tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848541039913019341.post799795636015519407..comments2023-10-01T06:34:39.919-06:00Comments on Random Musings of a Tormented Mind: XL foodsKGouldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05537080163900313558noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848541039913019341.post-38869624586126072532012-10-17T06:49:25.915-06:002012-10-17T06:49:25.915-06:00It's a tough case. I know that if I said this ...It's a tough case. I know that if I said this out in public, I would be ridiculed just like the commenters on my local TVs blog were. But at the same time, I work with families on a daily basis who came to Canada speaking little-to-no english and even after being here for many years, have trouble understanding simple things. <br /><br />Just this past week we had an issue to do with that. We had put out a letter about a field trip we were taking the children on. It was in a letter, and we had the dates and times on a permission slip that each parent had to read and sign in front of us, and we had two signs up on the doors to remind everyone, but our ukrainian family did not understand. They have lived here more than 3 years and both parents work full time (one in oil and gas, the other at a health spa), but the mother arrived with her son just as we were boarding the bus. She looked very confused and said 'where are you going?'. We told her we were taking the kids to the pet store and if she had been 2 minutes later, we would have all been gone. I showed her the letter I had given everyone, and she said "I didnt know". I showed her the permission slip that SHE signed, and the two signs on the doors that said to have the children at the center by 9am, and she looked very confused and befuddled. I was very nice, don't get me wrong, but as soon as she left, all 5 teachers were like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?? If she did not understand the notes and the letter and the permission form, she could have asked. I know it's embarassing to keep asking - I lived in Germany for 2 years and had no idea what was going on sometimes and I wanted to cry in frustration - but I would take anything I didnt understand over to my german neighbour and she would go over it with me. Or I would ask my husband at the time, who was fluent in german, and he would help me. I took French for 6 years in school so I was flumoxed ending up in Germany lol. Wrong lang choice in school apparently! <br /><br />Anyhow if this mom worked at XL foods and did not understand something, would she ask? Would she sign stuff that she clearly had no idea about? She did it right in front of me and I told her outloud what she was signing and where and when we were going (which was also in writing on the paper she signed), but she did not understand. How many other people are out there that do this? And i will throw in a disclaimer that I realize there are english speaking people who sign things they do not understand as well, or forget that their is a field trip and come late, or whatever, but there is a much higher chance of this sort of thing happening if there is a language barrier. That's just a fact.KGouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05537080163900313558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848541039913019341.post-90711339093632407022012-10-15T06:11:54.744-06:002012-10-15T06:11:54.744-06:00if we are importing people who cannot communicate ...if we are importing people who cannot communicate in english, then these people should be required to speak english and read english before they are hired to do any job that the inability to speak or read could cause a problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com