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when I want to be more discrete in public .. I think there is an unkindness here, though I do not think your intentions are unkind. I had very close Brazilian-
by smithza 6y ago
when I want to be more discrete in public ..
I think there is an unkindness here, though I do not think your intentions are unkind. I had very close Brazilian-internationals while a freshman in college who very deliberately chose not to speak their native tongue around Americans due to them thinking it unkind. My wife and I frequently do use some simple signs across the room, like "ready to go" (we are both hearing but have two semesters of ASL education).
- mcguire 6y agoIn general, using a language those around you don't speak can be rude, but I was imagining more along the lines of "Come rescue me from this conspiracy theorist." Which would have been handy at one point for me.
- triceratops 6y ago> using a language those around you don't speak can be rude, Like generally in public? Or when you're in a social group with others? For the first scenario, I'd almost always speak a second language if I could, for privacy reasons. And also because it's less distracting to others IMO - people tune out unfamiliar languages as noise but not conversations they can understand. But yeah it's rude in the second scenario.
- mcguire 6y agoThe downside in public is that the people who notice you're speaking another language will assume that you're talking about them and don't want to be overheard by the victim. It is less of a big deal than when you're in a social group, where someone could feel that you are deliberately excluding them.
- ViViDboarder 6y agoOh. I agree. I meant more like on public transit.