I’m really starting to hate this PD courses. I’m getting eighty e-mails a day reminding me how I am incredibly behind in completing grammar exercises for PD2, or submitting my resume for evaluation for PD1. Hey. PD1 staff. Here is a message for you: ”I got a fucking job! I think my resume is fine! Piss off!”
As for the PD2 grammar exercises and paragraph writing tutorials, I really don’t care. Sure. My writing off the fly may have the occasionally misplaced hyphen or comma or letter but - after proofreading - my writing looks pretty damn good. Certainly better than your average Canadian. I have a decent grasp of the language. Yet, since I do not have the time or the patience to complete these retarded exercises, I am getting punished for it.
On the other hand, you have students at UW like Vanessa (read: illiterate Asian plagiarist) who manage to coast into the math program and will probably pass PD2 (inexplicably) because she is a foreign student. And they certainly love those foreign students. Please take note that I am not racist. I hate people regardless of racial, cultural or religious differences. But, when you use the phrase “Such as that” as a verb, noun, preposition, gerund, and occasionally form an entire sentence from it, there is a serious problem. And - in my opinion - you should be forced to learn the language before you can attend our universities.
I would not go to a university in Korea or Japan and expect the professor to speak English for me. And I would not get a job in one of these countries and force people to struggle to understand me.
Which segues into a topic I wanted to touch on a few weeks ago but I did not have the time.
Language Barriers
Canada is a multi-cultural country. I accept that. We’ve got people from the Orient. From Europe. From Africa. From South America. Hell, I’m sure we’ve got a few Australians kicking around somewhere. And I am fine with that.
What I hate though is when people come over from other countries and refuse to learn English. Yes, I know it is hard, but you should not be able to work in a country if you cannot speak that language. I have watched clients for tax preparation come in and struggle to understand Vanessa. They struggle. A procedure that could take half an hour probably lasts several hours.
And think of what happens when you do not understand English in this country. If you are working in a service position, how can you possibly know what someone is asking for? How can you explain a product or service to someone if you cannot grasp the language? How can you handle tech support? For any customer service job, you should have to be able to speak English properly.
Even in factory jobs, it should be necessary. If your supervisor is explaining to your the safety precautions and emergency response for dangerous machinery, you are putting your life and the lives of others at risk by not understanding. When your boss says “Don’t touch this red button!” and you have no idea what he means as he points to it, you may just go and push that tantalizing red button for the hell of it.
Or, you’re about to cross the road as a truck is barreling towards you. You don’t see it. Some guy yells out “Hey, get the hell off the road! You’re going to die!” And you look back, grin stupidly and say “Yes. Okay sir.” Before you know it, you’re splattered on the road wondering what he was saying.
English should be a requirement for living and working in this country. If not out of courtesy to fellow citizens, then at least for your safety in social and workplace environments.
Which brings up an interesting point about people who are mute. They have to speak American Sign Language, because they cannot speak English. Or any language, for that matter. So, as a corollary to foreigners learning English, it seems only fair that we all know American Sign Language.
I had to process a return for two mute clients a few weeks back (when I thought of this topic). And I had a bit of trouble communicating with them. So, I went online and looked up some simple ASL signs to help explain the tax return. And, ultimately, we got through the procedure okay.
So, in conclusion to all of this (because I am hungry, you are bored, and Sophie has to go outside and pee), I think that people who don’t speak English in this country need to and service personnel should be required to know American Sign Language.