On 2013-08-11 14:21:27 +0100, David in Normandy said:

On 11/08/2013 12:43, Martin wrote:
On Sun, 11 Aug 2013 11:52:05 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

On 10/08/2013 11:00, David Hill wrote:
Talking of political correctness gone mad,
Yesterday we had a booklet about beginners Welsh classes in the area,
but here everything has to be Bi lingual so half of it was in Welsh,
well if you could read that half you wouldn't need the classes.

The French government introduced some courses a few years so the
resident Brits could learn French. They published a phone number for us
to contact to book a place on the course. However, the person on the
other end of the phone didn't speak a word of English, only French.

How many similar government officers in UK speak French?

Dutch tax forms are available in several third world languages, but
not in English. The tax office won't even answer calls/communications
made in English.


Well considering the object was to help English people to learn to
speak French the French initiative failed badly as only those who could
already speak French could book a place on the course... to learn to
speak French. It seems blindingly obvious to me that in these specific
circumstances the person chosen to field these calls from English
people should be able to speak English.

Here in France all forms are in French only. I don't object to this. It
is France and I take it to be the duty of people who settle here to
learn French.

I wish our political masters here took the same view, frankly. I have
never understood the desirability of settling in any foreign country
and not wanting to integrate with its people or learn to speak their
language.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

But not everyone has that attitude. Indeed it would appear to be fairly uncommon in this country. The English settling in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, India and Africa mostly carried on speaking English, both when they became the majority and when they remained the minority. The Anglo-Normans settling in Ireland in the 12th century mostly ended up speaking Irish, but the later plantation initiated by Cromwell imposed their own language. The English wine trading communities in Porto and Madeira still speak English, set their children to English public schools, etc. A lot of English retirees to Spain seem to carry on speaking English.

Just as those examples exist, it is hardly surprising that there are some in the other direction.