Why "English-language privilege" is really a much greater issue than "White privilege"

**~~JamesBond007~~** · 10-31-2022, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Ruggery

It could be said that Northern Ireland was a colony at least in the beginning.

**Tooting Carmen** · 11-17-2022, 05:58 PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-63642042

**Tooting Carmen** · 11-22-2022, 06:19 PM

Today I came across a book called Ethical Traveller by Imogen Lepere. Of its one hundred tips on how to travel ethically, one tip that was curiously absent was "learn the local language".

**Tooting Carmen** · 04-10-2023, 07:49 PM

A rising French politician is worried that not speaking English will affect his celebrity status!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65186539

**Ruggery** · 04-11-2023, 02:34 AM

Originally Posted by Tooting Carmen

A rising French politician is worried that not speaking English will affect his celebrity status!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65186539

France is one of the few countries in Western Europe where English is not very good.

**Tooting Carmen** · 04-11-2023, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Ruggery

France is one of the few countries in Western Europe where English is not very good.

Actually, as I have said before, the French are much better linguists than the stereotype (and not just with English either): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langua...nion#Knowledge

**Dandelion** · 04-11-2023, 10:46 AM

Well, most Flemish prefer learning English over any other languages because it is more rewarding. It's not ungrateful to know English and make a mistake her and there still.

Anglophones rarely treat a Dutch-speakers speaking English like shit. But English is also easier to learn and everywhere around us, and also a Germanic language close to Dutch.

**Tooting Carmen** · 06-21-2023, 12:20 AM

Some good articles:
https://linguisticpulse.com/2013/06/...hy-it-matters/
https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2021/0...glish-speaker/
https://travellemming.com/travel-privilege-english/

**Tooting Carmen** · 06-21-2023, 12:45 AM

I was briefly watching the European Nations Final the other day hosted in Rotterdam, and what really struck me was how the advertising and announcements were conducted entirely in English. This is despite the fact that (a) the official language of the host country is Dutch and (b) the official languages of the two participating teams/nations are Spanish and Croat respectively.