Why Do Native English Speakers Feel Threatened By Non Native Speakers

[robblok]

I have seen many topics about the Russians in Pattaya, then they are complaining about the Germans and their signs and now the latest topic about how the French have taken over Ko Tao.

If is because this way they are forced to learn a language, i mean many English speakers I know don't even want to learn Thai. Its quite rare for them them to speak a few languages. Sure there are exceptions, but in general they seem to think that everyone should speak there language. It is almost arrogant, and when you make a few grammar errors they are all over you.

I really would like to know the reason for this fear, or the lack of them to adapt like people who's language is not the dominant language.

I feel everyone that lives here should at least speak a bit of Thai. I saw people complaining about the lack of language skills of Thai guides (and they are right at times) but they don't even speak Thai themselves and live here.

Is it laziness to adapt or the fear they are loosing control and have to learn something new ?

Sorry for the rant.

I am not saying the Russians are model tourists but neither are any of the other nationalities we all have our bad sides and good sides.

[toybits]

It is probably a feeling of Entitlement that Native English Speakers have. Having been in the limelight for a number of decades they find themselves in a time of transition or fading influence in SEAsia. It must be difficult to adapt.

[ghworker2010]

native english speakers are superior human beings- simple concept...

[Thakkar]

Once, in the middle of a conversation with a guy sat next to me on a plane, he stopped suddenly and said, "you know, your English is pretty good."

"So is yours," I replied, "you know, for an American."

Bad start, but I recovered and made friends with him, as is my wont. When I visited Honolulu, I gave him a call and he spent two days showing me around the beautiful island.

Point being, people who seem insular, can be very nice. And people who think themselves sophisticated (like me, above) can be cocky.

T

[Thaddeus]

I don't know if threatened is quite right, probably more of a fear of the unknown.

[Swiss1960]

I don't feel threatened by "native English speakers"... as most of them anyway don't speak English the way I learnt it during my exchange year in Cambridge... not to mention the Americans and Australians who think they speak English...

[Soutpeel]

you make a few grammar errors they are all over you.

Actually the word be grammatical....sorry mate... couldnt resist.. ....

but to answer your question, dont think to deeply about this, I personally dont think its a case of fear or feeling threatened but more to do with the fact that the vast majority of them are just whinging, judgemental, self rightious bast*rds...who feel its their lifes duty to whine about everything and everyone who doesnt fit into their bigoted version of reality

[theblether]

you make a few grammar errors they are all over you.

Actually the word be grammatical....sorry mate... couldnt resist.. ....

but to answer your question, dont think to deeply about this, I personally dont think its a case of fear or feeling threatened but more to do with the fact that the vast majority of them are just whinging, judgemental, self rightious bast*rds...who feel its their lifes duty to whine about everything and everyone who doesnt fit into their bigoted version of reality

The word is grammatical.

<deleted> Soutpeel

[theblether]

There's a bit of Xenophobia at play here, you need to understand that most of us grew up fearing a nuclear war with the Russians, now seeing a quite aggressive Slav tribe taking over previously Anglo-Saxon holiday spots is going to knock a few people out of their comfort zones.

[cut]

Just sayin'.

Edited May 2, 2013 by angiud
7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[robblok]

Once, in the middle of a conversation with a guy sat next to me on a plane, he stopped suddenly and said, "you know, your English is pretty good."

"So is yours," I replied, "you know, for an American."

Bad start, but I recovered and made friends with him, as is my wont. When I visited Honolulu, I gave him a call and he spent two days showing me around the beautiful island.

Point being, people who seem insular, can be very nice. And people who think themselves sophisticated (like me, above) can be cocky.

T

I have no problem with native English speakers, got more friends here among them then Dutch (we are a minority) so i know they can be nice but so can any other group. Just like there are idiots among them too, i know for a fact there are plenty of idiot Dutch too.

I just noticed all those topics popping up and wondered why, I don't have much problems with Russian signs just like Thai ones I cant read them. Ok i can read a bit of Thai more as Russian but stuff like that does not bother me one bit.

I thought ok.. lots or Russian bashing.. then noticed it ont he Germans and then on the French (cant really blame them there just joking)

[mauGR1]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

[theblether]

I'm not joking.

By the way, I was in Dutch owned bar the other day and watched the abdication / coronation........it was full of Dutch people getting right into it and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Got to be honest though, we Brits are far better at ceremonial stuff.

[robblok]

I'm not joking.

By the way, I was in Dutch owned bar the other day and watched the abdication / coronation........it was full of Dutch people getting right into it and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Got to be honest though, we Brits are far better at ceremonial stuff.

