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this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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Asklemmy
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Sorry, as a Greek-American (currently in Greece), I disagree with most of the people here. When you're part of a new country, you need to be able to do your business with the authorities in the official language. For that, some level of understanding the native language is required. In fact, to get any passport from any country, you need to have a B1-level understanding of that country's language. So yes, being in a country, you need to know the basics. And if you don't, then make sure you learn the basics within 6 months, in order to be able to live there without issues. I don't see that as xenophobia, I see it as common sense.
I moved to Greece from the US this year with my French husband. He doesn't speak Greek. I can tell you, it has been a nightmare for him doing paperwork, and I need to go with him EVERYWHERE in any government office in order to get setup. It wasn't pretty in the first few months, he was full of anxiety and he wouldn't leave the house without me.
Also, I worked in Germany in my youth, for a few months. I couldn't understand most of what was said (although I could pick up a few words, but certainly couldn't speak back). It was a nightmare. There were no free programs back then to learn the language, and so I went there without any preparation. Today, I wouldn't have done it that way. I would first learn the language in some basic form (today there are apps to do that), and then move there.
USA does not have an official language.
Legally, yes. But you're going to have a bad time if you don't speak at least some English.
A friend of mine moved to LA from Germany to work for his German company. German was an option for the test at the DMV. He said the test was gibberish so he turned it in for an English test.
No, and I do not agree with the above poster, but we're aided in that most of our forms are in both English and Spanish, the two most common native tongues of people who live here.
Do you expect a couple of foreigners visiting America together to speak English to each other while they are in the US?
Homie, stop making shit up. Noone is giving grief to tourists for not speaking the native language of the country they are visiting.
Do you expect two people from the same country who moved to the US and live in the US to speak English to each other?
What??? Are you responding to the correct person?
We're talking about people living there, not tourists.
Do you expect two people from the same country who moved to the US and live in the US to speak English to each other?
To each other, of course not. But to others, yes.