Well, shyness or embarrassment surely weren't the first things in my mind when thinking about this.
For me, the primary reasons are convenience and plain selfish desire of keeping my English sharp. It is usually much quicker to convey my message in English, and I get to practice my active vocabulary. Also, trying to estimate others' proficiency or even willingness to learn Finnish isn't the easiest task ever.
I guess that the last part can be abstracted to certain level of shyness. I mean, why not to ask people what they prefer and act accordingly? There may also be some sort of embarrassment in thinking that foreigners' don't want to learn Finnish by default. However, most of the time I just wish to communicate my message as quick as possible. I'd like to think of it as a kind of opt-in instead of opt-out.
If there is something I'm really embarrassed about, it's the horrible rally-driver-style of English some of the Finnish staff seem to favor. Not to mention the "person who know aid" sign in the coffee room ;)
Why I don't speak Finnish to foreigners (at least by default)
Well, shyness or embarrassment surely weren't the first things in my mind when thinking about this.
For me, the primary reasons are convenience and plain selfish desire of keeping my English sharp. It is usually much quicker to convey my message in English, and I get to practice my active vocabulary. Also, trying to estimate others' proficiency or even willingness to learn Finnish isn't the easiest task ever.
I guess that the last part can be abstracted to certain level of shyness. I mean, why not to ask people what they prefer and act accordingly? There may also be some sort of embarrassment in thinking that foreigners' don't want to learn Finnish by default. However, most of the time I just wish to communicate my message as quick as possible. I'd like to think of it as a kind of opt-in instead of opt-out.
If there is something I'm really embarrassed about, it's the horrible rally-driver-style of English some of the Finnish staff seem to favor. Not to mention the "person who know aid" sign in the coffee room ;)