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It sounded like a contrast to Shenzhen. Throughout the world, taxi drivers in international cities know a couple dozen words in multiple languages. Paris, Rome
by rz2k 9y ago
It sounded like a contrast to Shenzhen.
Throughout the world, taxi drivers in international cities know a couple dozen words in multiple languages. Paris, Rome, Berlin, Madrid?
Even if they didn't grow up speaking Mandarin, it sounds like a conscious decision, if they don't understand a request in Mandarin from a rider today.
Of course, this is just one person's set of impressions, too.
- seanmcdirmid 9y agoThere are no English speaking taxi drivers in Beijing. I was freaked out when a taxi driver in Shanghai talked to me in English, it just isn't common anywhere else in the mainland.
- emodendroket 9y agoThe conscious decision would probably be learning Mandarin phrases. Presumably a mainlander who was having trouble could always write the name of their destination. I haven't been to Europe but in Asia I don't think it's the case that most taxi drivers know much English. Some of the Japanese ones offer an in car interpretation service over the phone but I've never had occasion to use it.
- rz2k 9y agoI meant that they might know phrases in French, German, and Spanish more than English, though in the case of Europe English is pretty common. However, to be fair, in my experience, some people in Europe have hang ups too about different languages. I speak Italian, can pass with a little French, and know no German. In the northern Italian mountains people would start conversations with me in German based on my appearance, and in resort towns there were a number of people who chose not to learn Italian, but English was okay. Similarly, a friendly lady was trying to help me in a train station in Paris, my French wasn't good enough to understand some detail, her English wasn't any better than my French, and I asked her if she spoke Italian. She curtly answered no, and seemed a little offended. I imagine I'd have similar stories if I only spoke English and French, English and Spanish, or English and German. Would people react with occasional distaste if you tried communicating using Cantonese in Beijing?
- emodendroket 9y agoI suspect the reaction would be more like bewilderment, because the geographical reach of Cantonese stops pretty far short of Beijing and it's rather unlikely you'll run into people who speak it. Now if you try speaking to them in Japanese they might be offended. But I have limited experience in the Sinosphere compared to Korea and Japan.