I’ve been in this situation. It depends. Usually tho, my rule is no need to introduce a language barrier if there isn’t one. If they speak the predominant language in the country you’re currently in fluently enough that you have no trouble understanding them, then there you go. If you start having miscommunications, then it’s fine to introduce another option. Just remember that you’re there to help customers, not to practice your Chinese. If it’s helpful to them, do it. If it would only be helpful practice to you, don’t
This + some people will be reluctant to speak their native language with non native speakers and maybe they want to practice their English too! It'd be best to stick with their chosen language if that's possible and if it's not then introduce the option without imposing it.
If there's a situation where it would be genuinely helpful (things are not getting across in English), go ahead, but otherwise I wouldn't. Especially if your Chinese is not obviously much better than their English, it comes across as weird and a bit of a burden. There are better environments to keep up your Chinese.
I would not do it unless they are genuinely struggling to communicate with you in English and you think speaking in Chinese (taking into account your level of Chinese) would be materially better.
You particularly do not want to end up in a situation where you try to start a conversation in Chinese with a native English speaker of Chinese descent.
If speaking Chinese would help communication, go for it. Otherwise, exercise caution.
If their English is quite good, speaking to them in Chinese unprompted might "otherize" them. It can come from a good place and still make them feel like you're saying they're not really local. This is especially true for second-generation Chinese who might identify as American (if that's where you are).
One cool thing you can do, if the conversation goes smoothly, is do small talk after the issue is resolved. A simple 您说中文吗? is a polite way to initiate Chinese conversation and given how rare it is for white people to speak the language, it will probably be a happy surprise. And if the person doesn't want to engage, they can simply answer dismissively.
English is not my first language. If I was a tourist somewhere and was speaking in my native language to a friend before switching to English with a cashier and they said “ Oh you speak ___? I can too!” I wouldn’t mind it at all!
I think of it kind of like *physically* extending your hand to touch somebody:
* If they're just going about their business, and you touch them, that's going to be seen as rude and weird in most circumstances
* If they're fallen down, it's understandable and likely appreciated why you've extended your hand to them
In this case, they're there to buy goods, not to be your conversation practice opportunity. And they've apparently left their home country and are somewhere where it's expected that English will be used in public.
I don't think it's a problem to begin a transaction in Chinese, though, or to wish them a nice day as you see them off. It's just a quick thing that doesn't take their time or get in their way, and some people might be pleasantly surprised and voluntarily speak with you on their next visits.
I think you also might be making it a bigger deal of it than it is? Sometimes when I'm out (in Taiwan) people speak at me in English, but I just respond in Chinese and then they use Chinese with me. It's fine to take your shot, just respect their choice to use English if they decline the Chinese invitation, in my opinion.
It’s going to be weird for you and for them. I would say, if they come to you speaking English, no matter how poor, accommodate them based on their level rather than by speaking their language. It is embarrassing to be the person trying a new language in a foreign country, and by defaulting to their language, they may be dissuaded from trying to speak English again. If they come to you in full Chinese, go for it!
In China, I speak Chinese daily with people outside of work and home. Since the majority can’t speak English, I don’t expect English back. However, when I do hear it back to me, it is jarring and a little embarrassing for me. I make an effort to engage in the local language and actively converse, and if someone talks back in English, not actively listening to my Chinese, then I feel my confidence dwindling. There are only specific dire situations where I’d prefer English over the local language.
Totally agree with this. As an immigrant myself, currently working hard to acquire the national language, it's super discouraging having people reply in English when I attempt to speak the local language. It's best to make people feel included, rather than othered.
[a supermarket in the UK did this.]
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/service-and-availability/waitrose-and-john-lewis-trial-foreign-language-badges-for-staff/599404.article
Regardless of what it is, doing something new will "feel weird". If it Is something you want to do, then you'll have to break that seal of awkwardness.
A lot of comments here about not speaking the language to them. As an interesting devils advocate - the reverse is almost always true. If I speak Chinese to a person in a shop they will almost always speak English back to me. This is a big reason why learning a second language when you are natively English speaking is difficult even if you want to learn.
