Two in five people in parts of Britain do not speak English as their main language, f
 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle4824715.ece


Bloody New Labours 13 years
if not getting them to speak English

I'm not surprised. My workmates only speak their own language, never in english. They just don't want to. :bored:

Funny, there have been ESOL courses ran in collleges up and down the country for years.....

Thats what is Wrong
Any Age can learn English.

Well it's because we have these Ghettos. If you live and work in a community where all your own people are, there's no real need to learn English.

That doesn't necessarily mean they don't speak good English though, if I moved to France I could become near fluent in French but English would still be my first language

Ohhhhh I misread the title as not speaking English at all

No one is outraged at all the ex pats that don't bother learning languages.

I don't understand why this is news, or why this matters. Unless you're horrendously ignorant.

Imagine the UK being struck with great poverty, so you move to France... Is it news that you don't speak French as your first language? Does it matter that your first language is still English.

A lot of people who move to England from other countries will not speak English as their first language. You're just gonna have to grow up and get used to it.

I dont care if they dont speak english as their 'main' language..as long as they can speak some english or are trying to learn to.

I really hate going to our corner shop. The guys can actually speak perfect english but they speak in their own language the majority of the time if customers are in which I find piss ignorant tbh.

It isn't ignorant to speak in your first language..

You wouldn't move to France with your English friends and speak to them in French regardless of how fluent you are. You'd speak to your English friends in English because it would be stupidly illogical not to do so.

I don't think it matters as long as they can speak english. I couldn't live in a country on a permanent basis if I didn't understand the language.

Thats not this Topic.

Whether they speak English as their first language, second language, or not at all is really their business. I think it would be helpful to speak some English if you live in England , but each person has their own unique situation.

It is, my big green amigo. That's this situation in reverse. I believe in liberty, and forcing people to learn a language seems wrong. I can't read the article because of where it's linked to, but if they can get by, then that is their choice.