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Press 1 for English

A

AYSM

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There's a lot of talk lately about preserving our past...well, what about our common language here in America...or was in the one I was born into.

Don't get me wrong, I'm for diversity and can speak enough Spanish to get by when giving directions on a construction site.

I find it a bit stupid to employ poor ESL students in call centers but beyond that we get into what I consider downright disrespectful.

Here's two examples:

When I insert my debit card into the ATM at my bank it gives me the opportunity to choose English before proceeding. Seriously? My own bank doesn't know I speak English. AYSM

Secondly...I had a reason to call my healthcare provider and started out with pressing 1 for English...all fine and good...I could even understand the young lady I spoke with and all went well until I was put on hold...a Spanish speaking news program. Seriously?

I hung up.

Vaya con Dios
 
dyb773flop said:
There's a lot of talk lately about preserving our past...well, what about our common language here in America...or was in the one I was born into.

Don't get me wrong, I'm for diversity and can speak enough Spanish to get by when giving directions on a construction site.

I find it a bit stupid to employ poor ESL students in call centers but beyond that we get into what I consider downright disrespectful.

Here's two examples:

When I insert my debit card into the ATM at my bank it gives me the opportunity to choose English before proceeding. Seriously? My own bank doesn't know I speak English. AYSM

Secondly...I had a reason to call my healthcare provider and started out with pressing 1 for English...all fine and good...I could even understand the young lady I spoke with and all went well until I was put on hold...a Spanish speaking news program. Seriously?

I hung up.

Vaya con Dios
Click to expand...


asta la vedersehn
 
Being Canadian, it was 1 for English 2 for French

Now at the banks I see, English, French and Mandarin as being options. With many of the bank branches promoting that they have at least one person who can speak one of the top 10 languages in the world if you require it.
 
Remember, you're the one who's calling them. ;)
 
dyb773flop said:
There's a lot of talk lately about preserving our past...well, what about our common language here in America...or was in the one I was born into.

Don't get me wrong, I'm for diversity and can speak enough Spanish to get by when giving directions on a construction site.

I find it a bit stupid to employ poor ESL students in call centers but beyond that we get into what I consider downright disrespectful.

Here's two examples:

When I insert my debit card into the ATM at my bank it gives me the opportunity to choose English before proceeding. Seriously? My own bank doesn't know I speak English. AYSM

Secondly...I had a reason to call my healthcare provider and started out with pressing 1 for English...all fine and good...I could even understand the young lady I spoke with and all went well until I was put on hold...a Spanish speaking news program. Seriously?

I hung up.

Vaya con Dios
Click to expand...

"
Businesses put people in the position you and we must deal with for economic reasons. The "ESLs" aren't forcing all this upon you. Economic and business decisions are. I don't get you wrong, I get you right. Like, you think your bank should know you speak English because you've already told them that and they should have that in your profile. Companies are all about reducing efficient service, making you deal with all of what you say and more, for profit reasons. Why do you just pick out language barriers?
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
Being Canadian, it was 1 for English 2 for French

Now at the banks I see, English, French and Mandarin as being options. With many of the bank branches promoting that they have at least one person who can speak one of the top 10 languages in the world if you require it.
Click to expand...


oui oui...poo poo. mandarins got great oranges
 
Polyglots are happy.
 
bluesmoke said:
"
Businesses put people in the position you and we must deal with for economic reasons. The "ESLs" aren't forcing all this upon you. Economic and business decisions are. I don't get you wrong, I get you right. Like, you think your bank should know you speak English because you've already told them that and they should have that in your profile. Companies are all about reducing efficient service, making you deal with all of what you say and more, for profit reasons. Why do you just pick out language barriers?
Click to expand...

I understand economic reasons and don't blame ESL's.
Yes, my bank should know I speak English and has a computer that would be easy to provide a default.
I chose to address language because it had to do with the title of the thread.
 
dyb773flop said:
There's a lot of talk lately about preserving our past...well, what about our common language here in America...or was in the one I was born into.