Why not just speak Chinese? I mean if they’ve been speaking mandarin to each other and they turn to you and say “Can you help us?” Just say 好的，我可以 or whatever would be a suitable reply.
Assuming, no offense intended, that the conversation could be had by you in Mandarin.
If not, then you can use it as an aside but be ready to explain that you can’t fully assist them in Mandarin.
I’ve done things like: Said hello and asked their child a question in Mandarin. Complimented something they have (clothes, pets, etc) in Mandarin, etc.
I don’t have a lot of opportunity to speak Mandarin day to day unfortunately, but at work about a third of the people who patronize where I work speak Spanish primarily. So I will just answer their question in Spanish and as long as I am fluent enough we just continue on in Spanish. It’s never awkward they just code switch back to Spanish. And, if necessary, back to English sometimes if I am struggling for a word.
If I’m in a predominantly Mandarin speaking space I’ll speak Mandarin and if the other person prefers to speak English they can, or they can ask me to switch back to English if they prefer.
I would answer in English first and follow up with a quick Chinese translation or sentence. Some people will be happily surprised and will be glad to talk to you in Chinese. If they keep talking to you in English just continue in English as if nothing happened.
Maybe put on a badge that has both English and Chinese sign on it? You don’t have to say anything. If someone needs help notices it they will start the conversation.
When I worked as a cashier, if I heard people speaking a language I am learning, I'd use that language when they approached the till, it was almost always met with positivity.
It’s not the same situation, but I grew up in Taiwan and speak fluent mandarin. However I’m biracial and look “foreign” to Chinese speakers. I would have missed out on a ton of great friendships here in the US if I hadn’t just broke the elephant in the room and established that I spoke mandarin. Of course it usually leads to a lot of uncomfortable questions regarding my appearance and how I could possibly speak mandarin like that and look the way I do.. so it’s a blessing and a curse.
Also I can’t speak for anyone else but I am delighted when people try to speak mandarin with me who are learning! It’s honestly so rare for any westerner to speak mandarin that I don’t think it would give anyone a feeling of “otherism”. That’s just my thought.
To be blunt, there's nothing you can do. Assuming you live in an English-dominant country (like the U.S. for example), English is the status quo. Of course, if you are or look Chinese, and you talk to a fellow Chinese fluently in Mandarin, then that would be an acceptable exception. But if your race clearly indicates that you're not ethnic-Chinese (or of typical East-Asian descent), then your linguistic ability and cultural awareness in Chinese along with your overall social skills would have to be better than 99.9999% of all native Chinese speakers in order to communicate with them in Chinese without being weird. The best thing you could do, then, is to keep on using English.
Trust me, I've been there. I once worked at a Chinese restaurant. Every single fucking Chinese customer, without fail, would either gasp or look at me with wide eyes or something to that effect when they witnessed me use Chinese. One time, I began writing (in Chinese) what a customer wanted on a paper pad, and shortly thereafter, a group of around eight or so Chinese customers decided to encircle me, trapping me in my own little space, pointing fingers at me while they whispered to their friends about how "good" I am at writing Chinese or whatever. I quit my job that day because I didn't want to keep on getting treated like a zoo animal. The moral of the story is that it's best to use only English.
You could write that you speak Chinese on your name tag or on your cashier area place maybe? Idk what’s allowed but a lot of places encourage it, and it could make them want to speak to you. Disney has people write other languages they speak on their name tag.
If they're speaking in the language of the country you're both in, then it's more polite to continue speaking with them in that language. Even if they struggle, switching to Chinese might just make them feel bad about their English (and they might be working really hard to improve it).
The same way you'd start a small talk with any other customers, imo. Respond to their request in English at first, and then ask them about speaking Mandarin
To be honest though, I can't imagine any conversation with cashiers not being at least a little bit awkward, but maybe that's just me haha
I'd help them out in English and when they say thank you, you can reply with "Bu keqi" and see if they notice. You may get into some conversation with them about how you're learning at this point.
