What Regulations covers the use of foreign languages in the duty place?

2015-07-07T10:11:11-04:00

Can someone please tell me the regulation against speaking Spanish at work. I am the only black soldier that is tasked out on a special detail, all the rest of the soldiers are Hispanic and one Asian. Every time I come around they start speaking Spanish so that I can be excluded out of their conversations even when we are about to do a mission. What's even worse is the E5 is basically egging them on. I am fed up with the language barrier even when I clearly made it obvious that they need to speak in English I was basically told to shut up by the E5. Is it time for me to go to EO?

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2015 10:12 AM

2015-07-07T10:12:24-04:00

sorry to hear that,,,

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Jul 7 at 2015 10:13 AM

2015-07-07T10:13:41-04:00

I'm not sure what Army regs are, but in Air Force you are required to speak English, (unless there's some linguist stuff going on). I don't think it's a big deal if there's a private conversation away from the group, however, putting aside regulations, it's rude to do it in front of everyone.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Jul 7 at 2015 10:16 AM

2015-07-07T10:16:00-04:00

AR 600-20 defines the operational language of the Army, among tons of other command issues and equal opportunity. Its a good regulation to get aquainted with.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jul 7 at 2015 10:16 AM

2015-07-07T10:16:34-04:00

CPL Private RallyPoint Member - The issue should be raised to the attention of the 1SG at least. The communication barrier to preventing you from being successful on your detail and needs to be addressed accordingly.

Response by SrA Jonathan Carbonaro made Jul 7 at 2015 10:19 AM

2015-07-07T10:19:28-04:00

Here is an idea. Learn Spanish?
I'm not going to tell you not to go to EO. However if you go, you may win the Battle, and they will have to speak English. But you're work atmosphere may get worse, and not in a way that you can go to EO about again to make better.
I've seen someone write a statement snitching on her co-workers for a Underage Drinking, and contributing incident. That made her a outcast on her flight, boyfriend dumped her, the flight wanted nothing to do with her, and she still got a 15 for the UAD.
Good luck though, in whatever you decide, personally I'd try to learn spanish...

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jul 7 at 2015 10:28 AM

2015-07-07T10:28:37-04:00

AR 600-20. No rule against that, unless it is hurting readiness.

4–13. Army language policy
English is the operational language of the Army. Soldiers must maintain sufficient proficiency in English to perform their military duties. Their operational communications must be understood by everyone who has an official need to know their content, and, therefore, must normally be in English. However, commanders may not require Soldiers to use English unless such use is clearly necessary and proper for the performance of military functions. Accordingly, commanders may not require the use of English for personal communications that are unrelated to military functions.

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_20.pdf

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2015 10:42 AM

2015-07-07T10:42:45-04:00

IMHO, you should not HAVE to learn to speak Spanish. Now, if they are giving a mission brief in Spanish only, and you are being left out of critical details, then yes, you have an EO complaint. Especially if the NCO is telling you to shut up. Before you take it to the EO Rep though, I would recommend that you speak with your Squad Leader first. Try and solve it at the lowest level first before you escalate it to the EO. That being said, it would be more beneficial to you to learn Spanish (especially if you learn it well enough that you take the DLAB and pass it to where you can earn extra money).

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made Jul 7 at 2015 11:28 AM

2015-07-07T11:28:49-04:00

As an NCO, if you can't do your job because the ones beneath you are speaking another language, that's a problem. If another NCO is actively interfering (and being unprofessional about it!) that's a problem. Start taking it up the chain.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2015 12:54 PM

2015-07-07T12:54:09-04:00

Why do you care, SPC. Why wasting your energy on that?

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 7 at 2015 2:16 PM

2015-07-07T14:16:00-04:00

Learn Spanish !

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2015 5:01 PM

2015-07-07T17:01:32-04:00

I'm a black CW2, I speak four foreign languages, including Spanish, and I'm a graduate of an official EO Leader's course.

CPL Private RallyPoint Member , you should not have to learn Spanish. If they are deliberately excluding you by speaking Spanish, you may very well have an EO complaint. You definitely have a hostile work environment complaint, which is more IG than EO, but there's another factor here: are you the only woman in your workplace?

In any case, if they're having WORK conversations, those need to be in English. Print out the copy of AR 600-20, Chapter 4, Paragraph 13 already cited, and take it to the E-5. If told to shut up, take it up the NCO support channel. Give your platoon sergeant a chance to fix the problem before going to EO. If the problem can't get fixed, then DEFINITELY go to EO.

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This is a completely different situation than having a personal conversation. These soldiers are making a deliberate effort to exclude their fellow soldier. She's the only black in the workplace, and may be the only woman. Instead of telling her "these are personal conversations", she gets told 'shut up'. This is, in a word, bullshit.

This is a lot different from times I've been speaking to my (German) wife and had someone approach me demanding I speak English.

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Junior soldiers will use foreign language ability to talk shit about people they don't like, even when they're right in front of them. Almost anyone with a lack of character will do this, even civilians.

I always keep my hair within 670-1 parameters, but I don't do the high and tight stuff. After I became fluent in German, I was working for a personnel shop (I'm Signal, and at the time I was a 25B doing computer programming)...and the new PSG was former Infantry, always getting on me about my hair because he thought I should have a high and tight. Showing him the relevant sections of AR 670-1 only made the harassment worse. After one particularly bad ass chewing I thought to myself "Ok, I got his number..."...that Saturday I went to the barbershop, sat down in the chair, and said "make me bald".

