Do you attempt conversation via email in their language?
Discussion
I do a bit of business abroad and will generally translate (online translator) to their language if i'm approaching someone for something, or even type it in English and their language too underneath.
People usually email me in English, even if they have translated it online or got a friend to do it.
The French? Not the French, they are the only ones who will email in their own lingo. They are also the ones who moan for no real reason "There is a small problem here with this article you have sent!" Followed by some minor gripe. "Send it back for a full refund" I counter. They never do, bloody French.
Not a problem, just an observation
People usually email me in English, even if they have translated it online or got a friend to do it.
The French? Not the French, they are the only ones who will email in their own lingo. They are also the ones who moan for no real reason "There is a small problem here with this article you have sent!" Followed by some minor gripe. "Send it back for a full refund" I counter. They never do, bloody French.
Not a problem, just an observation
Adenauer said:
The same here, the only customers or suppliers who E-Mail us in French, never in German (where we're based) or in English, are the French.
Does my bloody nut in.
I had one ring me up once, he couldn't speak a word of English, nor me French.Does my bloody nut in.
That was a surprisingly long conversation neither of us got anything out of!
A lot of it is due to how much English/American film and music is allowed in to the Country with or without being translated. I don't know about films, but the French are only allowed a certain amount of foreign music on the radio.
The Dutch speak good English because not only can they get British/American music, but our films are not translated. In Germany they are so their English isn't as good, it's not uncommon for a Dutchman to speak English with an American accent because of this.
Although why we pronounce Angela Merkel with a hard G when it is actually 'Anjela' is beyond me....
The French aren't that bad at English. However they don't like using it & will often go to absurd lengths to do so.
My best tactic so far when faced with their obstinacy is to ask them (in German) if they speak German. This gets the gallic shrug thing. Then I ask them (in Italian) if they speak Italian. Same shrug thing. Then I ask in English if they want my money or not.
I once spoke to woman in the French speaking part of Belgium that thought she could call my bluff on the Italian. Turned out mine was better than hers & so the conversation was completed in English.
My best tactic so far when faced with their obstinacy is to ask them (in German) if they speak German. This gets the gallic shrug thing. Then I ask them (in Italian) if they speak Italian. Same shrug thing. Then I ask in English if they want my money or not.
I once spoke to woman in the French speaking part of Belgium that thought she could call my bluff on the Italian. Turned out mine was better than hers & so the conversation was completed in English.
I did some work with 28 international partners, questionnaires went out to each of them in English, 27 of them came back in English, and one in French
Mind you my boss was slightly aggrieved that the French contingent always spoke to her in English, even when she'd replied in French. She asked a French college about it and he replied that they could understand her English better than her French. She's from Quebec
Mind you my boss was slightly aggrieved that the French contingent always spoke to her in English, even when she'd replied in French. She asked a French college about it and he replied that they could understand her English better than her French. She's from Quebec
EnglishTony said:
schmunk said:
227bhp said:
Although why we pronounce Angela Merkel with a hard G when it is actually 'Anjela' is beyond me....
As I understand it, AnGela is the correct German pronunciation.On the origin from Wikipedia:
"The origin of the name is Latin and its background is Christian. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (αγγελος), meaning "messenger of God"."
So Germany has someone really important in charge.
227bhp said:
I've asked several Germans, they all say it's soft G, the same as we usually pronounce it.
On the origin from Wikipedia:
"The origin of the name is Latin and its background is Christian. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (???????), meaning "messenger of God"."
So Germany has someone really important in charge.
In Germany it is pronounced with a hard G. No question about it. On the origin from Wikipedia:
"The origin of the name is Latin and its background is Christian. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (???????), meaning "messenger of God"."
So Germany has someone really important in charge.
If it's shortened to Angie, then it's a soft G, like wot Mick Jagger would say it.
Adenauer said:
227bhp said:
I've asked several Germans, they all say it's soft G, the same as we usually pronounce it.
On the origin from Wikipedia:
"The origin of the name is Latin and its background is Christian. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (???????), meaning "messenger of God"."
So Germany has someone really important in charge.
In Germany it is pronounced with a hard G. No question about it. On the origin from Wikipedia:
"The origin of the name is Latin and its background is Christian. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (???????), meaning "messenger of God"."
