Is it annoying when someone assumes that you only speak English?

[hansioux]

Hi, I am new to Forumosa. I'm a Taiwanese American who moved back to Taiwan since 2007. I speak fluent English and Mandarin, but since I can pass for a Taiwanese guy who has never left the island, I know of no one who speaks English fluently also (outside of school and work that is). Lately, I can hear the Taiwanese accent rubbing off on me. So sometimes I get the urge to talk to someone in English about non-work related stuff.

Sometimes, when I see someone who doesn't look Taiwanese, I would want to go talk with them. Cause when I was living in El Paso, Texas and someone from Taiwan came over and talked to me in Mandarin or Taiwanese, I would get a kick out of it. Now, so far I haven't tried. Usually when someone needs direction or help in English and comes up to me then I am glad to help, but I haven't just went up to someone and try to make conversation in English. I mean, would it be weird or impolite to do so?

[Kobayashi]

You can't really compare speaking Chinese in El Paso to speaking English in Taiwan.

Personally I get people trying, in some way, to practice their English for free with me every day. It gets annoying.

[headhonchoII]

I find it's okay as long as the person can hold a conversation and not ask boring repetitive questions.

[hansioux]

You can't really compare speaking Chinese in El Paso to speaking English in Taiwan.

Personally I get people trying, in some way, to practice their English for free with me every day. It gets annoying.

Yeah, that's what I thought. At work my co-workers know that I speak English, and I think sometimes they want to practice their English with me, but I have a hard time switching to speaking English with them... I have no idea why it feels so odd to speak English to them...

[Petrichor]

I think you do run the risk of speaking to someone who's lived here for many years and is tired of Taiwanese people speaking to them just in order to practise their English. So if I were you I'd only pick people who look like tourists or recent arrivals. Or better still, why not seek a language exchange partner? That way you both get something out of it.

[TheGingerMan]

Why not just go up and talk to someone at a bar, and start shooting the breeze? I've met some Taiwanese Americans, and Taiwanese Euros, in just that fashion, and have always been interested to hear about their experiences.

[archylgp]

I find it's okay as long as the person can hold a conversation and not ask boring repetitive questions.

Yeah -- If you speak English fluently and have something interesting to say, I don't think it will be considered rude...

[Chris]

I don't find it annoying when people here assume I only speak English. After all, it's a logical conclusion to draw.

[hansioux]

Why not just go up and talk to someone at a bar, and start shooting the breeze? I've met some Taiwanese Americans, and Taiwanese Euros, in just that fashion, and have always been interested to hear about their experiences.

I am in the Hsinchu area, and frankly don't know many places where i can do that. Got any suggestions? I know Taipei is filled with places like that.

[Icon]

I think it is difficult just to approach strangers and say hi Maybe I am shy or something, even if you are also a foreigner myself. We've got a couple of foreigners around the block, and I have hardly said hello. Recently, I heard them speaking together, they're French, and that's all I know. I'v tried sometimes to greet the newbies in the hood -seems there are more and more these days- and still it is not easy.

In the new, fancy high rise in the hood, I've seen a foreign Mom sending her kid to school every day. I'd love to say hi, she looks a bit Latina, but I also have the same ehem-ehem apprehension. I gues sit is easier as the guys say here if you are in an already social situation -a bar - or language exchange.