Why do so many Taiwanese speak English to foreigners?

[Rocket]

@kitkatkuo

I had no idea. I am really bad at history and fall half asleep when anyone mentions history or politics. But i did visit Newfoundland and found i understood them unless they were joking around and decided to speak in their …ummm accent and phrases. They even had a newfie dictionary.

Fair enough.
They make more fun of it than anyone else.

Sorry if I sounded snarky.

[Rocket]

@Mr.Lin

@Rocket

You should learn more about your country.

Are Canadians all like you, Mr. Rocket?
It may affect my willingness to visit Canada.

A nation mourns.

[junoreactor]

In Canada I worked with a guy from PEI, very hard worker and lovely guy but he was speaking so fast, was hard for me to get what he was saying sometimes.

[Mr.Lin]

@Rocket

A nation mourns.

I don’t know why, but everytime I surf this forum, I think of something annoying happened to me before.

Years ago, a Canadian in Taiwan told me I should go to Vancouver if I want to visit Canada, because there are many Chinese there.

The more I think about, the more I think I should have got angry and offended about it.

[junoreactor]

Lol yeah that is a very stupid thing to say.

[Mr.Lin]

@junoreactor

Lol yeah that is a very stupid thing to say.

I’m not unhappy about his usage of word(Chinese/Taiwanese). Of course he meant ethnicity in his comtext.
If he says I should go there because there are many Taiwanese there, I will still feel the same way.

Imagine I tell a Westerner, you should go to Tianmu District in Tapei, because there are many foreigners like you there.

It’s the idea that you guys look alike so you should go there that I find inappropriate.

[nonredneck]

@Mr.Lin

Imagine I tell a Westerner, you should go to Tianmu District in Tapei, because there are many foreigners like you there.

It’s the idea that you guys look alike so you should go there that I find inappropriate.

Ummm… I’ve had a good number of Taiwanese either imply I live in tianmu because I’m not Taiwanese or tell me I should live there.

So if you did that, it would be normal Taiwanese behavior from what I’ve experienced.

[Brianjones]

Maybe they speak so fast because a lot of their ancestors were from Cork.

True story
When I visited North America first I always wondered why everybody was speaking so God damn slowly , did they think we were retards or something?

On the other hand not being able to understand (keep up with) people from PEI or Cork might be an advantage.

[Mr.Lin]

@nonredneck

it would be normal Taiwanese behavior from what I’ve experienced.

It is not so unexpected for Taiwanese to say/do such a thing, but quite unexpected for Canadians to say/do such a thing.

What I expected to hear was, “You should go to Vancouver. The food there is great, it’s a beautiful city, you’re gonna have fun there.”
Not “You should go to Vancouver, because there’re many Chinese there.”

[nonredneck]

@Mr.Lin

What I expected to hear was, “You should go to Vancouver. The food there is great, it’s a beautiful city, you’re gonna have fun there.”
Not “You should go to Vancouver, because there’re many Chinese there.”

I’ve heard Canadians complain that lots of Asians don’t really want to integrate in Canada and they keep to their own ethic enclaves. So I think it’s probably along the lines of that.

[Mr.Lin]

@nonredneck

I’ve heard Canadians complain that lots of Asians don’t really want to integrate in Canada and they keep to their own ethic enclaves.

I think you’ve got a point.

To be fair, I’ve also heard and seen a few people who has gotten their APRCs and has been living in Taiwan for over a decade not speaking a word of Mandarin or Taiwanese.
But a person in Taiwan who speaks only English would have a lot more freedom and a bigger bubble to live in than a person in Canada who speaks only Mandarin or Taiwanese. So, it’s kind of similar, but not exactly the same thing.

Anyway, I don’t agree with behaviors like this.
If I’m gonna live in a place for over 10 years, I’m sure I will learn the local language and try my best to blend in with the locals. But that’s just me. Others can always make their own choices.

[Gain]

I don’t really understand the question. What language should people use to communicate with foreigners then? Esperanto?

[Mr.Lin]

@Brianjones

When I visited North America first I always wondered why everybody was speaking so God damn slowly , did they think we were retards or something?

North American English is distinctively slow, loud, and clear in each word, compared to British and Irish English.
It makes their voices sound louder, too. So, it perpetuates their image of being loud mouths, too.

[ranlee]

@Brianjones

When I visited North America first I always wondered why everybody was speaking so God damn slowly , did they think we were retards or something?

I think this solely depends on where you’re visiting.

One can assume in a hustle bustle of a city, people would speak quicker than some random middle of nowhere town in the US mid west.

I grew up in a small town on the US east coast, but whenever my friend from the US west coast came to visit, it was very clear that she was never in a hurry with her words. I lost count of how many times she was like, “chill, we don’t need to be in a hurry”

[Mr.Lin]

Hustle and bustle in NYC be like
https://youtu.be/PyG2jtA_rd8

[BHL4life]

@Mr.Lin

But a person in Taiwan who speaks only English would have a lot more freedom and a bigger bubble to live in than a person in Canada who speaks only Mandarin or Taiwanese

got any stats to back up your ramblings there buddy?

[ranlee]

@BHL4life

got any stats to back up your ramblings there buddy?

[tempogain]

I think you’ve been watching too many soap operas, Mr. Lin.

[Rocket]

@tempogain

I think you’ve been watching too many soap operas, Mr. Lin.

Or eating too much soap.

[Mr.Lin]

Why does it need any statistics to prove?

If a person lives in Taiwan but only speaks English, he could get tons of Taiwanese who speak English to socialize with. Even some shopkeepers in 7-11 speak decent English.
Not being able to speak the local language doesn’t affect much to that person.

On the contrary, if a person lives in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, etc, but only speaks Mandarin or Taiwanese, the only place where he could possibly find someone to communicate with is the local Chinese/Taiwanese neighborhood/community. Not being able to speak the local language affects badly to that person.

How many Westerners speak Mandarin or Taiwanese?
How many non-Westerners speak English?
It’s so obvious.