Speaking native languages at work...

[NMAguiar]

A Sacramento hospital this week passed around a questionare to its nurses. Here is the question...

Diversity Council Needs You!

To give us input on the question of staff members using their native language(s) at work. We value your opinion. This survey will remain anomymous. Please respond and explain in full if possible.

...following was several blank lines to explain, essay type, how you felt about the issue.

In case you're wondering, here is my response:

________________

I was always taught that whispering in public was rude. It makes others around uncomfortable as to what is being discussed and is exclusive-not inclusive-- to others.

Speaking in a foreign language within earshot of patients, guests or co-workers who don't understand the dialect is the same as whispering. It alienates others and by its nature says "I'm speaking about something I don't want to share with you."

In our hospital's very diverse environment, we all need to be especially sensitive to the cultures and backgrounds of others. No matter which of the dozens of languages spoken at (our hospital) we may understand, professionalism requires we adhere to the language we all speak fluently-- the one we used during our license exams and that all hospital

documents are written in.

Thank-you for asking!

_________________

Should be good fodder for discussion here.

:roll

[hapeewendy]

right now I work on a line of nurses where I am the only non phillipino speaking nurse...

it doesnt bother me one bit that they converse in phillipino , I have benefited greatly by getting to know about a culture I had no clue about previously

and the food, did I mention the food!??!?

well yummmmmmmmmy!

truthfully I do feel a little left out sometimes, not that I am paranoid and think they are badmouthing me or anything, it would just be nice to be able to join in the conversation sometimes

but sadly I struggle enough with english as it is

and yes incase youre wondering english is my first and only language

doesnt mean I cant struggle with it sometimes, specially at 4am when I'm trying my damndest to be coherent !

[Mattigan, RN]

It is rude. There were 2 docs here that would always pull that on us ( in Arabic)- and it was obvious they were saying something about the nurses. We started putting our heads together and pointedly whispering about them. They didn't like it either.

[mario_ragucci]

Okay - I don't like my American English speaking classmates and friends who do not accomodate a non-native speaker by always talking in a speed-rap and using twisted words and sentence structure.

Some folks talk to non-natives, in english, and get frustrated when they do not understand most venacular. Instead of using simple sentence structure and words, they expect everyone to speak and know english. I feel for the non-native english speakers who have to communicate with provincial Americans who can't imagine communicating in another language. I'm sorry :-(

[MollyMo]

Originally posted by SharonMH31

As long as they're not speaking to me, it doesn't matter what language they speak. I worked in a hospital in El Paso where the predominate language spoken was Spanish and yet I never felt excluded or threatened.

That makes 2 of us. I have to contend with Spanish,Tagalog, French, Creole, Yoruba, and British English. As long as it's English when you're speaking to me, say what you want how you want to each other. And I don't care if they're talking about me. If they don't have the brass to say it where I can understand it, no need to get my knickers in a twist.

[Mattigan, RN]

Originally posted by mario_ragucci

Okay - .

Some folks talk to non-natives, in english, and get frustrated when they do not understand most venacular. Instead of using simple sentence structure and words, they expect everyone to speak and know english. I feel for the non-native english speakers who have to communicate with provincial Americans who can't imagine communicating in another language. I'm sorry :-(

If someone is living in the United States of America I expect them to understand and speak English or to be making a concentrated attempt to learn. What language they speak at home is their business.

If I move to - let's say Germany- I will not expect people to speak English for my benefit. It will be my responsibility to learn to speak and understand German.

.

[Scavenger'sWife, RN]

I agree with NMA, and think it was an extremely well written response.

It does not really bother me though...as long as I can tell it is a private conversation. It DOES upset me if there are several people talking and all of a sudden two of the people say a short "something" to each other in another language...especially if they then giggle! HEY! We ALL want to hear the joke, if you don't mind!

I live in central Ohio, but we have a large and growing larger Hispanic population. I was recently on the elevator and two Hispanic doctors were the only other ones. They were having a conversation in Spanish. Now, my command of the language is weak, 5 years of it in high school in the late '60's - early '70's...but I still understood enough of the conversation to know it was about a couple of patients. (Breaking confidentiality) When I got off the elevator, I said, "Have a good day, and BTW...Yo comprendo espanol." Needless to say, they looked a little shocked! I absolutely do NOT look Hispanic (pale white skin, auburn hair), which is my point. If you (or others) are having a private conversation, be aware that you may be breaking confidentiality rules - and you never know WHO may understand you!

[zudy]

I have worked with many nationalities who spoke many different languages ( I now work in a hospital with people from 68 different countries) Somestimes when ther are a few people speaking another language and excluding others, I will walk by and say( in a joking tone) "Well, that's easy for YOU to say!" It seems say in a nice way to share with everyone, and everyone usually gets the point. I don't think it is acceptable to speak another language around pts. What if they are confused and disoriented? How scary could that be?

[Cherry Soda]

It is just really rude and insensitive

Where I work they will go on and on and on in Phillipino or Tagalog or whatever and you KNOW that they are discussing you. They are "cliquey" enough without having to speak a foreign language too.

bleh. I'm changing over to days where everyone speaks English.

Cherry

[mario_ragucci]

Americans unintentionally have the worst diction, sentence structure and subject/verb schemes, and I sympathize with both english and ESL. We use heavy venacular here and thats fine, except when a person who is ESL can't keep up. Then communicating becomes a shmaze, which is why regaining structure in their own language is a given when they get the chance.

I agree that all should speak english here, but i also think we American english speakers can improve our own language skills/set a better example. True: ultimately a person has to learn and adapt, but very few Americans can claim to be familiar with having to communicate in a second learned langauge. Love it, speak it, or leave it ! And thats that. I'm sorry :-(

[globalRN]

1. It would be rude to speak in native languages if you are not in a country where that native language is spoken and you are not in your own home

2. It is also rude when other people are excluded from the conversation and #1 also applies.

Exceptions are patients who are not fluent in English and require an interpretor

[apols_uk]

i am a foreign nurse and yes i agree its very unprofessional and rude because if two people speaks of another language ill be vey paranoid. i know it sounds un nationalistic but whenever im in a western countyr or elsewehere i speak in the best of my english

even a co filipino nurse of mine tries to speak to me in tagalog i reply in english as to send her a message that we must be professional if she still doesnt get it i try to talk to her in private in a way thats not so bossy

[apols_uk]

nevertheless i am glad that my english colleagues are keen to learn the language. i have an english nurse in recovery and handed over to me completely in tagalog very impressive some of my workmates are slowly learning them that way they are less intimidated