UK, Ireland /
Polish is an official language in the UK? [68]
Well yes. I have to admit to admiring France's stance and the pride it takes in its language. However, at a coach station such as Victoria I think it is permissible to have notices in various languages (if that particular sign is even genuine) as holiday-makers would also come through that area. I fully exploit economic migrants value for money in relation to work done, but I know the people who do the work barely speak a word of English and follow a sleep-work-sleep pattern socialising, I'd guess, with those who they find easiest to converse.
But still, The EU model is for a mobile and nimble workforce which is a key difference in this situation between the UK and the US. Farm hands may only be here for the summer period and back off to their place of origin...possibly somewhere else in the EU. Contracts for road diggers can be sought anywhere in the EU(I think!).
When I traveled regularly on public transport during the rush hours very many conversations I heard were in foreign tongues (on phones etc), I was just happy they were employed. There is some discomfort when in some work places I have been that the cleaners, supposedly naturalised, retire after 30-40 years service who haven't bothered to develop any language ability. They always seem chatty with those that can speak the same language regardless of job level. All I'd get is 'hello, dear!' I do wonder now if they could qualify for jury service.
I work from a home office now. Today I was surprised to have a Polish women come over to read the electricity meter. Surprising as I have never known a woman to do that job. She was in and out like a flash! Hardly fifty words were spoken by her in very heavily accented Engish, but she was professional and courteous and was able to speak-up and to the point. If she goes home to watch cabled Polish t.v. and speaks to her folks and friends in Polish there is nothing I can do or want to do about it. Most of my home deliveries are by Eaast Europeans, Africans etc. They can speak well enough to get the job done. When I go to various Asian restaurants the menus are in English. When I occasionally go to English restaurants the menus are French! I also used to go to the Jewish area of N. London for the supreme cake and pastry shops but never batted an eyelid that lists were up in Jewish scripts. The service would all be in English. I could easily imagine if a customer spoke in a Hebrew the attendant could also switch, It wouldn't make me uncomfortable as the unintentional snubs of cleaning ladies. My local newsagent's staff always talk in their own language to each other and to me in English. The till operators wear poppies in early November. What more can one ask.
In a hospital I worked in the early nineties, translator costs for Somalians were the highest. They tried family members but in one early case the lady was telling her consultant that her husband was abusive towards her, and the husband would completely mistranslate! It has dropped down dramatically with the new translators in demand now being for East European languages. With the migratory nature of low skilled demand its not going to change. The better they can speak the less likely they are to cut my asparagus spears.
