History Main / SwitchToEnglish

->''"Oh, you speak English! Good! (In German) You can turn off the subtitles now."''

[[folder: Anime ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', when Jack Ryan, Burt Mancuso, and Jonesy first come aboard the titular Russian submarine, Jack breaks the ice by asking for a cigarette (until this point he's said, 'I don't smoke' every time an American offered him one), but does so with a gesture as if he didn't know any Russian. Naturally, he starts getting sick. The Russians notice this and start laughing. When Captain Ramius sees that Mancuso has a pistol, he makes a comment in Russian about it, and Ryan starts to chuckle.
--> '''Mancuso:''' What's so funny?\\

'''Ramius:''' ''(Russian)'' You speak Russian?\\
'''Ryan:''' ''(Russian)'' A little. It is wise to study the ways of one's adversaries. Don't you agree?\\
'''Ramius:''' ''(English)'' It is.
** At that point everyone onboard ''Red October'' speaks only in English. Tupolev's crew on board the ''Konovalov'' continue to use TranslationConvention, though, and one Russian in a lifeboat lets out an exclamation in Russian.
** In the commentary track, director John [=McTiernan=] mentions that he recalled seeing this used in the film ''Judgment At Nuremberg''.

* In ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'', Colonel Hans Landa is speaking to a dairy farmer in French, and he suggests that they switch to English because it is better than his French. [[spoiler:The real reason is that the Jews that the farmer is hiding do not speak English, and Landa doesn't want to alert them to his suspicions too soon.]]

--> '''Lt. Archie Hicox''': [''in English''] Well, if this is it, old boy, I hope you don't mind if I go out speaking the King's.
--> '''Major Dieter Hellstrom''': [''in English''] By all means, Captain.

* In the Creator/JackieChan movie ''Film/RumbleInTheBronx'', Jackie comes to America and meets up with his uncle. The two speak in Chinese for a while but his uncle soon asks, "How's your English?". Jackie mentions that his English is passable so his uncle insists they speak it from that point on. The rest of the film is in English.
** However, this only applies to the English dub. And it's actually dubbed over, all of the actors are actually speaking Cantonese throughout the film.

* {{Inverted}} in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''--the Klingons in an early scene start talking in English before switching to Klingon.
* A rather odd example happens in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', and it occurs with the TranslationConvention in place (after it's been non-humorously {{Lampshaded|Trope}}). During Kirk and [=McCoy=]'s trial (which is conducted in Klingon, and Kirk and [=McCoy=] are shown listening to a translation with devices), the scene starts in Klingon, then switches to Klingon translators translating into English (or at least Federation Standard) then switching back to the trial itself, and now everybody is speaking English (TranslationConvention). At one point General Chang starts yelling at Kirk about his background and says "Don't wait for the translation! Answer me now!" (in Klingon, but we see English) and Kirk responds, showing not only that he speaks Klingon, but that Chang knows he speaks Klingon.

---> '''Jim Douglas''': All right, but we get to race it in the next race. If we win, you get the prize money, but we get to buy Herbie back for a dollar.
---> '''Plaintiff''': Now, that's the language ''I'' speak!

[[folder: Jokes ]]
* {{Inverted}} in a joke about "American" nuclear scientists in the early '40s:
--> At a nuclear science conference, the first speaker asks:
---> '''Speaker''': Is Dr. Jones present?
---> '''Man from the audience''': No, he is sick.
---> '''Speaker''': Akkor jó napot kívánok uraim, a konferenciát ezennel megnyitom.[[note]]Hungarian for "Then I wish you all a good day gentlemen, I'm opening the conference now."[[/note]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* In an episode of ''Series/BurnNotice'', Micheal pretended to be a Russian spy. He began talking to a contact in Russian, who suggested switching to Spanish, because his Russian was rusty. They settled on English instead.
** For a bit of context, Michael is fluent in several languages (as befitting a former CIA field agent), but not Spanish. Given that he was born and raised in Miami, this is funny.

* In the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' episode ''The Cycling Tour,'' Creator/JohnCleese is a Soviet officer making a speech in Russian to fellow Soviets, pausing for the subtitles to show, and then says in Russian, "Forgive me if I continue in English in order to save time."

* Inverted in the ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' short film ''Blackadder: Back and Forth''. The 21st-century Blackadder and Baldrick have traveled back in time to when the Romans ruled Britain, where their [[GenerationXerox identical ancestors]] are guarding Hadrian's Wall. All the Roman characters speak English; however, when General Melchett('s Roman ancestor) shows up, he compliments one of the characters on his excellent English—then switches into Latin, which everyone speaks for the rest of the scene.

