【英語長文章】遇到外國人該講英文還是中文？

文/Paul Ratje

假如今天在路上遇到外國人用破中文問路，你會用中文還是英文協助他？無論在哪個城市，直接用跟對方不同的語言回話，都是非常不禮貌的。Paul製作一份問卷詢問在台灣生活過的外國朋友，他們希望怎麼跟台灣人相處呢？

According to Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency, there are about 662,000 foreign residents in Taiwan. Many of those will be here for brief stays, of maybe one or two years, while other may stay longer. For those who decide to stay longer, they often also decide to learn Mandarin Chinese. This may sound simpler than it is. In Taiwan, a country obsessed with learning English, making people understand that you want to learn Chinese can be difficult. English Island did a survey asking foreigners about their level of Mandarin and how they use it in daily life in Taiwan. The responses reveal a lot about the desires of foreigners who adapt to a society very far from their own.

From the 36 responses collected, almost 90% of the foreigners said they can speak Chinese. As a Taiwanese, would you see foreigners as speakers of Chinese?

From my perspective, being someone who has spent years learning Chinese, I would have guessed that less foreigners speak Chinese than noted in this survey, but maybe this discrepancy lies in the fact that few foreigners actually dare to use it. For me, the biggest hurdle for learning Chinese was getting Taiwanese to speak it with me.

“We have moved to a Chinese speaking culture. It is our responsibility to learn the language and adapt to the culture,” said an anonymous respondent to the survey, “Those who choose not to are simply lazy and reflect the stereotype of foreigners as indifferent to local culture.”

Indeed, a foreigner may assume when they come here that they will have to adapt to the Mandarin language, but the truth is they often stay in the foreign circles where it is easier to get along. They often never learn as much Mandarin as they thought they would.

For this question it is pretty much an even split, but “I don’t know what to expect” still comes in first place. When Taiwanese do approach me, I also don’t know what to expect. Sometimes locals will hesitate if they can’t speak English. If they are very confident, then they will use English. Other times they will just avoid me or try and use sign language. My strategy is to just start in Chinese first.

This is a very important question. 64% of foreigners who took this survey said they want Taiwanese to speak to them in Chinese, however, Taiwanese usually think that they are being polite if they use English with foreigners. Is it polite if you use English with a foreigner who has been in Taiwan learning Chinese for 6 years? In America, if I walked up to an Asian person and started speaking to him or her in Chinese they would probably be offended and say that they are American citizens or that they have lived there for years.

This brings us to the fact that, “It seems that a lot of people here assume you can’t speak Chinese if you look foreign,” says Jon, a teacher at Core & Corner in Hsinchu, “It feels like they are embarrassed about not being able to speak English. In the West, the emphasis on knowing the language of the country you live in seems to be stronger.”

The reason for this is probably because Asian countries have had to adapt to a global community which uses English as the language of communication. Taiwanese are so used to having to prepare themselves for an English work environment, until they get the job only to realize that they don’t even use English at all.

This then shifts over to the foreigner guy who is in the neighborhood 7-11. He comes up to you looking like he has a question and you feel nervous. You start thinking of how to respond to him if he talks. Then, he asks a question in Chinese. How should you answer? English or Chinese? Decide. Quickly!

Let’s say you answer in English: In this foreigner’s brain he is offended that you answered him in English. Do you even know if this guy is from an English speaking country? This encounter will be brief and he will walk away annoyed.

Let’s say you answer in Chinese: Two things could happen—he could speak brilliant Chinese or pitiful Chinese. If its brilliant, good on him. Why do you need to speak to him in English? We are in Taiwan and you shouldn’t disregard the time he spent adapting to your country’s language and culture. If his Chinese is at a lower level, then you will probably end up speaking some Chinese and mostly English. Either way, you will have had a more meaningful encounter than if you disrespected that person answering in English. You may even have a new neighborhood friend.

In any country, the worst thing you can do is respond to someone in a language that is not the same as the question they asked you, especially if that is the language they asked you in is the language of the given country. If you do that, you are categorizing this person because of their appearance and it is offensive. In the West, I can’t just assume you are not from my country because of how you look.