So Germany has someone really important in charge.
If it's shortened to Angie, then it's a soft G, like wot Mick Jagger would say it.
I used to work as the global email-admin for a large ex-British chocolate manufacturer. My role was to sit at the top of a conceptual pyramid of admins from all over the world, helping them to maintain their mail systems. This is in the days of "post offices" rather than mail servers, and modem-based mail routing. Remote administration was yet only a dream. The role involved 8-10 hours of telephone calls every day supplemented with emails (if their system was working) to provide log files and router (mta) configuration details.
I'd get people calling from all over, with a good range of standards in English. English was accepted as the standard for all in these admin-roles because, even if I knew one or two other languages, I'd never have learned 39 (I think it was) different languages.
The French spoke English well, as did the Polish, Russians, Germans, Italians etc. The Spaniards and South Americans weren't so good - attributed to English not necessarily being their 2nd language. Some Africans were hard to understand because the intonation in their sentences was very different to ours. The "orientals" were all very good in English, albeit heavily accented. The Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis spoke very quickly but their English was beyond question except one chap in Karachi who pronounced the word "swap" to rhyme with "slap", and typed it with an "o" when I asked him to enter a command line. This little conversation enough of my life that I remember it now - 25 years later.
One day I received a call from someone posing a question but I couldn't catch what the question was so I asked them to repeat. They did and I still didn't catch it so, embarrassed, I asked them again. And again. And yet again to the point I wanted the earth to open and swallow me.
Thing is, once I managed to click into someone's accent, I could latch onto what they were talking to me about. My colleagues noted the relief on my face as I recognised the guy was a Geordie and I was able to answer his question.
My in-laws are Polish - we use Google Translate to good effect. It's not 100% but works well enough.
I'd get people calling from all over, with a good range of standards in English. English was accepted as the standard for all in these admin-roles because, even if I knew one or two other languages, I'd never have learned 39 (I think it was) different languages.
The French spoke English well, as did the Polish, Russians, Germans, Italians etc. The Spaniards and South Americans weren't so good - attributed to English not necessarily being their 2nd language. Some Africans were hard to understand because the intonation in their sentences was very different to ours. The "orientals" were all very good in English, albeit heavily accented. The Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis spoke very quickly but their English was beyond question except one chap in Karachi who pronounced the word "swap" to rhyme with "slap", and typed it with an "o" when I asked him to enter a command line. This little conversation enough of my life that I remember it now - 25 years later.
One day I received a call from someone posing a question but I couldn't catch what the question was so I asked them to repeat. They did and I still didn't catch it so, embarrassed, I asked them again. And again. And yet again to the point I wanted the earth to open and swallow me.
Thing is, once I managed to click into someone's accent, I could latch onto what they were talking to me about. My colleagues noted the relief on my face as I recognised the guy was a Geordie and I was able to answer his question.
My in-laws are Polish - we use Google Translate to good effect. It's not 100% but works well enough.
Edited by Watchman on Thursday 21st April 14:03
I work for a French company and deal with Russia and Germany often!
Purely for email conversations:-
The Germans will always converse in (perfect) English.
The Russians will always converse in (good) English.
The French people I deal with regularly will always converse in (reasonable) English.
The French people in admin will always converse in French.
I always converse with the Germans and Russians in English, they expect it.
I always try to use (improve) French with the people I deal with regularly, they help with grammar etc.
I always respond to the admin staff in English, because they're arrogant!
Purely for email conversations:-
The Germans will always converse in (perfect) English.
The Russians will always converse in (good) English.
The French people I deal with regularly will always converse in (reasonable) English.
The French people in admin will always converse in French.
I always converse with the Germans and Russians in English, they expect it.
I always try to use (improve) French with the people I deal with regularly, they help with grammar etc.
I always respond to the admin staff in English, because they're arrogant!
I work for a global multinational and I tend to converse mainly with Europe, Asia and South America and the general rule of thumb is that we use English. Even if im the only English person on a call, and the rest are French for example we talk in English.
Its sad that everyone else has to converse in their second/third language but I suppose it being an american company they are the rules.
Its sad that everyone else has to converse in their second/third language but I suppose it being an american company they are the rules.
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