Don't get me wrong, I'm for diversity and can speak enough Spanish to get by when giving directions on a construction site.

I find it a bit stupid to employ poor ESL students in call centers but beyond that we get into what I consider downright disrespectful.

Here's two examples:

When I insert my debit card into the ATM at my bank it gives me the opportunity to choose English before proceeding. Seriously? My own bank doesn't know I speak English. AYSM

Secondly...I had a reason to call my healthcare provider and started out with pressing 1 for English...all fine and good...I could even understand the young lady I spoke with and all went well until I was put on hold...a Spanish speaking news program. Seriously?

I hung up.

Vaya con Dios
Click to expand...

How sad that you live in such a world of undirected rage.

You are easily triggered, this doesn't affect anyone in a negative way, unless they think it does, and obsesses on it.

Pobrecito
 
Last edited:
I am in Mexico and had reason to call Inbursa bank.

The first thing was that I had to choose 1 for English and that is in a country that has few English speakers.

It was a business decision and nothing more.
 
dyb773flop said:
I understand economic reasons and don't blame ESL's.
Yes, my bank should know I speak English and has a computer that would be easy to provide a default.
I chose to address language because it had to do with the title of the thread.
Click to expand...


"I chose to address language because it had to do with the title of the thread."

I merely pointed out that the language issue is not a language issue.
 
beefheart said:
How sad that you live in such a world of undirected rage.

You are easily triggered, this doesn't affect anyone in a negative way, unless they think it does, and obsesses on it.

Pobrecito
Click to expand...

LOL, what rage? Just stating an opinion. No obsession. Furthermore, I merely hung-up, not anything like slamming the phone down.

Nor will I be cutting my card in two any time soon.
 
dyb773flop said:
LOL, what rage? Just stating an opinion. No obsession. Furthermore, I merely hung-up, not anything like slamming the phone down.

Nor will I be cutting my card in two any time soon.
Click to expand...

You were angry enough to start a thread over it.
 
dyb773flop said:
There's a lot of talk lately about preserving our past...well, what about our common language here in America...or was in the one I was born into.
Click to expand...

People have been speaking Spanish in the American west since before there was a United States.
The same people kept living there when that land became parts of the United States—there since the beginning of those states.
States of the United states were born into the Union with Spanish speaking citizens.
You can see this in the many of the place names of the American Southwest through California.

So, it seems a reasonable person could argue that the Spanish language is part and parcel of our past as Americans.
A reasonable person probably wouldn't get into such an argument though.

: )
 
Simon W. Moon said:
People have been speaking Spanish in the American west since before there was a United States.
The same people kept living there when that land became parts of the United States—there since the beginning of those states.
States of the United states were born into the Union with Spanish speaking citizens.
You can see this in the many of the place names of the American Southwest through California.

So, it seems a reasonable person could argue that the Spanish language is part and parcel of our past as Americans.
A reasonable person probably wouldn't get into such an argument though.

: )
Click to expand...

Perhaps we could also make some point regarding a number of Native American dialects as well but that would further digress from my original point considering they were here before the Spanish.

Last I heard this is The United States of America and English is our native language which has actually become Americanized because we don't even speak English English.

Nor am I advocating that we change the beautiful names of the streets of Santa Barbara...I just find it a bit sad that our society is based less and less on good quality service...and people excuse it so readily.

No biggie, I just found out I wasn't suppose to start a thread without being angry about something so perhaps a Mod can delete this one...whatever.
 
dyb773flop said:
Hmmm...considering this is only my second day here, I was not aware that threads are started to necessarily express anger...:roll:
Click to expand...

And that is what you lead with? Being pissed off that there are options for people that don't speak english?

Life must be so hard for you.
 
beefheart said:
And that is what you lead with? Being pissed off that there are options for people that don't speak english?

Life must be so hard for you.
Click to expand...

Actually it was my second thread...come to think of it, I didn't start the other thread out of anger either.

You appear bent on trying to make my life seem harder than it is but have yet to convince me that you have a clue.

Where did you get the idea I have a problem with options for non English speaking people?
 
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