UK, Ireland /
Invisible influx - Brits not easy to mix with Poles? [30]
I apologise if what I am about to say sounds narrow minded,
Don’t apologize, speaking ones’ mind is a good thing otherwise people won’t know what you are thinking.
It's almost as though they don't want people to know what they're saying and there seems very little effort to speak in English.
This might be true in some instances but there are other reasons for this. For instance it’s always easier to communicate in native tongue; the person you have conversation with might not speak English etc. I find this very amusing that the natives always think they are the subject of the conversation, it’s called "paranoia" get over it, you’re not a center of attention - trust me. Besides when you go on vacation to a foreign country do you have conversation with your mates in the native language when you go shopping? And are you talking about them?
I find this also quite hard to understand when they have young children in tow as it gives the impression, possibly wrongly, that they're not intending to teach their children English either.
Key word here is wrong impression. Children do go to school and pick up language very quickly. Parents on the other hand might not speak English or are in the process of learning. So you suppose to be mute in the meantime? Why is it a big deal? Or a sign of not wanting to integrate? Rome was not built in one day, give it time.
If you really want to learn more about your neighbors or maybe have a conversation with them if they are foreign, my advice to you would be to start the conversation first. People who are learning language do not feel comfortable enough to strike a casual conversation and this way you will force them to make an effort. If you get ignored do not feel offended they might not speak English.
