'Speak German at home' row as conservatives target migrants

[webfact]

'Speak German at home' row as conservatives target migrants

(BBC) Immigrants should speak German not only in public but also in the home, Bavaria's governing conservatives say - provoking a torrent of criticism.

The Christian Social Union (CSU), an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, says it is a matter for debate, and is not yet official policy.

Critics launched a Twitter hashtag - #YallaCSU - which became a top trending topic among German Twitter users.

Some express alarm about politics reaching into the home.

The hashtag is an ironic joke at the CSU's expense, as "Yalla" is Arabic for "let's go!"

The CSU draft proposal says "people who want to remain here on a permanent basis should be encouraged to speak German in public and within the family".

CSU general secretary Andreas Scheuer said the proposal was "well prepared and widely backed".

The general secretary of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Yasmin Fahimi, said the CSU had "arrived in Absurdistan.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30380970


-- BBC 2014-12-09

[draftvader]

How do they enforce that?

[Tycoon]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

[Emster23]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

[wwest5829]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

If your thinking is to prevail, well, better get working on my Thai as we speak English at home here in Chiang Mai.

[Pikeybkk]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

If your thinking is to prevail, well, better get working on my Thai as we speak English at home here in Chiang Mai.

or how about, what goes on in my home is my business, if you would like to come in a tell me what to say, i will politly knock your teeth down the back of your neck

[kerrysum]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

Funny,

I have nieces and nephews from Thailand, that have travelled to foreign lands to work. They are fluent in the language... But what I did find that the teachers in Thailand, did not have full understanding... End result? My nieces and nephews are far better off, living in another country, and learning the language.... It will never be easy in Thailand.... Speak /thai and lao, when in Thailand. When you live in another country, learn their language....

Just a matter of respect......

[micmichd]

Bavarians should learn to speak proper German.

[klauskunkel]

"people who want to remain here on a permanent basis should be encouraged to speak German in public and within the family".

Encouraged - meaning: to help or stimulate an activity to develop (in this case German language fluency)

I don't see anything wrong with that since 'encouraged' is not the same as 'enforced', as some posters believe

[JoeLing]

What a stupid article. Just because someone said "should" doesn't mean they have too or it

should be the law.

What a stupidity if someone can't say what they believe people should do in his or her opinion.
This forum is full of people telling others what they should do or how they should think, so what's

wrong if some politicians say what they believe?

Suppose same as in this forum, people like to ridicule others for their views, believes or mistakes.
Just look how people jump on any occasion to correct the spelling mistakes of [mostly non english
speaking] posters.

[Bloodnut]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

True dat - but I don't think it's Germany's expats this article is talking about. I think it's Germany's actual legal Immigrants. i.e. Those who have stayed and been granted German citizenship and are now German passport holders, tax payers. etc. Within our homes we must always fight to speak whatever language we want to. Out and about in society - maybe they've got a point. Speaking Thai language is worth 10 points out of 100 when applying for citizenship in Thailand - so not mandatory it seems.

[MobileContent]

Let's not forget that the founding members of the CSU and as well the CDU have been members before of the NSDAP, Gestapo and the SS.

Bavaria is still a very brown state in Germany.

[micmichd]

I'm encouraged to speak Thai in my Thai home and behave like a Thai in public.

[micmichd]

Nothing wrong with politicians if they say what they believe, I really miss politicians like Franz-Josef Strauß. Unfortunately, politicians tend to make laws out of their ideas.

[siampolee]

Ah well here is my offering on the educational front to those who are going to have to learn German.

https://freeweelee.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/iv-you-von-to-spek-ze-german-language-funny/

[puck2]

Let's not forget that the founding members of the CSU and as well the CDU have been members before of the NSDAP, Gestapo and the SS.

Bavaria is still a very brown state in Germany.

Unbelievable .... in the sense of "<deleted>' unbelievable".

It seems you have been too lazy to google. After ending a dictatorship every country has some political chameleons and all countries in the world have some stupid neocons.

The German CSU - nowadays compared to the Tea-Party - is the day, the Tea-Party is the night.

[Scott]

Posts in a foreign language have been removed. On the forum, except for the Thai Language section, English is the only acceptable language.

[micmichd]

Oh, what a pity.

Bavarian is not a language, it's a disease. Wa?

[micmichd]

Mai pen rai,

it's only contagious within a given tribal area

[Gandtee]

Ve haff vays off making you tork!!!

[Ming Mueng]

I speak Thai at home.

The general secretary of the SPD has a real upstanding German name. (Inshalla)

[Morch]

What a stupid article. Just because someone said "should" doesn't mean they have too or it

should be the law.

What a stupidity if someone can't say what they believe people should do in his or her opinion.

This forum is full of people telling others what they should do or how they should think, so what's

wrong if some politicians say what they believe?

Suppose same as in this forum, people like to ridicule others for their views, believes or mistakes.

Just look how people jump on any occasion to correct the spelling mistakes of [mostly non english

speaking] posters.

Applies to most comments by posters, excluding TVF staff. Unfortunately, politicians can sometimes make their silly notions into rules, public expenditure and other things which actually effect people.

[samran]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

Speak Thai fluently then do we?

[Traveler19491]

Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off

So we can safely assume that you speak Thai in public, and at home?

[kaobang]

absurdistan indeed but when i heard Mohammed was the most common name in England and Wales......no comment

[BritManToo]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

They are talking about migrants ..... those that attain German citizenship (and can stay in Germany forever).

Expats in Thailand will never be migrants, but for those few that become migrants it would be fair enough.

Why would anyone learn the language of a country they only have permission to stay in for 90 days?

Edited December 9, 2014 by BritManToo

[BritManToo]

Can I repost this, it's vaguely on topic ..........

"The European Commission has announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the EU, rather than German, which was the other contender. Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had room for improvement and has therefore accepted a five-year phasing in of "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make sivil servants jump for joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of the "k", Which should klear up some konfusion and allow one key less on keyboards.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f", making words like "fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent "e" is disgrasful.

By the fourth yer, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and everivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer. ZE DREM VIL FINALI COM TRU!

Herr Schmidt"

[lungmi]

Good idea, the Bavarians learn to speak German, Lana People to speak Thai, Cockneys to learn the Queen's English, Thaksinistas to learn Dubai Arabic......

[siampolee]

Well the Krauts should try this unique brand of English.

Edited December 9, 2014 by siampolee

[Emster23]

I wonder how many German expats (and all the other nations represented here) speak Thai at home in Thailand? Or Thai anywhere? Perhaps Tycoon's statement "Well its true, fit in, embrace the country 100% or F off" would apply to expats too lazy or superior to at least try to learn Thai....

They are talking about migrants ..... those that attain German citizenship (and can stay in Germany forever).

Expats in Thailand will never be migrants, but for those few that become migrants it would be fair enough.

Why would anyone learn the language of a country they only have permission to stay in for 90 days?

I was thinking of the many "de facto" immigrants that are here living on retirement visa or whatever. I come from USA and always shake my head when some of them start in on hispanics (or other groups) that haven't learned English, yet can barely say hello in Thai after being here for decade or more.

I try to learn as much as I can of language of where I happen to alight, even if only for a few weeks. As it is now, I can be misunderstood in many languages! It shows respect and you have chance to talk with folks who may not have been tweaked by too much shoulder rubbing with foreigners.