Polish, non-speakers told to bring interpreters to municpal buildings

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Apr 23, 10, 12:34 #1

http://warszawa.gazeta.pl/warszawa/1,95190,7805052,Turysto_w_urzedzie_ _speak_Polish.html

While I applaud the sense of nationalistic pride this shows, I'm not sure I applaud the xenophobia it also showcases. As an EU member, should they not also need to have government office employees who speak other languages? Perhaps at the very least English and French?

I believe the EU does prohibit discrimination based on language, so this to me implies there should be more than one option available.

Please note - I can speak Polish, so please do not tell me to learn the language. I am simply asking for others opinions.

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Apr 23, 10, 12:37 #2

motylek:

While I applaud the sense of nationalistic pride this shows, I'm not sure I applaud the xenophobia it also showcases. As an EU member, should they not also need to have government office employees who speak other languages? Perhaps at the very least English and French?

I believe the EU does prohibit discrimination based on language, so this to me implies there should be more than one option available.

Please note - I can speak Polish, so please do not tell me to learn the language. I am simply asking for others opinions.

Yes, i think it is probably for practical purposes, though ideally yes there should be someone there who speaks English and maybe French as well.

time meansThreads: 9 Posts: 2,306 Joined: Apr 21, 08 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 12:44 #3
motylek: I am simply asking for others opinions. Perfectly sensible IMHO. You are in Poland and the language is Polish. I can go down to my local council office and get things translated into a whole host of languages, nice in principle but the cost is huge.

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Apr 23, 10, 13:02 #4

I believe the EU does prohibit discrimination based on language, so this to me implies there should be more than one option available.
There should be at least a person who speaks English in since this is Wydzial dla Cudzoziomcow - what is the point of having one if there is nobody there that speaks or does not wan to speak English (as one of the clerks indicated), also those women were pretty unhelpful.

motylek:

While I applaud the sense of nationalistic pride this shows, I'm not sure I applaud the xenophobia it also showcases. As an EU member, should they not also need to have government office employees who speak other languages? Perhaps at the very least English and French?

national pride has nothing to do with being unhelpful to people who don't speak Polish.
Their behavior was a clear sing of xenophobic behavior.

Welcome to EU Poland.

Good luck motylek:)

1jolaThreads: 33 Posts: 2,737 Joined: Sep 23, 08 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 13:30 #5
How far do you get speaking French or German to British government clerks? Is Britain in EU yet?

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Apr 23, 10, 14:25 #6

I can't get too upset about this. This is an office for dealing with foreigners who plan on being in Poland for awhile.

If such a person can't

- speak Polish

- find a friend to translate,

- afford an interpreter

There's probably no reason for them to be here because that means they have neither the personal or financial resources needed to justify a long term stay.

If you're talking about an office that has frequent contacts with foreigners who are here very short term, then yeah you need some foreign language back up (not just English, but French, German and Russian too).

But I see nothing wrong in not facilitating longterm stays by people who can't (or won't) learn Polish.

ZiemowitThreads: 10 Posts: 1,063 Joined: May 8, 09 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 17:15 #7
The article quoted is very critical of the practice in that office and says the newspaper contacted the superior of the clerks who just could not believe that such a notice was put up there, in a place where they also should deal with foreign people.

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