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but people do appreciate when immigrants make an effort to integrate.

My accent is changing to be a basterdized hybrid that I've not tried to consciously influence either way.  But I've been asked a number of times on the phone if it's my attempt "to pose" or "to hide" my original accent.  That and of course, the ever popular "go back to your own country" more times than I can count.  

Perhaps my bitterness in relation to this influences my desire to continue on with "tire" with an I, but perhaps if I'm to integrate a little effort could be made on the British side to then not accuse me of trying to "pose" when adapting.

What someone does in their day to day life is totally different than what they do at work.  It's no one's business, whether the government or a fellow resident (even if that resident happens to be a citizen), what language or dialect someone uses.  It would be something else entirely if people were expecting British people to speak their language or learn their dialect.  We aren't talking about Americans insisting that British people start spelling it "tire".

Not everyone who comes here to live does so to become British-like.  It's long been questioned whether a multi-cultural society can expect their immigrants to assimilate or if the culture should instead change because of immigration (think a bit like the melting pot).  A country which has immigration is going to change, even if most are mostly assimilating.  It's up to the UK (and other places) to decide whether those changes are worth the benefits of immigration or if the drawbacks of pulling up the drawbridges and stocking the moat with alligators would be worth it.

I personally love British culture, and I don't think they are wrong when they say things like "left ten nant".  I just hope that when I accidentally say "loo ten ent", and they know what I mean, a big song and dance isn't made of it.  If you're my boss, sure correct me.  If you're some woman ahead of me in the queue at Sainsbury's, please don't get all pedantic on me when you overhear me. 

We're not exactly talking about people advocating dangerous activities here.  We're talking about a language that for the most part is understood most of the time on both sides of the pond.

What someone does in their day to day life is totally different than what they do at work.  It's no one's business, whether the government or a fellow resident (even if that resident happens to be a citizen), what language or dialect someone uses.  It would be something else entirely if people were expecting British people to speak their language or learn their dialect.  We aren't talking about Americans insisting that British people start spelling it "tire".

Not everyone who comes here to live does so to become British-like.  It's long been questioned whether a multi-cultural society can expect their immigrants to assimilate or if the culture should instead change because of immigration (think a bit like the melting pot).  A country which has immigration is going to change, even if most are mostly assimilating.  It's up to the UK (and other places) to decide whether those changes are worth the benefits of immigration or if the drawbacks of pulling up the drawbridges and stocking the moat with alligators would be worth it.

I personally love British culture, and I don't think they are wrong when they say things like "left ten nant".  I just hope that when I accidentally say "loo ten ent", and they know what I mean, a big song and dance isn't made of it.

Exactly. I'm not sure I could ever say "leftenant" either! lol

I just hope that when I accidentally say "loo ten ent", and they know what I mean, a big song and dance isn't made of it.

I think that the reaction may depend on whether people like you as an individual or not, and whether they perceive you as being deliberately "in your face".

I think that the reaction may depend on whether people like you as an individual or not, and whether they perceive you as being deliberately "in your face".

Why would it be their business?

I have no idea how my post asking how to spell certain words the British way, went to arguing about Brits vs. Americans, to antisemitism, to Spanglish??? Simply, I wanted to know how to spell certain words for later use, and I received helpful links thanks to Geeta.  I understand people have opinions, but how this post got turned upside down is beyond me.   

Please don't be upset erikab.  Sometimes discussions get lively and take a turn--it's just organic when it happens--it's a good thing, I think--keeps ya thinking!

I have no idea how my post asking how to spell certain words the British way, went to arguing about Brits vs. Americans, to antisemitism, to Spanglish??? Simply, I wanted to know how to spell certain words for later use, and I received helpful links thanks to Geeta.  I understand people have opinions, but how this post got turned upside down is beyond me.   

It's the UKY way! 

Im not upset, im just surprised how it turned so many different directions lol.  

Im not upset, im just surprised how it turned so many different directions lol.  

Oh, good!   

Wow this thread has been around the world. Interesting. And some what educative.

Hey GrumpyJet, Going Postal is phrase I use quite a bit. Don't think a lot of people are familiar with it here but I suppose between me and you, we will get this one into the language. Though people may not know it, I am sure they understand exactly what I mean when I say it.

And -ize was used here quite extensively about 40 years ago. I adopted the -ise way and only found after it became habit that -ize is correct.

But I really don't take offense if someone corrects my spelling or usage, provided they are knowledgeable enough to correct it. Once nearly went postal when someone pointed out my use of than and said I should use then such as I would rather be a hammer than a nail. Even tried to say Paul Simon was wrong!

Sometimes I wish I was enough of an ass to correct others but THEN I might be be considered pendantic. My favourite book is a dictionary. 

This has actually been a very friendly debate/chat. I like it. Just the damn thing keeps giving me the Warning - while you were typing ...

Oh, and to add to it:  my manager at work said she feels that immigrants (or non-English speaking EU citizens) should speak English to each other (I can understand at work) all the time so that "they learn English" more quickly.  i.e.  Two Polish women walking down the street should not speak Polish to each other, but English.  I disagree!

Oh, and to add to it:  my manager at work said she feels that immigrants (or non-English speaking EU citizens) should speak English to each other (I can understand at work) all the time so that "they learn English" more quickly.  i.e.  Two Polish women walking down the street should not speak Polish to each other, but English.  I disagree!

I disagree as well, in your own time you should speak, spell, act however you want!

However I actually got quite annoyed in Tesco today as the bag packer (I didn't even want my bags packed) and the cashier were chatting loudly in their own language and didn't say hello, grabbed my shopping and shoved it in bags and were obviously laughing at my shopping etc (no idea why!) I think it's hugely rude to talk in front of people in your own language if you're at work.

It used to really bother me if my mum spoke indonesian to me when I was a kid deliberately in front of people so they didn't know what we were saying. Just seemed rude to me, even as a child.  Which is probably why I refused to speak the language at all and have completely lost that skill (can understand a very small amount) such a shame!

As a language teacher I can tell you that speaking "Spanglish" is actually an effort to integrate with the US.   

That's funny because all of my close Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban friends have always told me they speak Spanglish out of habit.  Most of them where born and raised in the US and learned English in school the same as I did...and learned Spanish from their immigrated parents.

I think it's hugely rude to talk in front of people in your own language if you're at work.

Definitely.  I also think it's really rude if you're with people socially and one or two don't speak your language (unless they are trying to learn it).

Language is meant to be a way to communicate.  A secondary effect is that it communicates a lot about the speaker and tells the listener a bit about the tribe or tribes to which the communicator belongs. An amount of tribal pride will crop up when there's differences in that language, but I think that some people feel more justified to cross the line with that tribalism when the person they are asserting it against is an immigrant.  They probably wouldn't dream of making that correction in most other situations, no matter how wrong they feel the speaker is in how they are communicating.