If it was an attempt to rouse me.. tough luck im not a royalist.

[robblok]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

[Thaddeus]

Got to be honest though, we Brits are far better at ceremonial stuff.

We have had a lot of practice, and we love a good parade.

[Naam]

native english speakers are superior human beings- simple concept...

except those who can't speak English but try to communicate using various obscure dialects.

[theblether]

native english speakers are superior human beings- simple concept...

except those who can't speak English but try to communicate using various obscure dialects.

Ahem.....what are you trying to say naam.

[Naam]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

in Thailand educated Thais should speak English or French. for low paid Thais it is mandatory to speak German. PERIOD!

[Naam]

native english speakers are superior human beings- simple concept...

except those who can't speak English but try to communicate using various obscure dialects.

Ahem.....what are you trying to say naam.

i presume your question is rhetorical... right?

[gmac]

I'm not sure it's a case of feeling threatened, though I guess the fear of having to learn another language may come into it. It is more that having been born into a country where we are lucky enough to have our language widely used throughout much of the world there has never been a need to master another. A large number of languages are spoken in only the country to which they are native which means that travellers from these countries are taught from an early age to learn other languages which may be of use to them in the future. This perhaps develops an aptitude for learning other languages which native English speakers do not possess.

[Swiss1960]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

in Thailand educated Thais should speak English or French. for low paid Thais it is mandatory to speak German. PERIOD!

[Naam]

you make a few grammar errors they are all over you.

Actually the word be grammatical....sorry mate... couldnt resist.. ....

but to answer your question, dont think to deeply about this, I personally dont think its a case of fear or feeling threatened but more to do with the fact that the vast majority of them are just whinging, judgemental, self rightious bast*rds...who feel its their lifes duty to whine about everything and everyone who doesnt fit into their bigoted version of reality

i just hate it when people can't spell krammar or krammatikal

[Mosha]

native english speakers are superior human beings- simple concept...

except those who can't speak English but try to communicate using various obscure dialects.

Ahem.....what are you trying to say naam.

He doesn't like my Yorkshire accent

[Naam]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

in Thailand educated Thais should speak English or French. for low paid Thais it is mandatory to speak German. PERIOD!

an alternative for d'chaibe Löhli would be Schwyzer Dütsch!

[mauGR1]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

I agree about expats learning Thai of course, but the majority of tourists should learn some English which can be useful in most of the countries..

..And i don't expect average Thais to learn a dozen of languages, but , if they work with tourists, they should be able to manage some English .

[Hedghog]

The Blether.

Are you suggesting the Scots are native English speakers.God forbid.

I had the pleasure of staying in Scotland,for a few years,Luechars and Forres near Elgin.

I found learning the local dialect harder than Thai.

Apologies,if spelling is off.

[Naam]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

I agree about expats learning Thai of course, but the majority of tourists should learn some English which can be useful in most of the countries..

..And i don't expect average Thais to learn a dozen of languages, but , if they work with tourists, they should be able to manage some English .

that the majority of tourists should learn to speak some English goes without saying. but that rule should apply to Brits too.

[Chonburiram]

There is a new opened 7/11 opposite Ambassador Hotel between Pattaya and Sattahip and for the short time they are in business the Thai staff could fairly good communicate in Russian.

I got a quite strange look when I was praising the girls Russian language skills, she telling me, that was Kazakh...

[robblok]

I find all Nationalities to be quite annoying, including my own..

The latest annoyance is the Russians talking Russian to 7/11 staff and expect them to understand..

..English is the international language, period..

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

I agree about expats learning Thai of course, but the majority of tourists should learn some English which can be useful in most of the countries..

..And i don't expect average Thais to learn a dozen of languages, but , if they work with tourists, they should be able to manage some English .

I agree about learning English wish i learned Thai with the same ease i learned English. And i thank god I don't dislike learning Thai as much as i hated learning French . Not related to the French in any way but i really did not like that language with male and female.. German was better because it was close to my own language.

[Swiss1960]

Thai should be spoken in Thailand period, you cant expect low paid low schooled Thais to understand English. Your in Thailand.. adapt. But im pretty sure you do, but i find it unreasonable to expect Thais in their own country to speak English especially low paid ones.

in Thailand educated Thais should speak English or French. for low paid Thais it is mandatory to speak German. PERIOD!

an alternative for d'chaibe Löhli would be Schwyzer Dütsch!

No need, since we Schwiizer Löhli all speak English, French AND German... as we have to help out the German Löhlis when they want to communicate with educated Thai