Now it's time to forget about the PSG, because here comes the point of the story. Most times, concessions in overseas bases are run by local nationals, and in Wuerzburg, Germany, this was no different. The gal doing my scalping, while doing it, started talking to her buddy about how funny looking my head was. I thought to myself "Ok, I got this" and kept silent. Eventually, she was done, and we went to the register to go pay. I paid exactly as much as I was supposed to, and this heifer has the audacity to look me in the eye and say (in English), "What, no tip?". I responded in perfect German: "Here's a tip, next time you want to talk shit about someone, make sure they don't speak your language". The look on her face as I walked out was PRICELESS!!!!!!

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jul 7 at 2015 10:56 PM

2015-07-07T22:56:27-04:00

AR600-20
4–13. Army language policy
English is the operational language of the Army. Soldiers must maintain sufficient proficiency in English to perform their military duties. Their operational communications must be understood by everyone who has an official need to know their content, and, therefore, must normally be in English. However, commanders may not require Soldiers to use English unless such use is clearly necessary and proper for the performance of military functions. Accordingly, commanders may not require the use of English for personal communications that are unrelated to military functions.

That being said, you may go to EO, but I would not start there. That E5 works for someone, I would go to his next senior. And that guy has a boss. And so on. EO will hand it back to your Command to solve. Give them a chance to fix it. The issue is not the use of another language, but using it to exclude unit members. That is where you start. All else fails, see your Company Commander on the open door policy. I would exhaust the chain of command before going to EO/IG unless they are doing things that are illegal, unethical, or immoral.

As general leadership mentor ship, Understand problems are solved at the lowest level and use the chain of command.
Bonus Points: Unsure of the setting of the confrontation with the E5, but if you did it in public, that is likely a reason for the negative response. Always confront in private. The natural response is to push back, which would likely cause you to push back in response. In private, it gives the other person a chance to realize what you are saying and not fight back to save face. If you had this conversation in private and you got broke off, then his loss. Perhaps his NCOIC/PSG will help him see the light.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jul 8 at 2015 12:27 AM

2015-07-08T00:27:23-04:00

CPL Private RallyPoint Member, I found this regulation in AR 600-20. I had my own office and I politely asked everyone to speak English when conducting Army business or they can get out. They cried about it and I gave them this: 4–13. Army language policy
English is the operational language of the Army. Soldiers must maintain sufficient proficiency in English to perform their military duties. Their operational communications must be understood by everyone who has an official need to know their content, and, therefore, must normally be in English. However, commanders may not require Soldiers to use English unless such use is clearly necessary and proper for the performance of military functions. Accordingly, commanders may not require the use of English for personal communications that are unrelated to military functions.

If they switch from Spanish to English or a difference language you do not speak, I call the rude and fostering of a hostile environment.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 4:46 PM

2015-07-29T16:46:22-04:00

English is the operational language of the Army. Soldiers must maintain sufficient proficiency in English to perform
their military duties. Their operational communications must be understood by everyone who has an official need to
know their content, and, therefore, must normally be in English. However, commanders may not require Soldiers to use
English unless such use is clearly necessary and proper for the performance of military functions. Accordingly,
commanders may not require the use of English for personal communications that are unrelated to military functions.

This is from AR 600-20 Chapter 4 par 13. If it is a occupational conversation, then yes, you can go to EO. However, you have to prove that it is not a personal or privatized conversation amongst co-workers. Is it right? No. Is it respectful? Absolutely not. And is the NCO wrong for egging them on, certainly. But if it isnt a professional conversation, and they are chatting amongst themselves, then there really isnt a regs violation, unless you can prove otherwise.

Response by SPC Katherine Karpinski made Jul 30 at 2015 11:27 AM

2015-07-30T11:27:12-04:00

i should think its only english

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 31 at 2015 11:12 AM

2015-07-31T11:12:27-04:00

I never said that English wasn't the duty language of the army. I said that the U.S. has no official language. I would suggest a careful reading of what I posted.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2016 12:50 PM

2016-08-03T12:50:58-04:00

Army Command Policy only allows a commander to require the use of English for operational communications, which have to be understood by everyone present. A commander is not allowed to require Soldiers to speak English for personal conversations. This is found in paragraph 4-13. I remember my unit had this argument when we were deployed to Kandahar, and there were some who tried to stop others from speaking Spanish around them.

Response by PO1 TheBee Ef A made Jun 19 at 2018 5:03 PM

2018-06-19T17:03:35-04:00

I'm looking for any regulation on it now, but I do remember being told early on in my career that there is a uniform regulation that requires you to speak only English while in uniform. I've never seen it brought up, so don't remember the details of it or if it is still a regulation.

Response by SSG Ileana Rosario made Aug 12 at 2019 1:19 AM

2019-08-12T01:19:19-04:00

the use of English is not required for personal communications

Response by 1SG John Millan made Jan 27 at 2024 11:02 PM

2024-01-27T23:02:09-05:00

NCOIC needs to give them a counseling statement to worak English only during duty hours or else. End of problem. If it happens again, ART 15 time.