---> '''Anton Pavlenko:''' ''(Russian)'' Where is your allegiance today, Sergei? What language shall we speak? Russian? Farsi? Chinese?\\
'''Sergei Mishnev:''' ''(Russian)'' Let's go with English. ''(English)'' You spend so much time sucking up to the Americans, by all means you should feel comfortable.

* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'': Early in "Monsieur Murdoch" when Murdoch, Higgins and Crabtree find a man in a missing woman's hotel room, the constables tackle the man, who speaks in French, demanding to be released. Murdoch asks the man to identify himself in French, and the man does so [[spoiler: turns out he's a member of the Paris police]]. Soon he insultingly suggests switching to English so he can butcher that language instead. Murdoch doesn't take the bait, but later on (once the two are working together), he reverts to French without provoking any complaint from the Frenchman.

-->"Sorry, Svenska!" ''(hits himself in the head a couple times and continues in Swedish)''

[[folder: Theatre ]]

-->'''Fay''': C'est une--how do you say? Wig?\\
'''Hapgood''': Wig.\\
'''Fay''': Do you mind?\\
'''Hapgood''': Not a bit.\\
'''Fay''': I didn't think you would.

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', two Vortigaunts are speaking to each other in their native language, but when they notice Gordon Freeman is listening in nearby, they apologize for their rudeness and switch to English.
** They state that they will speak in English, ''unless they wish to say unkind things about you''. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny All of their dialogue is still in their native language after this.]]

[[folder: Web Video ]]
* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', when Dende brings Krillin before Guru, Nail initially addresses Dende in Namekian. When he realizes Krillin is from Earth, they switch to the "universal language": [[AliensSpeakingEnglish English]].
** Nail does the same thing when meeting Piccolo. With Nail laying dying from being defeated by Frieza at the time, Piccolo initially thinks he's been beaten so badly he can no longer speak properly.
--->'''Piccolo:''' Please tell me you're not dead.\\
'''Nail:''' (''speaks unsubtitled Namekian'')\\
'''Piccolo:''' Aw crap, I find the only living thing for miles, and he's so broken he can't even talk right.\\
'''Nail:''' I was speaking Namekian, you idiot.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by France's then-Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner at one meeting of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion Council of Ministers; the ministers had all sat down and donned their earphones, when Kouchner, who was chairing the meeting, said something of the effect of, "Guys, take those damned silly things[[note]]i.e. the earphones[[/note]] off. Everybody here speaks English, we'll get more done that way, and we're not fooling anyone with this nonsense."

** [[FridgeBrilliance How about]] the guy's native language [[TakeAThirdOption wasn't either English or Swedish?]] Only, Sten ''is'' a Swedish name...

Characters begin speaking in a language that is not English [[note]]more accurately "the language with which the intended audience would be most familiar", but "English" is easier to write and read; for example, in anime, this trope would involve a switch to [[JapaneseLanguage Japanese]][[/note]], but find an excuse to switch to English so that the audience doesn't have to read too many of those pesky subtitles.

* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', in Asuka's first appearance, she tries to [[NeuralInterface link up to her EVA]] in German while Shinji is riding with her in the cockpit. Her EVA is unresponsive due to Shinji's Japanese thoughts interfering, so she commands it EVA to switch to Japanese mode.

* In the JackieChan movie ''Film/RumbleInTheBronx'', Jackie comes to America and meets up with his uncle. The two speak in Chinese for a while but his uncle soon asks, "How's your English?". Jackie mentions that his English is passable so his uncle insists they speak it from that point on. The rest of the film is in English.

* PlayedForLaughs in Film/TheLoveBug. Tennessee Steinmetz, Jim Douglas's mechanic and sidekick, is talking in broken Mandarin Chinese with a plaintiff whose property Herbie (the car) damaged. The sidekick tells the plaintiff about the car being Herbie. The plaintiff wants the car himself, once Dean Jones's character understands, the following (approximate) exchange occurs:

* PlayedForLaughs in Disney/TheLoveBug. Tennessee Steinmetz, Jim Douglas's mechanic and sidekick, is talking in broken Mandarin Chinese with a plaintiff whose property Herbie (the car) damaged. The sidekick tells the plaintiff about the car being Herbie. The plaintiff wants the car himself, once Dean Jones's character understands, the following (approximate) exchange occurs:
---> '''Dean Jones''': All right, but we get to race it in the next race. If we win, you get the prize money, but we get to buy your car for a dollar.

** They state that they will speak in English, ''unless they wish to say unkind things about you''.[[CrowningMomentOfFunny Some of their dialogue is still in their native language after this.]]

* TruthInTelevision for most English speakers. Bill Bryson discusses the rise of English as the international language of business and politics in ''The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way''. One European corporation had roots in Italy, France, and Germany, so English was selected as the language for meetings, factory orders, etc. One member of the board noted "This way, we're all equally disadvantaged."

