I live in the UK and English is my first language. Where I live and work, I often hear up to ten or twelve different languages in any given day. I like it. I like trying to work out what language people are speaking and I like listening to the different rhythms of speech in other languages.
I think most English people are quite ignorant of it, though, and wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Urdu and Farsi even though they sound as different as French and German.
Plus it depends where you live. I'm from a big city in the north, which really helps. If you were living in a town in say, Norfolk, I could well believe that people would be judging you on your first language and I'm very sorry that this attitude exists. Given where it exists, it kind of proves it's down to fear and a lack of familiarity.
What is your first language, by the way? You don't have to say if you don't want to.
You're back! Are you staying this time? :P Every time you come back, we have a little chat and then you disappear again because you don't recognise anyone on the site.
I live in a small town in Lincolnshire. People are really racist here. They wanted to make a strike against foreigners in town centre, but it was cancelled. When I talk in my first language (it's Lithuanian, by the way) in public, people look at me strangely. I heard people passing by me saying ''f-ing foreigners'' few times. English students treat foreign students badly at schools.
I think that one of the reasons of people being so racist is high crime rate. It got higher since more immigrants were coming to town. I also see a lot of drunk foreigners in the streets. I guess people are tired of drunk and violent foreigners, but they are being too prejudice.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I know racism is still a big problem in some places in England and it always shocks me and disappoints me to hear it. I know it's not the same thing, but I've been discriminated against in some small towns because of my northern accent.
I had a friend in my city who was Estonian and her experience of Manchester was wonderful. People were open and welcoming and interested in where she was from. She lives in Florida now and says people are equally nice (although she says nobody knows what the Baltic states are).
Yes, difficult economic times make people more racist. They start looking for someone to blame and it's always tempting for them to blame foreigners. I find it very strange in your case because I barely think of fellow Europeans as foreign.
Finally, I can assure you that not all English people are like those in small towns. I feel bad that you've not had a better welcome. Up here in Manchester, you would definitely be welcomed. :)
Is it normal to feel uncomfortable about speaking in my 1st language?
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I live in the UK and English is my first language. Where I live and work, I often hear up to ten or twelve different languages in any given day. I like it. I like trying to work out what language people are speaking and I like listening to the different rhythms of speech in other languages.
I think most English people are quite ignorant of it, though, and wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Urdu and Farsi even though they sound as different as French and German.
Plus it depends where you live. I'm from a big city in the north, which really helps. If you were living in a town in say, Norfolk, I could well believe that people would be judging you on your first language and I'm very sorry that this attitude exists. Given where it exists, it kind of proves it's down to fear and a lack of familiarity.
What is your first language, by the way? You don't have to say if you don't want to.
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Lockets
11 years ago
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Anonymous Post Author
11 years ago
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Hear, hear! I also live in the UK and I also enjoy hearing the mysterious sounds of other languages.
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dappled
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You're back! Are you staying this time? :P Every time you come back, we have a little chat and then you disappear again because you don't recognise anyone on the site.
I live in a small town in Lincolnshire. People are really racist here. They wanted to make a strike against foreigners in town centre, but it was cancelled. When I talk in my first language (it's Lithuanian, by the way) in public, people look at me strangely. I heard people passing by me saying ''f-ing foreigners'' few times. English students treat foreign students badly at schools.
I think that one of the reasons of people being so racist is high crime rate. It got higher since more immigrants were coming to town. I also see a lot of drunk foreigners in the streets. I guess people are tired of drunk and violent foreigners, but they are being too prejudice.
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dappled
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I'm so sorry to hear that. I know racism is still a big problem in some places in England and it always shocks me and disappoints me to hear it. I know it's not the same thing, but I've been discriminated against in some small towns because of my northern accent.
I had a friend in my city who was Estonian and her experience of Manchester was wonderful. People were open and welcoming and interested in where she was from. She lives in Florida now and says people are equally nice (although she says nobody knows what the Baltic states are).
Yes, difficult economic times make people more racist. They start looking for someone to blame and it's always tempting for them to blame foreigners. I find it very strange in your case because I barely think of fellow Europeans as foreign.
Finally, I can assure you that not all English people are like those in small towns. I feel bad that you've not had a better welcome. Up here in Manchester, you would definitely be welcomed. :)