If you respond to a foreigner who asks you a question in Chinese with English, it is just the same as me walking around Times square saying ‘nihao’ or ‘konichiwa’ to anyone with an Asian face.

This question is an important question for both Taiwanese and foreigners. Should foreigners be encouraged to learn Mandarin? In my experience we are not because our purpose here is to teach you English. There would have been no bonus or promotion or raise at your workplace for having ability in Mandarin and this is why most foreigners give up and just use basic Mandarin if they need it.

The other side of the problem though is that Taiwanese let foreigners get away with not learning Mandarin because they can practice their English with those foreigners who give up. In reality, Mandarin is one of the biggest languages in the world with more native speakers than any other language, isn’t it strange that Asia is learning English and not Chinese?

For others, like former English teacher, Scott, trying to speak Mandarin to locals could be disheartening, “I lived in Taiwan from 2010 until 2014. I found that although I worked hard on my Mandarin and made it to a solid upper intermediate level by the end, that I often felt frustrated in my attempts to use the language,” he said, “I felt like for many people that speaking English with a foreigner was a matter of pride and that using Chinese would have caused them to lose face.”

This all may have to do with what parents teach their kids and how the education system enforces the importance of English. “There’s too much emphasis in Taiwanese education on English,” says an anonymous respondent to the survey. “Parents frequently encourage and force their kids to speak to western foreigners in English. Children sometimes laugh when they hear a westerner speaking Mandarin as it’s such an unexpected and rare occurrence for them.”

As a Taiwanese learning English, how would you feel if I laughed in your face when you made a sentence in English?

Quite simply, many foreigners lack the confidence to speak Chinese with the locals. Routine things like dealing with people at the market, going to the post office or visiting the doctor can be difficult. But how do working foreigners find the time to practice their Chinese? This problem really is only their own, because anyone who has the motivation to learn a second language will do it, no matter how little time they have.

As a foreigner who has lived in Taiwan, I have come across many Taiwanese who just talk to me so they can practice their English. How do I know? Well after I start speaking Chinese to them, they begin to avoid contact. How does that make me feel? Well it pretty much feels like getting to know the Mandarin language is useless and that Taiwanese don’t care if I care about their culture and language. This happens about 50% of the time, but those few people who do this really leave a lasting impression. (If I am your English language teacher, there is an understanding that it is my job to help you learn English.)

After years living here, I don’t think language is a good basis for friendship, unless it is a mutual thing where two language partners share time practicing. In this regard, most foreigners who learn Chinese would be on the same page: If a language interaction is one sided, it can be frustrating. For example, if I were a Taiwanese person learning English in America and I had an American “friend” who was always speaking to me in Chinese, regardless of my English ability, this would be one sided and selfish of him or her. However, if I spoke to this friend in both English and Chinese, it would feel like we were equals and the exchange would be mutual.

But let’s be real. Do you think you would be speaking any Chinese in America with Americans? Most likely not. So for foreigners in Taiwan trying to integrate by learning Chinese, should they really have to speak to you in English? After all the dominant language in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese.

In the end friendship shouldn’t be about which language you speak, but if you initiate the friendship so you can practice a foreign language, then you may encounter such feelings. My best advice: If you are hanging out with foreigners just relax and have fun. You will probably have many opportunities to speak English, while respecting those who care enough to integrate into Taiwanese society. My best friends in Taiwan are those who let me integrate into Taiwanese social circles. We use Chinese and English. On the flip side, with 8 out of 10 foreigners, you will probably end up speaking English.

期待台灣人給外籍人士一個融入台灣的機會
The best way to make friends with foreigners is by understanding who they are. Foreigners should do the same when they get to know you. Just as you should think about your foreign friend’s needs, they should think about yours.

Remember that you don’t know where a foreigner comes from before you talk to them and that they may not even speak English. Give them the chance to integrate in your culture. After all, if you are friends, there is always a chance to speak English. Just ask.

本文收錄於英語島English Island 2016年12月號