* In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', when Jack Ryan, Burt Mancuso, and Jonesy first come aboard the titular Russian submarine, Jack breaks the ice by asking for a cigarette (until this point he's said, 'I don't smoke' every time an American offered him one), but does so with a gesture as if he didn't know any Russian. Naturally, he starts getting sick. The Russians notice this and start laughing. When Captain Ramius sees that Mancuso has a pistol, he makes a comment in Russian about it, and Ryan starts to chuckle. When Mancuso asks, "what's so funny?" Ryan says, "The captain seems to think you're some sort of cowboy." At which point Ramius says (in Russian, with subtitles) "You speak Russian." Ryan answers, in Russian, "A little. It is wise to study the ways of one's adversary. Don't you think?" To which Ramius answers, in English, "It is." At that point everyone onboard ''Red October'' speaks only in English. Tupolev's crew on board the ''Konovalov'' continue to use TranslationConvention, though, and one Russian in a lifeboat lets out an exclamation in Russian.

* The Johann Strauss opera ''Die Fledermaus'' has a scene where two characters are pretending to be French at a Viennese ball. They exchange [[GratuitousFrench simple phrases and nonsense]] before the other guests demand they speak German like everyone else.

* In ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', Klingons speak Klingon with subtitles to set the mood and then speak English for convenience.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', [[CreepyMortician Ducky]] goes undercover for a meeting with French ArmsDealer ''La Grenouille''. They start conversing in French before [[MissionControl McGee]] prompts Ducky via earwig to switch to English.
** Another episode starts with two men talking in Russian before deciding which language to switch to. They choose English.

[[AC:{{Anime}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* In ''BrothersAndSisters'', Sarah is in France and attempts to ask for directions from a Frenchman. After much struggling, the Frenchman casually reveals he can speak English and the rest of their conversations stays in English.

[[AC:Theatre]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

->''"Oh, you speak English! Good! (In German) [[MediumAwareness You can turn off]] [[FunWithSubtitles the subtitles now.]]"''

* In ''TheHuntForRedOctober'', when Jack Ryan, Burt Mancuso, and Jonesy first come aboard the titular Russian submarine, Jack breaks the ice by asking for a cigarette (until this point he's said, 'I don't smoke' every time an American offered him one), but does so with a gesture as if he didn't know any Russian. Naturally, he starts getting sick. The Russians notice this and start laughing. When Captain Ramius sees that Mancuso has a pistol, he makes a comment in Russian about it, and Ryan starts to chuckle. When Mancuso asks, "what's so funny?" Ryan says, "The captain seems to think you're some sort of cowboy." At which point Ramius says (in Russian, with subtitles) "You speak Russian." Ryan answers, in Russian, "A little. It is wise to study the ways of one's adversary. Don't you think?" To which Ramius answers, in English, "It is." At that point everyone onboard ''Red October'' speaks only in English. Tupolev's crew on board the ''Konovalov'' continue to use TranslationConvention, though, and one Russian in a lifeboat lets out an exclamation in Russian.

* In the movie version of ''TheDaVinciCode'', two French characters have conversations in English, via the "you have to practice this foreign language" excuse.

* Inverted in ''TheLegendOfZorro''. After the title character rescues his son from the BigBad's gang, they start a conversation in English. Then Zorro cuts the conversation off and requests that they converse in "the language of our fathers" -- Spanish. The rest of the conversation occurs in Spanish with English subtitles.

* Dialogue in ''LookingForAlibrandi'' fluctuates between English and Italian. This is because Christina is the daughter of two Italian immigrants to Australia (and her daughter Josephine is the only Alibrandi woman to speak only English).

* Inverted in the ''{{Blackadder}}'' short film ''Blackadder: Back and Forth''. The 21st-century Blackadder and Baldrick have traveled back in time to when the Romans ruled Britain, where their [[GenerationXerox identical ancestors]] are guarding Hadrian's Wall. All the Roman characters speak English; however, when General Melchett('s Roman ancestor) shows up, he compliments one of the characters on his excellent English—then switches into Latin, which everyone speaks for the rest of the scene.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}'', one dragon priest talks to you in draconic a few times, before grudgingly switching to english (or at least what can [[TranslationConvention be assumed to be english]]) when you don't reply. Strangely, he doesn't give up even when you still fail to respond to english.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}'', one dragon priest talks to you in draconic a few times, before grudgingly switching to english (or at least what can [TranslationConversation be assumed to be english]]) when you don't reply. Strangely, he doesn't give up even when you still fail to respond to english.

* In ''VideoGame/Skyrim'', one dragon priest talks to you in draconic a few times, before grudgingly switching to english (or at least what can [TranslationConversation be assumed to be english]]) when you don't reply. Strangely, he doesn't give up even when you still fail to respond to english.