Does it offend you...

[Barry Hollifield]

When your having a conversation with people and maybe two of them start speaking in their native language in front of you? My boss and his "VP" are from Israel and they do this to everyone. I think it's extemely rude.Your opinion?

[Fourthman]

P'shol nachwee.

[Jason California]

Not really. I deal with a lot of Latinos in my day to day life. switching back and forth between English and Spanish is a norm. Even using a mix of both languages in the same sentence is not unexpected.

If I got the feeling they were doing it to exclude me from details I w2ould be bothered, but in and of itself, no.

[Ben]

When your having a conversation with people and maybe two of them start speaking in their native language in front of you? My boss and his "VP" are from Israel and they do this to everyone. I think it's extemely rude.Your opinion?Oy, I should have such problems!

[Buk Was Right]

I would assume that they're plotting my demise and react accordingly with a preemptive strike.

[ernster]

learn a language that they don't know and use it in front of them. see if it annoys them.

[Buk Was Right]

learn a language that they don't know and use it in front of them. see if it annoys them.

Or just make one up.

[SAVETHEB]

Actually this bugged me quite a bit when my dead friend would do it.

[Barry Hollifield]

I would assume that they're plotting my demise and react accordingly with a preemptive strike.

I do get paranoid alot. Especially when they keep looking at me when they're talking.

[Matt O'Keefe]

What if you were in Israel and were fairly fluent and you had another friend who was fluent. Wouldn't you prefer to speak English? I can see why it might be a little uncomfortable, but I don't think it's rude.

[ernster]

Or just make one up.
like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjsjwfW-0es

[Buk Was Right]

Actually this bugged me quite a bit when my dead friend would do it.

Like you were in the room and he and someone else kept having a "secret" conversation in their own language via a Ouija board?

[Barry Hollifield]

learn a language that they don't know and use it in front of them. see if it annoys them.

I don't have the time. It's easier to just bitch about it.

[Ray G.]

Seems like it would be a bit rude to do it in the middle of a conversation.

[Buk Was Right]

What if you were in Israel and were fairly fluent and you had another friend who was fluent. Wouldn't you prefer to speak English? I can see why it might be a little uncomfortable, but I don't think it's rude.

Yeah, but this is America and we speak 'MERICAN goddamnit!

[Barry Hollifield]

What if you were in Israel and were fairly fluent and you had another friend who was fluent. Wouldn't you prefer to speak English? I can see why it might be a little uncomfortable, but I don't think it's rude.

I don't care if I walk in a room and they're speaking hebrew,but when we're discussing something in a group setting then I think it's wrong. If I lived in Israel of course I'd prefer to speak english,but I wouldn't do it in front of a person who didn't speak it.

[ernster]

can somebody explain the difference between american and english? and don't say tea and crumpets or bangers and mash. i mean language.

[MIKE D]

P'shol nachwee.

Oh qua tanzen wan.

[Ray G.]

My mother actually used to do this whenever she wanted to discuss me with her friends.

I learned Hebrew for my Bar Mitzvah and ended that. :twisted:

[Barry Hollifield]

Oh qua tanzen wan.

Now it's happening here. Oy!

[Fourthman]

Oh qua tanzen wan.
Arigliaray dan ah mogay mogayo.

[SAVETHEB]

Like you were in the room and he and someone else kept having a "secret" conversation in their own language via a Ouija board?

YEAH! These dead people need to learn some manners! :P

[Kedd]

My native tongue is the language of Dance.

*does jazz hands*

[thatguyfromsyracuse]

Arigliaray dan ah mogay mogayo.

Sippissippi!

[GelfXIII]

How do they know you dont speak 5 languages fluently and are passable in 4 others, like well educated people in other parts of the world?

[thatguyfromsyracuse]

In all seriousness: they sound like they could be up to no good (terrorists) and it's your duty as an AMERICAN to report them to the authorities (Homeland Security) just to be sure. If it's found they aren't, oops oh well, sorry for being safe. BUT, if they are, you will be AN AMERICAN HERO.

[Barry Hollifield]

In all seriousness: they sound like they could be up to no good (terrorists) and it's your duty as an AMERICAN to report them to the authorities (Homeland Security) just to be sure. If it's found they aren't, oops oh well, sorry for being safe. BUT, if they are, you will be AN AMERICAN HERO.

Hmm....

[totalsellout]

i know when gramma and grampa switched to spanish, it mean they were talking shit about me.

[Twelvecents]

When your having a conversation with people and maybe two of them start speaking in their native language in front of you? My boss and his "VP" are from Israel and they do this to everyone. I think it's extemely rude.Your opinion?
Kind of douchey, but with exceptions. If it's in the middle of a mutual conversation, it's sort of verbal equivalent of turning their back on you or whispering to each other. On the douchey side.

Now, if one of them is perhaps not all that fluent in english and the other person is sort of clarifying or making sure the other person understands everything that's happening, not douchey. If they're on one side of a negotiation and you're on the other, and they're doing it to confer with one another, not douchey.

But you're talking about your boss and a VP. That I'd call at least a little douchey. You're all supposed to be on the same team, as a general rule the conversations should be open exchanges without people being excluded from parts of it. They should leave the asides or private comments or whatnot for when it's just to two of them.

[TV Zombie]

call me crazy but wouldn't that be the perfect time to say something completely uncalled for like "I like to beat up hookers." When they stop and look at you funny you can brush it off by saying "ah You were saying?"

I don't know maybe that's just me.

[michealdark]

It makes me feel like they're talking about me behind my back, so to speak.

[The Zevad]

No. But I'm Colombian so I'm used to various languages be spoken around me from growing up in Central Falls, RI.

[Caley Tibbittz]

My native tongue is the language of Dance.

*does jazz hands*

Mine is the language of masturbation!

*does jizz hands*

[ever_seeking]

Ah Barry, tu ne veux pas demeurer a Quebec.(You don't want to live in Quebec).

Yeah, it's a bit...regrettable.

[The Zevad]

It makes me feel like they're talking about me behind my back, so to speak.

It's because they are.

Mu-hu-ha-ha-ha!

[Ryan Elliott]

Does it offend me? No. Why would it?

Does it make it incredibly awkward and embarrassing? Yep.

[RickLM]

I work with mathematics professors on their grant proposals. When they talk Chinese to each other, it doesn't bug me. But if they want to make me feel stupid they'll start discussing math concepts that I can never hope to understand.

[Kedd]

I work with mathematics professors on their grant proposals. When they talk Chinese to each other, it doesn't bug me. But if they want to make me feel stupid they'll start discussing math concepts that I can never hope to understand.

Don't worry, long division makes us all feel stupid.

[Stark Raving]

Only if they start speaking Gunganese. Then I know something's up.

[TIP]

I would assume that they're plotting my demise and react accordingly with a preemptive strike.

They could be discussing your late evening Sausage Preparations.

[Patrick J]

I'll admit the first time I was ever exposed to such behavior I found it off putting, but once I got used to it, it ceased to affect me in any way