Should bilingual co-workers chat in their native tongue?
Q. Is it proper etiquette in an English speaking call center for two bilingual people to hold a nonbusiness conversation in Spanish?
D. K., Lithonia, Ga.
A. It can be frustrating when two people are talking in a language you don’t understand. Basically, anytime people are in close proximity to each other and they are communicating in a way that other people can’t understand, they should speak in a language everyone can understand or move to a more private place.
The problem is one of perspective. For the people conversing in another language, it’s a nonbusiness conversation. A person whose primary language is German told me that after hours of speaking English, it was a pleasure for him to be able to talk with a friend for a few minutes in German. From the perspective of the person who doesn’t understand what is being said, the perception is that the content of the conversation is gossip or something they don’t want others to hear. Whenever a person is excluded, whatever the reason, it can cause misunderstandings. Unfortunately, speaking in a language that others don’t understand is a form of exclusion, just as whispering is.
The bottom line: If you want a break from speaking in a language that is not your primary language, try to do it in a way that won’t be misperceived by others and don’t use the privacy it affords to gossip or hide your conversation. On the other hand, if two people are speaking in a language you don’t understand, try to give them the benefit of the doubt and don’t assume they are doing anything other than enjoying a few minutes of respite from work. The real remedy is a healthy dose of thoughtfulness on everyone’s part.
E-mail questions about business etiquette to etiquetteatwork@emilypost.com. If your letter appears in this column, you will receive a copy of Peter Post’s ”The Etiquette Advantage in Business.” 
