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-   -   What other languages do I speak? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/checkpoints-borders-policy-debate/1757604-what-other-languages-do-i-speak.html)

kochleffel Apr 5, 2016 7:38 am
What other languages do I speak?
 
That was the question when handing in a receipt from the Global Entry kiosk at MIA recently. The agent asked where I had been, and then "What other languages do you speak?"

I do not speak the main language of the country I had visited, and I didn't think that other languages were any of his business. I answered "None well."

Is this something new from CBP? Was he just making conversation?

Carl Johnson Apr 5, 2016 8:13 am
Originally Posted by kochleffel (Post 26439461)
That was the question when handing in a receipt from the Global Entry kiosk at MIA recently. The agent asked where I had been, and then "What other languages do you speak?"

I do not speak the main language of the country I had visited, and I didn't think that other languages were any of his business. I answered "None well."

Is this something new from CBP? Was he just making conversation?
German B1, Chinese A1, French A2, Klingon one phrase, High Valyrian two phrases.

GUWonder Apr 5, 2016 8:25 am
Originally Posted by kochleffel (Post 26439461)
That was the question when handing in a receipt from the Global Entry kiosk at MIA recently. The agent asked where I had been, and then "What other languages do you speak?"

I do not speak the main language of the country I had visited, and I didn't think that other languages were any of his business. I answered "None well."

Is this something new from CBP? Was he just making conversation?
Was this asked before you got to the baggage claim area on arrival to the US? Or was this asked just after the baggage claim?

It's not something new, but it's also not very common for that question to be asked.

Just out of curiosity but which language(s) did your grandparents and great-grandparents speak as their native language(s)?

kochleffel Apr 5, 2016 1:16 pm
Originally Posted by GUWonder (Post 26439715)
Was this asked before you got to the baggage claim area on arrival to the US? Or was this asked just after the baggage claim?
Just before the baggage claim. I speak a couple of other languages well enough to use them in travel, but none of them is spoken in the country I was returning from.

Another agent stopped me right after that, because I was skipping the baggage claim, but she didn't ask anything except "Carry-on only?"


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