[AngelCherry]

Ok I have this problem where my bf's parents speaks Vietnamese while I am only fluent in English and Chinese. His parents speaks English, but only very little, and it's sometimes hard to understand what they're trying to say. I've known my bf for 2 years, and I goto my bf's house pretty often on the weekends. So I usually bump into his parents, but I would only greet them with a hi and hello there and that's it. I feel like snob sometimes too because I would want to talk them and I should be talking to them more since I always go over to their house. I really want to talk to them and get to know them more, but I barely could understand what they're trying to say in English. Yeah, I feel pretty useless.

But anyways so how well do you communicate with your lover's parents? Does anyone else have this problem?

[<3 Kim]

You're same with me. My bf's parents are Chinese, they can't speak English very well. I can't speak Chinese at all, so when they try to speak English I can't even understand that T_T I normally just say hi, and if they try to say something I try my best to understand. They told my bf he should teach me some Chinese though :x

[AngelCherry]

^ LOL aww well what I usually do is I try to avoid talking to them, I KNOW IT SOUNDS SO BAD. It's not like I want to neglect them, but sometimes it's better to just avoid a conversation completely. LOL=/ But seriously, this is so embarassing. I've known my bf for 2 YEARS and I only say HI to his parents... for 2 YEARS. It feels so embarassing and shameful? LOL

[xspringrollsx]

Instead of talking to them I'm sure gestures and body language can play a good role on portraying yourself as a "good girlfriend"

Eg. If you eat at their house, try to help wash up?

[AngelCherry]

Oh I usually goto their house late. But when they do see me, I smile and say Hi and wave at the same time (yeah I don't know I'm weird haha). But that's as far as body gestures goes for me. I know I know I'm so freegin useless. I wish I knew vietnamese LOL.

[xspringrollsx]

Don't call yourself useless xD

But waving with a smile seems a pretty good impression enough and I'm sure your s/o would have said some really nice stuff about you to his parents.

It's okay, wouldn't life be easier if we knew every language in the world LOL
You could try learning some basic stuff from your s/o and uhh show off you skills to them?

Well, I know some chinese words but I don't want to randomly pop some chinese words to his parents in a normal english conversation.

[AngelCherry]

LOLLL yeah me and my bf tried that. I tried learning his language in just numbers and omg I forgot it in a day. But that's the thing, I've been saying hi and waving for those 2 years. LOL. I feel like, it's so repetitive and not enough.

[jaeka]

Practice handy Viet phrases with your boyfriend a lot and try them on the parents. I'm sure they'll be impressed with just the effort. :)

[LotusWing]

Ok I have this problem where my bf's parents speaks Vietnamese while I am only fluent in English and Chinese. His parents speaks English, but only very little, and it's sometimes hard to understand what they're trying to say. I've known my bf for 2 years, and I goto my bf's house pretty often on the weekends. So I usually bump into his parents, but I would only greet them with a hi and hello there and that's it. I feel like snob sometimes too because I would want to talk them and I should be talking to them more since I always go over to their house. I really want to talk to them and get to know them more, but I barely could understand what they're trying to say in English. Yeah, I feel pretty useless.

But anyways so how well do you communicate with your lover's parents? Does anyone else have this problem?

We kind of got the same issue but opposit languages (I guess)
I am only fluent in English and Vietnamese, and my bf's parents speaks English (little) and Chinese. I do feel rude sometime but I'm trying to learn Chinese so I can communicate with them. Chinese language (cantonese) is very new to me and difficult too but I'm really trying my best.
About your question, I have difficulities to talk to his parents and I do think it is a problem. I really wish to speak fluent with them and with my bf.
Try to spend time learning Vietnamese. My bf been learning Vietnamese very long and I'm trying to learn Cantonese. It is very nice and funny to teach our own language each other

[Kanzen]

We all speak English, so I guess I'm lucky. His dad likes to purposely avoid me, though.

His mom said he's like that to everyone (even her), so I shouldn't be too offended, but it sucks.

[aznxmushu]

all of my ex's parents know engrish... but this did happened to my brother back then. he brought home a korean girl and were viet... my mom is HORRIBLE at english so when he brings this girl home he'd try and whisper a few viet words for her to say on the spot.... i was like 11? i sat there laughing at his failure.

