Blatant show of dissatisfaction-Cut the bandits in his traks

[eru]

The times when we get some smartass language parasite trying to flaunt English in front of his/her friends or trying to use us for language practice can be pretty frustrating times for any serious language learner. However I have recently thought about this kind of coping strategy.

It may be quite rude. But it should get the job done. Please note that I have not tried it myself. I got the idea from seeing what a Greek man did when my mother tried to speak English to him. He either didn't want to speak English or couldn't. Anyway what he did may be a useful stategy for ourselves.

When approached in English, he simple muttered under his breath "English!!!" as though he was disgusted by the attempt to speak to him in the language. Then he just kept working as though nothing had even happened. Remember, how you say it is really important for it to have an effect. You must sound as negative as possible.

Maybe we too could do something similar. When some jackass speaks AT us in English when we are in Japan for example, we could just mutter "kuso eigo" (Damn English!) in a really disgusted tone. Of course you could do it for any language. Once you have done it, you are supposed to keep on doing whatever you are doing as to show the bandit that you have no time for his unintelligible broken English.

Of course it would be extremely rude, especially in Japan, but if we really are not in a good mood, and if we really don't have time for their bullcrap, then why not? They will certainly get the point if they have ant sense at all.

[henrikabsu]

I like it!! Personally if it is a bandit-infested country, and you never had a stranger come up to you with good intentions in years of living there, there is no reason not to treat them like a bum begging for money. I guess all techniques could be put into 3 categories, and this would go into the first in my mind, so for a #1 strategy I think it's perfect:

(1) Strangers - you don't know them, you don't know if their intention is to scam or rob you or anything, there is no social repercussions if you treat them like absolute dirt, so if bandits in the past have made you feel badly enough to treat them as dirt -- go right ahead.

(2) Friends or acquaintances of friends - Unfortunately there is social pressure to at least not cuss them out or do like the above. Just as respect to your friend you'll have to give the outward appearance of being polite. Still, that is absolutely no reason you must agree to speak any English with them. You can just be polite and say (in target language) "oh, nice, your English is excellent. Sorry, I'm not really in the mood to practice with you today." or something similar. Put the social pressure back on them to be "polite" as well and accept your "polite" refusal with grace. If they do cross the line and get pissy — then you have a license to move them to category 1.

(3) Workplace or business colleagues - You might have no choice but to humor them. It really depends on the power structure and if you are the boss or not. Worst case is that you speak English with them, but you make it as uncomfortable as possible. You can use colloquialisms they can't understand and they "be nice" by offering to translate until the collapse?? Something like that...

[eru]

Yes. You have a point. There is a time and place for everything. Of course all strategies have different characterists and therefore are intend for different situations. I like the way you divide them up into classes!

When I go to Japan this year, I think I will reserve this type of method for the smug asshole university students who are not only too trigger happy with English, but purposely select friends on the basis of what languages they speak. Obviously to use them for one thing. By using this method with them, I hope to put them off me completely so that any people who are looking for English speaking friends with choose to stay away from me! If I can build up a repulation that I will be no sucker, the times in which someone attempts to use my as a language practice tool will diminish in theory.

Or maybe I will be more reasonable and explain honestly why I don't have time to speak English with them. If they are too stupid or too ignorant to take a hint, only then will I resort to the blatant show of dissatisfaction strategy.

I have heared that in the halls of residence of Japanese universities, many westerners have had problems with Chinese exchange students who refuse to speak to any white people in Japanese, even Russians who barely know English. I think using methods like this, level (1) methods, is appropriate for such blatantly aggressive bandits like those Chinese exchange students. I will be spending a year abroad in Japan starting from this summer, and I don't intent to take any crap from any aggressive maoist bandits!

As for situation number 3 which you have mentioned, thankfully I come from a rather rural area, and so I can speak a very broad dialect if I want! It even has the remains of the case system of old English in its pronouns and may be very difficult for foreigners to understand. Especially when exaggerated!