I am sorry if this has been posted more than once, but I am curious to know everyone’s take on this.

I am going to attach an article of something that happened pretty close to home for me.

I am a first generation Canadian, and my parents speak English (not very well) but they try. They knew coming to this country that if they wanted to work and make a life here, you adjust. At home we spoke our native Language and at school and in public we spoke English.

I am not condoning this woman’s behaviour in any way.. she is being rude and using language she shouldn’t in front of her child.

However, when two people are speaking to each other in a language your not familiar with, in a chain store like shoppers drug mart, you also have the right to understand the conversation.

When I went to Panama, everyone spoke Spanish - every ethnicity. English was used ever so often, but it just seemed so unified and there was a very distinct culture that I am hoping Canada can get to. I love languages. All of them... but I do feel it is the responsibility of a person moving to a new country and more importantly working and interacting with the people in the community to at least try to speak a common language... am I totally wrong?

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/vancouversun.com/news/local-news/speak-english-in-canada-woman-rants-at-asian-staff-in-burnaby-drug-store/amp

edit 1:

Yes In general everyone should be able to speak whatever they want to... I am still on the fence about business settings, because it’s open to their being a lot of biases about who is hired based on that business.. also, communicated with the general public is required, most of the time, and there should be understanding.

2 - I didn’t mean to say we have a right to know what everyone is saying in another language - but if you go to a place of business, you shouldn’t feel like your being spoken about in a negative way In another language.. that’s a real shitty thing to have happen, and it’s happened to me. I think it’s common curtesy to be kind and considerate, especially in a work place environment.

Last Edit:

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply and gave their feedback. I didn’t consider the ASL portion to this debate, countries that don’t have a primary language, or even the difficulties of learning a new language, I learned all mine at a very young age and haven’t learned any news ones for a long time... I am considering trying to learn some more to communicate better with some of my fellow Canadians and travellers.

I have already clarified that it was a poor choice in words to say you need to know what everyone is talking about - I don’t need to repeat myself there....

I would leave this debate up, because it’s interesting to hear the opinions of others, when they are well articulated, but too many people are getting nasty... and there is no need for that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - and everyone is entitled to change their minds when a better point has been brought up... thank you to those who helped me to understand and changed my perspective.

For the rude comments - I hope you grow.

I will take this post down in probably 2-3 days... so we don’t have any trolls or more nasty comments...