Friday, April 03, 2009

English as a second language.

So.... I just got a letter in the mail from my health insurance carrier. Which included an insert sheet with a disclaimer that I could request translation services. That part of the insert took up 6 lines. The English part. Which they proceeded to translate into no less than 13 other languages. Oh yes. I'm not joking. At first I couldn't even find the English section due to all the translations.

Spanish, Chinese,Arabic,Korean,Tagalog. Yes.. Tagalog. Which I've never even heard of. It's probably a made up language like Vulcan.

Vietnamese,Khmer,Punjabi,Persian,Japanese,Russian,Armenian, and Hmong.

The translations took up both sides of the sheet. I'm sure that doesn't add any expense to the company. But, why stop there? How many languages could there be on earth?

Now, I don't have a problem with anyone else's culture. But do ya think you could at least learn English too? You know - a common language? So we aren't all looking at each other saying "I don't understand what the hell you are talking about - let me find someone who speaks Tagalog".

You only have to learn one language. English. I don't really feel I need to learn 13+ languages to get by in my own country.

I know.. asshole. Just sayin'. I've at least learned about Spanish to get by, but cripes. Tagalog. I'd have to use "the google" to even find out where those people come from.

3 comments:

  1. Ah. Crimeny. Philippines! Thanks.

    Only one of the largest segments of our population.

    It all sounds like lumpia to me. And BTW have always been very receptive to learning English. Which is probably why I'm a dumbass and don't know Tagalog.

    Oddly, no French or German on that page.

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  2. Ha! You should hear my friend's totally offensive/inapropriate and guiltily hilarious imitation of the way some of the PI moms at our school talk amongst themselves. She had the misfortune of being the only non-Tagalog speaker at a birthday party once. I think it scarred her for life.

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