English spoken here
I wish people who work in the UK could speak English. In a low-skilled job, it’s about the most basic requirement. And I’m not looking for Lucian Freud to flip my burgers, just a basic understanding if not command of the language.
I don’t know if there are people who do speak English and are looking for work and can’t get it, but now that we have a minimum wage, they should really get the jobs over people who can’t. All things being equal, if a job requires no qualifications, then a need to speak English ought to clinch it.
I can say this objectively because I used to live in a foreign country and I used to get annoyed at British people abroad who didn’t learn the language of the country they lived in to when there was a clear need to.
This weekend I went into MacDonalds and placed my order. Being a vegetarian, I always have to wait for my meal because they have to make it fresh because it’s so rare a veggy would eat there. So I get to sit back and watch the world a while.
This lady comes in behind me and places a quick order for one to take away. As she pays and waits for her food, she says to the person at the till:
“Do you know if this road goes to Eton?”
“Eat in?”
“No, take away.”
“OK. Take away.”
“Do you know if this road,” she points to the road behind her, “goes to Eton?”
“You eat in, OK.”
“No. I want a road-”
“-ah, ok, you takeaway. OK.”
“- to Eton.”
“You eat in? You want take away.”
“I want to know if this road goes to Eton.”
“Road?”
Jesus. Funny though.