Oh I usually goto their house late. But when they do see me, I smile and say Hi and wave at the same time (yeah I don't know I'm weird haha). But that's as far as body gestures goes for me. I know I know I'm so freegin useless. I wish I knew vietnamese LOL.

haha i can teach you some instant viet right here!
hmm, how shall i start =X

andi.

[Antz]

My bf is like that too, my mum tries to talk to him but I don't even think my dad has ever said anything to my bf other than "hello" and "bye" for like 1.5 years already! :/ I've taught him some Viet and some Chinese but he's too shy to say stuff to my parents haha.
Me talking to his mum is fine, because they're caucasian so it's ok. But it's still a bit of a challenge, I dunno. Just need more time really.

[tian`tian]

We kind of got the same issue but opposit languages (I guess)
I am only fluent in English and Vietnamese, and my bf's parents speaks English (little) and Chinese. I do feel rude sometime but I'm trying to learn Chinese so I can communicate with them. Chinese language (cantonese) is very new to me and difficult too but I'm really trying my best.
About your question, I have difficulities to talk to his parents and I do think it is a problem. I really wish to speak fluent with them and with my bf.
Try to spend time learning Vietnamese. My bf been learning Vietnamese very long and I'm trying to learn Cantonese. It is very nice and funny to teach our own language each other

awww this is so cute!

I guess I'm lucky that I don't have much problem with communication, my bf's parents speak Chinese and English both well and I can understand Chinese, speak it ABC well haha.

I agree with people who say to try to learn Vietnamese though. Even small phrases like 'how are you' and 'thank you' and stuff like that you can use. I'm sure they will appreciate the effort!!

[xrhapsody]

Luckily I don't have that exact problem because most of my boyfriend's family speaks English. But his aunt Aida only speaks very little English so when I used to come over her house she would use her most common phrases "Hi baby!", "Are you hungry?", and after she got to know me more "I love you, Mary".

A lot of the time, his family speaks to me in Spanish and expects me to understand. Or when we're at a family gathering, they all speak in Spanish and I'm confused.

[lala-rainbow]

dont bother talking to them at all.
i use to greet them but they seem to hate me so i snob them out.

[li-mei]

There is always non-verbal communication. XD I wouldn't ignore them. You don't have to try to have a full-on deep, intelligent conversation with them, but just try to get use to being around them. I'm sure that they find it to be awkward too, but a smile and some nice gestures might be enough.

[Emerald Snow]

Yeah, language barriers are definitely tough. My boyfriend is Cantonese (but he's not incredibly fluent) and I'm Chinese/Vietnamese, but I'm really only fluent in English and Vietnamese. His parents are more comfortable in Cantonese and Mandarin, so it is sorta hard to have a real conversation with them. I do know some Mandarin, but I'm not fluent either, but it's a good chance to use it and get more practice. My mom does speak a bit of Cantonese, but I'm teaching my boyfriend some Vietnamese everyday so he can bond more easily with my parents.

[MaliceInWonderlandx]

my communication with his folks are good we both speak english! and they like my personality. i like theirs too

his communication with my folks is non-existent my parents don't speak much english... but they know he's good to me and thats all they really care about. it bothers them a little bit that he's not korean... but sorry i love who i love.

i'm korean. and he's white, in case anyone is confused.

i couldn't say i had good communication with my ex's folks... there was no language barrier, they were korean too... but over ridiculous reasons... they just didn't like me

[xqtpi]

His parents are Vietnamese and Canto & they don't know very much English.
I'm Filipino so it doesn't really work out. I just try to look nice and act nice when they're around.
Lol, or my boyfriend or his brother will translate for me, but I think that's just a little awkward.
He's trying to teach me a little bit of Cantonese, though. Enough to get rid of the awkward day at his house.

[imhitomi]

My boyfriend's mother is Korean and she has the thickest accent I've ever heard. Sometimes it's hard to tell if she's speaking English. When I first met her, I had to concentrate really hard to understand her, but now it's easy for me. Sometimes she'll randomly lapse into Korean and no one knows what she's talking about though ^^;
But I think that's how I won her over so quickly. I took time to really try to understand her and actually hold a conversation with her. She talks to me all the time now, which can be good or bad, lol. She talks a lot.