A few days in HK so far and I hate it. Tell me I'm being ridiculous.

[bibbju]

Certainly needs to be one.

Anything north of Gloucestershire I need a translator for!

I'm always happy to help. I'm bilingual....I speak Northern and Southern. ;-)

Kim, has your hubby seen the Yorkshire Airlines clip on YouTube? Can't post the link as I'm on a ferry right now but I think he'll appreciate it. It had my Northern father rolling around laughing over Christmas. [Jimbo - don't worry, it's beginner's level].

[jimbo]

I'm always happy to help. I'm bilingual....I speak Northern and Southern. ;-)

Kim, has your hubby seen the Yorkshire Airlines clip on YouTube? Can't post the link as I'm on a ferry right now but I think he'll appreciate it. It had my Northern father rolling around laughing over Christmas. [Jimbo - don't worry, it's beginner's level].

Ah the hale and pace Yorkshire airlines sketch?
Yup I understood it just

[bibbju]

Not too many people outside the anglocentric that show up in other people's country expecting local people to speak their language instead of learning the local one.

You should visit Whitechapel/Brick Lane in London. English speakers are in the minority. There are plenty of people living there (for years) who don't speak a word of English. Hence the local paper is half English, half Bengali. The street signs are also in English and Bengali and every business has at least one Bengali speaker. Sounds a bit like English speakers in HK....except last time I checked, Bengali wasn't an official language of the UK.

[kimwy66]

You should visit Whitechapel/Brick Lane in London. English speakers are in the minority. There are plenty of people living there (for years) who don't speak a word of English. Hence the local paper is half English, half Bengali. The street signs are also in English and Bengali and every business has at least one Bengali speaker. Sounds a bit like English speakers in HK....except last time I checked, Bengali wasn't an official language of the UK.

Try going to Bradford sometime! All council pamphlets are translated into about 5 languages, none of which are an official language. Many shop signs have no English on them.

[Trance Omega]

Go to Southall in West London and most people speaking Punjabi and even the train station is written in Punjabi. Shops there have signs saying English spoken here. Harringay has signage in English and Turkish, Edgware road is Arabic and Bayswater Greek. Great place for lovers of International food. Same case for other cities like New York and Sidney etc.
Although I do still struggle when in my wife's home town of Newcastle and quite often ask for a translation.

[imparanoic]

You should visit Whitechapel/Brick Lane in London. English speakers are in the minority. There are plenty of people living there (for years) who don't speak a word of English. Hence the local paper is half English, half Bengali. The street signs are also in English and Bengali and every business has at least one Bengali speaker. Sounds a bit like English speakers in HK....except last time I checked, Bengali wasn't an official language of the UK.

classic example of closed communities and poor integration with society which is becoming rarer in UK, most closed communities consist of immigrants who chooses not learn the official language but this is become less and less, their offsprings learn English and that recent new immigrants have to learn basis English as part of nationalization test within uk

[si0001]

So the long and the short of it is that the languages used in a particular area tend to accommodate those who live in the area.

Makes sense.

Quite irrelevant for HK though since 90+% are cantonese speakers.

[kimwy66]

Great place for lovers of International food. Same case for other cities like New York and Sidney etc.

Ah yes, the food! I forgot to mention Bradford's great curry houses! Mumtaz was a regular treat.

So, Swannie, you are clearly talking out of an orifice other than your mouth when you claim that English speaking countries aren't accepting of people who don't speak English.

[kimwy66]

So the long and the short of it is that the languages used in a particular area tend to accommodate those who live in the area.

Makes sense.

Quite irrelevant for HK though since 90+% are cantonese speakers.

Why is it irrelevant? Probably 99% of people in England are English speakers, and yet you will see all over the country official documents and signs being provided in other languages along with translators for those who do not speak English.

[si0001]

Why is it irrelevant? Probably 99% of people in England are English speakers, and yet you will see all over the country official documents and signs being provided in other languages along with translators for those who do not speak English.

And HK also provides signs, documents and whatever else in English as well as Chinese.

I am pointing to those areas mentioned like Brick Lane, Whitechapel not being predominately english, or at least not english speaking. There are no areas like that in HK.