@baarda
Well said. Im a Brit and have always been struck at a residual colonialism that seems to expect people to speak English. Rather late on life I’m learning another language and have the greatest respect for multilingual people.

@baarda I used to work with a lot of people in India and I was always humbled by the realization that many of them spoke fluent Hindi, the regional language of the area where our office was, the regional language of their home, and solid if sometimes awkward (to my American ear) English. And here I was with native English and broken German and nothing else. I just happened to grow up with a globally used language. That’s just luck, not an achievement.

@baarda... and you don't

@baarda 'round these here parts, it can also mean they don't know even one language.

@baarda correct- it's the pinnacle of insecurity to mock someone being multilingual, especially if/when you struggle to speak your own.

@baarda We’re all the same species I keep hearing Granted we are yet people fervently hang onto their regionalism. That’s not evolving as a species. Makes me wonder why no one understands Golden Retriever or how to listen when a Dolphin or Gorilla is chatting. Maybe we’re not the smart ones. One Earth, One People, Earthlings.

@baarda what if they're a toddler?

@baarda Mark Train.

@baarda English is a second language for me, but I have noticed I speak better English than most Americans do. I find the whole “You’re in America, speak English” thing an amazing glorification of ignorance. When I travel in Europe and try my broken Italian or German, I often get a response in English, along with an appreciation of trying. Very different experience.

@baarda Make that 'at least one other language'. I realize Anglophones have difficulty wrapping their heads around this concept. 😂

@baarda I seriously doubt that TFG #45 spoke another language.

@baarda @donmelton

@baarda or just don’t.

@baarda Both my parents & all of my Aunts & Uncles were made fun of when they tried to communicate in English. For decades.

@baarda or misspells words. I can't count the time someone was giving me a difficult time because I misspell something.