Polish in Britain - will I get decked if I speak Polish to these people?

Hi, everyone, this is my first post here. I recently visited London as a study abroad student. When I visited London, I was amazed to discover how many Polish foreign workers I met there. I knew they were Polish because, of course, they spoke Polish and did not have the typical Oxford English accent that often bombards me whenever I'm on the street.

I can speak Polish fairly well, but I didn't want to communicate to these workers in Polish because they might get offended and angered if they knew I wasn't from Poland. I am wondering if English people have the same problems when communicating to Polish people in their native tongue. Maybe I was too judgmental at first. I don't know, but since I am going to study in London again, I need to know I'm going to get decked if I speak Polish to these people.

I would like it.

I think they would have been very pleasantly surprised. There are so very few foreign people who can speak Polish that even if someone can say something simple like Cześć or Jak się masz? it makes Poles amazed ;)

I don't know why you ask that!? But in my case (I'm not Polish) but if I will met someone abroad that will try to speak my mother language with me I will feel good with that, like many poles I know like when they are abroad and in a café or something someone say "Dzien Dobry" because they are polish...

My Polish isn't great, but it appears to be really appreciated whenever I try to speak in Polish.

I've only ever had a positive response when i've spoken Polish to Polish shop keepers, chemists, waiters etc over here in the UK

go for it!
i can't imagine why they'd be angry, i'm glad of the chance to use it, it stops me forgetting

I find Poles love it that you can master any of their Language. They do understand their Language is difficult to learn. Next time speak up!

Ditto, DTok!

As with the Turks, among the many non-Anglophones I've met during my travels, just a few well-pronounced phrases, and the Poles will be eating out of your hand in no time:-)

I have always found that polish people in shops for example love it if you can even say a couple of words in Polish

Exactly as I've been saying!

I have just been to a polish supermarket today and they were suprised and shocked I can say stuff like hello and please and thank you in polish. I wish I knew more but I'm only learning

...and the nice kicker is that probably your Polish was kilometers better than their feeble attempts at English:-)

For the zillionth time, not EVERY Pole out there's gonna be another Joseph Conrad!

Well it's important to learn a few words I think as in that shop no one can speak English

You took the words right out of my mouth:-) See the language advantage?? You could understand THEM, but if you spoke English, they couldn't understand YOU!!!

Who has the control, (always) has the power.

But why should they have to speak English as they work in a polish shop

To be honest I have been to a few polish shops in UK and in each of them sale assistants spoke at least basic English.

I would say they are quite flexible and quickly move between Polish and English depending on customer.

English speaking nation. Not all but overwhelming majority of jobs need to require it, especially one involving customer service. The English is not necessarily to make Brits feel more comfortable but instead customers that are neither Polish of British; English is the middle ground

I once, can no longer recall when precisely, experienced a group of Polish tourists in Berlin. They barely spoke any German except a sort of "phrasebookese" and the Berlin native whom they stopped on the street to inquire spoke no Polish and so the German woman began in a kind of pidgin English, thus making the Polish visitors feel almost as if they were in their comfort zone!

When the two groups parted company however, the Poles were just as confused as before:-)

Moral of the story is that English is not necessarily the panacea for all communication difficulties.

My boyfriend has lived here for 8 years and probably only knows 10 words of English the rest is polish

Well then, it's high time he learned now, isn't it?

This is the sort of situation which fueled Brexit voters and something which PM May is going to have to address, in short order too!

Britain aka England simply voted NOT to continue a "United States of England", where every and all from any corner of the globe a la the US melting pot can simply take up residence in the country without knowing the language:-)

He hasn't needed to learn though. He lives in a polish area. Works for polish boss. Polish friends. Shops in polish shops. But now he has an English gf I think it's more difficult for him

Again, as in many immigrant communities of my country, the US, all too many can conceal themselves for years at a time, nestled in a golden cocoon of self-congratulation, later, self-flagulation and most of all, good ol' fashioned self pity, lulling themselves into the mistaken belief that they don't need to integrate into the host culture!! This is DEAD WRONG!!

Should your boyfriend choose not to learn English, then to be blunt about it, he deserves whatever low-wage, nowhere job he gets until he decides to learn the language of the country which has given him refuge, if for no other reason, out of sheer respect for being allowed to remain a virtual guest in the host culture:-)

Mobility, after all, isn't largesse from the state, some right for the annointed few, but a sacred privilege which must be earned, as with citizenship!

Perhaps too Ms. May, as with Maggie, will end the free gravy train for those who can simply "buy their way" to liberty.

It is very bad. I met someone like this when I was in USA- it is very isolated, restricted life. And no interest even in local culture, tv, newspapers....

I too, Iwonka!

I find it most interesting how people some twenty years in Greenpoint, Bklyn, can live in the US all that time without really knowing English, yet they have US passports:-)

Something's wrong with this picture.

I am surprised they have US passport. Different rules....

I think in most european countries you should pass some language tests to apply for citizenship.

Yo, hon! Tell it to the bleedin' Germans! They've been pushing for it for years and by golly, they finally got it ....AT LONG LAST:-)

Well, shows how far a nice black market "łapówka" can get yaLOL

So German were pushing and now others take advantage?
I am surprised it is the same language group and German in general speak good English ( I thought....)

Think again:-)

While intercultural bullying per se is repugant to me as well, the Germans certainly do a decent job of PR for their country and their language.

The Poles might well draw a lesson!

Ha, ha not sure it would work so well in UK.... too many war memories. I would say German speaks very good English here and blend in crowd very well.

Depends on the crowd, Iwonko!

Remember the old saying: "Among the blind, the one-eyed man is king!"

An oldie, but a goodie, and still true nowadays:-)