Dear Europeans:

[SPACERITUAL]

Do you guys think its rude or impolite to ask about your language? I am an automation engineer and deal with alot of european coworkers and clients, and as a result have to interpret alot of documents in foreign languages, mostly in german but also french and sometimes italian or chinese. The problem with this is that alot of engineering terms (especially electrical) just straightup dont translate because of usage or jargon, so I find myself having to ask in person.

The situation I find myself in is that the person generally will want to tell you what it means but will try and avoid actually telling you what the words themselves mean. When I ask for the individual words or to break down the grammar, I find that almost universally, whether various european languages or asian etc etc, is that it appears that these requests make people very uncomfortable. They always get a very panicky look on their face and will feign ignorance or sometimes outright ignore the question.

Now I deal with multimillion dollar international deals frequently and I have what has been remarked to be almost clinically good manners. When I try and understand someone elses language the facial and body posture reactions are almost like Ive asked what color their wifes panties were that morning.

The only possibility I have been able to work out is that I am putting them "on the spot" so to speak, in that I am assuming that they both understand what they have written in their language and, conversely, how it works in mine, but Ive heard too many of them lament the average americans understanding of other languages to actually consider this possibility.

Thoughts?

[sylnau]

I'm not European... but...

I totally understand... I work as a programmer/network security. My mother tongue is french but I generally prefer to read technical documents in english.
French translation make me laught most of the time.

[SPACERITUAL]

Dude i was just in quebec city and saguenay for like three months last year. I totally spaced but i should have MSGd you.

[sylnau]

I'm in Quebec City.

[SPACERITUAL]

I was there for a minute. I stayed in ancienne lorette so I usually just went to the Archibald across the street from my hotel but i also went to griendel and noctem alot. Also theres a little boardgame bar right next to ubisoft that my partner kept making me go to.

[sylnau]

Yep ! I know where it is. Archibald is not really my type of place. We also have La Barberie and Korrigane which I prefer. Le Projet and Bateau de Nuit are also some cool place.

[Invisible Man]

I have what has been remarked to be almost clinically good manners

Super obvious; doy; very apparent, &c.

My experience is that no one understands their syntax/language construction the way you'd expect them to. Not many native English speakers understand gerunds, dangling participles, why we order/organize adjectives the way we do, &c. And studying them doesn't always clear things up.

So you're panicking them, and many cultures don't react as brazenly to embarrassment as we do, I guess.

[Tristan]

Yeah, I'd also say you catch them on something they don't know how to explain, that's why they're embarrassed I guess.
You: "Hey, awesome computer program lingo guy at the multi-million dollar company with a load of responsibility, how does that work in your language?"
Other guy (thinks): "Shit fuck, I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to say on that, what kind of question is that, didn't expect that." *looks embarrassed*


So yeah, study more, harder, faster.
You know it's right.
It's good, very good.
You know it.
It's true.

[popvulture]

Yeah, just on the spot. It's like walking into a record store wanting to buy things, then immediately forgetting everything you e been thinking of buying. Maybe just needs some additional ice-breakage? Like "hope I didn't make you uncomfortable having to explain that over a language barrier—I'm just interested and would like to learn more."

I can be an expert on something, but suddenly seemingly know nothing about it when asked. Happens to me all the time.

[D.o.S.]

^^ cosigned on that one.

And, unrelated, but too good not to share somewhere