If you speak only one language, you should be ashamed to criticize how someone else speaks their second language. amirite?

Don't really think this is unpopular

by Fit-Fox 6 months ago

With the amount of English speakers who make fun of other people's accents, I think this should be even more popular lol

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

I think there are also a lot of non-native English speakers who make fun of others who speak English as a second language

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Yeah but I mean, if you learned English as a second language and you speak better than me then make fun of me (you are pretty stupid for doing so, but I can't say you are a hypocrite). You know what it is to learn a second language and you did it better than me so it is not the same.

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

Try living in France and trying to learn French. Life's rough man

by Kelly62 6 months ago

Oh god!

by Anonymous 6 months ago

I've lived in a bunch of countries. Germans and Spaniards are thrilled you tried. French are nice about the language but only if it's not their job to talk to you. Quebecers are still mad about General Wolfe so there's no point even trying.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

I would spit on their face

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

It's not just english speakers that do this BTW. I hate speaking spanish when I am in Spain or Mexico, for the same reason you mentioned here. I have heard similar from others learning other languages when using them too.

by MathematicianBig 6 months ago

How many people do you think are on this planet, op? There's a lot of serial killers too. Do you think it's important to tell people that serial killing should be less popular? Just because a lot of people do something doesn't make it popular. A lot of people do any possible negative thing you could name. Most people don't mock others for not speaking perfect English. So this isn't an unpopular opinion. Maybe just personal venting?

by Anonymous 6 months ago

This makes so little sense I don't even know how to respond. But if you are happy with your argument, then congrats!

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

We make fun of the English accents most though, inninit raight mate?

by Jennings71 6 months ago

What accent do you think you just typed

by Anonymous 6 months ago

I don't agree, but thanks for the feedback!

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

With the amount of English speakers who make fun of other people's accents, I think this is pretty unpopular. At least on a practical level.

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

there are many racist people but that doesn't mean thinking racism is bad is an unpopular opinion

by Fast-Comedian-4005 6 months ago

I'd add ESPECIALLY in the workplace. It's one thing to be able to say "where is the bathroom" in another language but many of my coworkers are transacting business in a second/third language for them and that's incredibly impressive.

by Apart_Lobster_2957 6 months ago

Haha I work as a writer in my second language so I think I'm taking that to the next level lol

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

Absolutely!! Im an engineer in the auto industry and sometimes my coworkers who all only speak English can't even phrase something correctly / make their point understood. I have coworkers in China, South America, Germany etc on those calls having the same conversations and I'm always so impressed by them

by Apart_Lobster_2957 6 months ago

This is definitely not unpopular. I'll see plenty of people online get criticized on their English, but if they come back and say it's not their first language, the reaction is almost universally apologetic. That, or the person just clams up.

by Outside_Bluejay 6 months ago

I have never seen an apologetic reaction from anyone online EVER

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

Low-intelligence people criticize how people speak a second language. I remember that happening to me a few times when I tried to speak Dutch when I lived as a Canadian in Amsterdam... 98% of people applauded the effort, but there was still the 2%.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Goed bezig👍

by carol91 6 months ago

This was something I learned very early on (monolinguist English speaker here). Wouldn't dare insult the quality of someone's 2nd language when I can only speak most of one.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

That is fantastic! "I'm sorry for the mistakes… this is the fourth language I'm trying to be fluent in. Surely you sometimes feel the same when you make mistakes in the other languages you are learning" 😂

by Jeffreylangwort 6 months ago

It has happened twice that the grammar police person actually backs off, apologises for being nitpicky and critical and tells me that they are impressed that I speak so many languages - while they only speak one. I have found that those who critique usually are those who only speak one language.

by Wonderful-Tie-816 6 months ago

Yay!! Love that

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

I assume you're referring to people who are rude about it, rather than someone simply correcting you on a mistake (after all, that's how one keeps learning, as you obviously know). Personally, I don't mind being grammar police on someone, but it has to be specifically when they're attacking other people's intelligence while making tons of spelling and grammar mistakes. Sadly, this seems to happen a lot on the internet. The irony alone demands someone call them out, haha.

by Outside_Bluejay 6 months ago

I am referring to instances where my entire talking point is dismissed due to grammatical or spelling errors.

by Wonderful-Tie-816 6 months ago

So if you are bilingual, it is okay to mock and belittle someone for how they speak their second language?

by ColdRude 6 months ago

No, but I can't say you are hypocritical for doing so.

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

You should always be ashamed to ridicule people for not knowing something.

by Adolfo50 6 months ago

Hard disagree. It is good to criticise people who don't know things that they definitely should know.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Yeah but that's not the point, the point is how people who could never learn a second language criticize people who can do it. That's hypocritical.

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

Shaming, of course! I love a good piece of helpful feedback.

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

yeah, nothing needed to argue about then

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Haven't seen it, sorry!

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

You mean "make fun of", not "criticize". I speak two languages, so I can do either.

by Beautiful-Hornet4050 6 months ago

Haha

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

You probably shouldn't ridicule them even if you speak ten other languages

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Haha that's so sad, I'm sorry! But maybe they will delete this as well so just sit and wait

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

Definitely not unpopular. Anyone criticizing others for how theybspeak their second language is an A-hole anyways

by Livid-Young-6902 6 months ago

I speak 5 and yet when I correct someone, I get told off.

by Available_Coyote 6 months ago

I think this is only unpopular among ignorant people

by Necessary_Meet 6 months ago

This is only a popular opinion on kids or ignorant people, at least where i'm from.

by Reillyoscar 6 months ago

This shouldn't be unpopular, my mom's second language is English and I remember when I was a kid she put me in my place as I was being disrespectful and making fun of how she said "sucks" (I am ashamed that I did this). If English is someone's second language, don't go out of your way to correct their pronunciation of words if you know what they're saying.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

Perfect. As a polyglot I get to judge everyone :))))))

by Anonymous 6 months ago

That's great for you!

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

This shouldn't be unpopular. If you suck at speaking your first language I'll probably make fun of you, but if it's your second language at most I'll say "I can't understand you", but most of the time I'll just be impressed. I can barely order lunch in French and I've been learning it for 4 years.

by Anonymous 6 months ago

My go to joke whenever someone apologizes for their English is to say it's much better than my insert language here because it is. They've mostly learned my language, I can't bitch that it isn't perfect when I can't say "hello" in theirs.

by FerretJumpy 6 months ago

Haha I like this!!

by Better-Warthog 6 months ago

I always feel so bad when someone apologises for their English. I just tell them that their English is better than me speaking their language.

by rennercasey 6 months ago