "no a real language".
....

[Josquius]

And hilariously Google translate has just popped up on the previous page asking if it wants me to translate the page to English 

[Razgovory]

Americans knowing more than 1 language challenge: impossible.

If Americans pick a second language it's not likely to be French.

Chinese

I picked something actually useful, Latin.

[HVC]

Though I'm also reminded of a weird conversation with some expats in Lausanne dissing on me for my distaste for/inability to comprehensibly speak French, asking if I even knew a language... I said Japanese. One said "no a real language".

To be fair most westerners who speak Japanese are weebs, so I get the disdain

[viper37]

Americans knowing more than 1 language challenge: impossible.

If Americans pick a second language it's not likely to be French.

[viper37]

Americans knowing more than 1 language challenge: impossible.

If Americans pick a second language it's not likely to be French.

Chinese

EDIT:
fucking images that changes after you post it. 🤬

[Legbiter]

It seems there's an enormous smoking incident/blowup involving a Russian refinery every day now.   

[Zoupa]

You also don't have to participate in all conversations.

I reckon that, if it was a conversation they wanted me in on, they'd ensure that it was in a language in which I could effectively communicate.  I don't mind being left out if that's what they want.

I've always been of two minds when dealing with someone who is bilingual, while I am unilingual.

I've been there when I enter a group of people all speaking a second language (in this case French) who now all feel obligated to switch to English to talk to each other - even though their first language is all French.  And I feel bad that just one anglo has to affect a whole bunch of people.

But there's also the exchange above - I'm not going to complain that you're talking in French, but you're also clearly not trying to communicate with me so I just ignore it.

Jesus Christ guys. Duque was just asking me which link for the documentary Jacob posted worked. We weren't having some secret anti-rosbif convention.

You all get so triggered...

[CountDeMoney]

You all get so triggered...

Trigguerred.

[Tamas]

  I just couldn't resist the chance for a Pulp Fiction reference, you French people go ahead and speak your funny tongue I don't mind.