do the asians hard to adjust to the life in MQ? (2 Viewers)

[bio_nut]

Is it really the persons fault if someone can't understand their native language..?

People who only know english are just jealous because they don't know how to write/read/speak a different language

Yes, if they are in an English speaking country and deliberately only speak their native tongue all the time, that's just rude.

The second sentence is just stupid. Many English speakers know a second language, but often ones like French, and I've noticed Europeans are far more polite in this regard when it comes to speaking English...

 

[Bendent]

macquarie unis dangerous

 

[-may-cat-]

I think it's pretty rude if you are around people who clearly don't speak the language, but if you're just amongst friends who do speak it then i don't see an issue. Claiming that people who find it rude are just jealous is a pretty silly thing to say =/

 

[lovetvxq]

I am a chinese and i will go to MQ on March 2010,cuz i want to make friends with locals asap so that i can fully enjoy the foreign lives as well as pratice english,do the asians always find it hard to get along well with the local people?

I'm a Chinese,too. And i found it hard to integrate into the local students' group because of the cultural differences, or whatever. but there are aslo some chinese can make many oz friends. So i think what u can do is like going to church every weekend or find a partime job, and try to hang out with the oz friends as much as you can

 

[darkcounty]

They're probably really embarrassed about their english and wouldn't be caught dead in public speaking it

 

[lovetvxq]

By the way, there are so many chinese at MQ, so u really don't need to worry about it

 

[alex.leon]

Because it excludes others.

I think that is a little precious, don't you?

Asian languages like Cantonese and Mandarin are vastly different to English in many respects. I don't think that if you were in China studying and there were a group of Aussies that studied with you, you would constantly go over and try your hand at speaking with the locals especially when you have the security of familiarity at your fingertips.

People always return to what they feel most comfortable with. You can hardly blame Asian students for wanting to speak their respective languages and not converse in English with other people that speak their language.

 

[ComingUpForAir]

It's important to specify what one means by the classification of 'asian', is it individuals who happen to have an asian heritage (i.e born in Australia), individuals born oversea's but educated in Australian highschools, or first year 'fresh-of-the-plane' international university students (identified by their country road duffle bags)?

The only comment I would make (directed towards the later defintion) is that some dialects (esp South east asian languages) have very salient tonal inflections, and tend to be spoken, albiet unwittingly, loudly.
Locals tend to get annoyed when such dialects are spoken during lectures, it disrupts our ability to concentration, as our brains aren't used to the noises (i.e the loud tongue 'pops' and 'glick' sounds), basically we cannot focus while you are conversing.
Other than that I've found international students to be very nice and easy to get along with.

 

[ConquerDiscover]

Yes, if they are in an English speaking country and deliberately only speak their native tongue all the time, that's just rude.

The second sentence is just stupid. Many English speakers know a second language, but often ones like French, and I've noticed Europeans are far more polite in this regard when it comes to speaking English...

Well..they will deliberately speak their own language coz they can and want to..? This might be an english speaking country, but it doesn't mean people are not allowed to speak their native language..

If you want them to speak english, then maybe you should try talking to them in english..or asking them something in english.. I'am sure they will reply back in english to you.


Lol? like basically 0.01% of native english speakers know how to speak a second language "Fluently". Sure some might know a couple of phrases etc, but almost all don't know how to speak it fluently.

 

[ConquerDiscover]

I think it's pretty rude if you are around people who clearly don't speak the language, but if you're just amongst friends who do speak it then i don't see an issue. Claiming that people who find it rude are just jealous is a pretty silly thing to say =/

I don't understand how it would be rude though =/

Coz it's not really a person's fault if they wish to speak their native language and someone else fails to understand what they are saying.

 

[-may-cat-]

I don't understand how it would be rude though =/

Coz it's not really a person's fault if they wish to speak their native language and someone else fails to understand what they are saying.

It's really uncomfortable for the person who doesn't speak the language, its not anyones 'fault' about anything but it's just impolite. I dunno, i've had to go to dinners with my Russian boyfriends family where everyone was speaking Russian and i just had to kind of sit there and smile the whole night not being able to talk to anyone. It was really, really uncomfortable.

 

[bio_nut]

It's really uncomfortable for the person who doesn't speak the language, its not anyones 'fault' about anything but it's just impolite. I dunno, i've had to go to dinners with my Russian boyfriends family where everyone was speaking Russian and i just had to kind of sit there and smile the whole night not being able to talk to anyone. It was really, really uncomfortable.

Exactly. If you're just among other people who speak the same language, then no probs, chat away.

However, if one person doesn't understand, it's really, really impolite.

 

[bio_nut]

Well..they will deliberately speak their own language coz they can and want to..? This might be an english speaking country, but it doesn't mean people are not allowed to speak their native language..

If you want them to speak english, then maybe you should try talking to them in english..or asking them something in english.. I'am sure they will reply back in english to you.


Lol? like basically 0.01% of native english speakers know how to speak a second language "Fluently". Sure some might know a couple of phrases etc, but almost all don't know how to speak it fluently.

I would say most Asians also can't speak English fluently, probably as they only use it when forced to. Look, I can also pull incorect statements out of my behind!

Yes, they reply back, then often go back to their native tongue, again isolating that person.

It's just about manners. You speak the language everyone can understand if possible. It's horrible when you have to do group work with more than one of them.

 

[bio_nut]

I think that is a little precious, don't you?

Asian languages like Cantonese and Mandarin are vastly different to English in many respects. I don't think that if you were in China studying and there were a group of Aussies that studied with you, you would constantly go over and try your hand at speaking with the locals especially when you have the security of familiarity at your fingertips.

People always return to what they feel most comfortable with. You can hardly blame Asian students for wanting to speak their respective languages and not converse in English with other people that speak their language.

Actually, I have studied foreign languages overseas in the past and always made an effort to do exactly that. It's the only way to become fluent. And again, otherwise you're just being rude.

Edit: And I don't mean they can't speak canto or whatever with fellow speakers in private, just that when others who dont speak it are around, it's impolite not to make the effort to speak in english.

 

[darkcounty]

Actually, I have studied foreign languages overseas in the past and always made an effort to do exactly that. It's the only way to become fluent. And again, otherwise you're just being rude.

Edit: And I don't mean they can't speak canto or whatever with fellow speakers in private, just that when others who dont speak it are around, it's impolite not to make the effort to speak in english.

But was it in a country where the people were of a different race?

 

[the-derivative]

Actually, I have studied foreign languages overseas in the past and always made an effort to do exactly that. It's the only way to become fluent. And again, otherwise you're just being rude.

Edit: And I don't mean they can't speak canto or whatever with fellow speakers in private, just that when others who dont speak it are around, it's impolite not to make the effort to speak in english.

I agree with you on that.
Funny enough, in cantonese there is a saying - 'yap heung cheui juk', which translates similar to 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'. Hong Kong people use this to discourage foreigners from using Mandarin Chinese in Hong Kong and I think the same applies in Australia. In Australia, when conversing with Australians, speak English. However when dealing with other Asians, use whatever language you like.

 

[bio_nut]

But was it in a country where the people were of a different race?

Yes.

 

[darkcounty]

Specifically?

 

[bio_nut]

How is it relevant, lol?

 

[darkcounty]

Just seeing if your comparison between Asians in Australia and your own experiences stack up. Looking at your generalizations about foreigners' attitudes, I find it hard to believe that you have lived in a non western country with people of another race.