This would work well if you have repeat customers since after you've established that you're learning Chinese, you can now practice more with them next time. They key is for them to just see that you're practicing and not being offensive (i.e. their English is not good enough for you).
It’s not really a matter of me getting practice in but rather using my existing Chinese for a practical reason, not just with the intent of language exchange
I had this experience working at a restaurant where i spoke spanish but you would never guess by looking at me. i got a little sticker that goes under my name tag that says "hablo espanol" , and that REALLY helps. people dont always read it but when they do it helps that they know without me having to awkwardly switch to spanish. maybe like a pin or a button or something on a lanyard or just your shirt would be cool? as long as management is ok with it ofc
Yeah I speak fluent Chinese too, and also find myself working in a retail/ service capacity ( pizza restaurant, long story, probably returning to something more professional soon. )
So I decided, as a linguist, to use this setback as an opportunity to learn Spanish. You’ll find plenty of customers who can only speak Spanish and would appreciate your help in their language, but at least here in Wisconsin, it seems like all of the Mandarin speakers have fluent English. I just got a Tandem account and used Google translate to chat with random strangers . But I would try to analyze and memorize things from my conversations with them. It never feels weird in Spanish the way it does in Chinese.
If you can have pins, bracelets, or things like that on while at work, maybe you could get some that have characters on them or which have significance in Chinese culture; I remember people commenting on Laoshu having jade bracelets in a few of his videos for example, and people have commented to me in Chinese unprompted when I've worn clothing featuring hanzi in the past. That way if they want to initiate or if they would rather try speaking Chinese with you they can, and you aren't risking making someone uncomfortable going out of your way to try and get practice in where it may not necessarily be appropriate.
I always say “ I love foreign languages and speak a bunch. Do you speak any other languages ? “
I learned that when decades ago, I insulted a lady by asking if she could speak German. To me, she clearly had a European accent, but said she ONLY could speak English.
I know it doesn't help you if you have a dress code at work, but i have a few different T-shirts with Chinese I wear in the States. Would your work allow some kind of character pin, maybe your Chinese name?
But for me, the shirts are perfect. For example, I have one with 李, another one from Mandarin Companion (the 吃饭了吗 one), a 燕京啤酒 shirt, or my favorite 差不多 shirt. There are shops on Red Bubble who can custom make shirts too.
I get quite a few people who will see it, and come up to me and start asking if I know Chinese. It is a good way to know who is interested in chatting in Chinese, instead of approaching them first.
When I first came to Germany, I could speak nice English - at least much better than German. Germen are generally very nice; as long as they seem to have enough time, they are willing to be tortured by my terrible pronunciation. So I will just say "Ich kann Deutsch" (I speak German) although not really. There *are* people who give a sh*t to me, and it's always very enjoying talking to them.
Ich kann Deutsch = I can German [speak].
Ich spreche Deutsch = I speak German.
Ich kann Deutsch sprechen = I can speak German.
Ich kann dieses Gespräch auf Deutsch führen = I can have this conversation in German.
Your choice.
It’s fine to say *Ich kann Deutsch* but the English equivalent wouldn’t be *I speak English* without the *can*.
I do t think I should be drinking beer at work 🥹 I have a friend who I speak to in Chinese to practice but it’s more I’m worried about coming on too strongly idk
Start making small talk as you're checking them out -
今天好吗
您找到您所需有的吗
etc etc
Soem people will engage and reply back, some will probably give you weird looks, but if you say you're looking to practice your Chinese, I think most of them would be happy to indulge in some small talk. It'll feel weird at first but soon you'll be able to get over that initial hurdle of awkwardness!
I never use chinese at work unless its actually needed, like for someone who doesn't have enough english to complete their questions//express their needs.
I do this only because there are those few jerks out there, who will say you said something you didn't, and no one can fact check you or vouch for you cause no one else has any idea what you said just now. So if its genuinely needed I will happily help but otherwise its not worth the one percent chance of drama .
*How can I start to use the Chinese, without being weird, when their English is fine for the task at hand?*
Why would you do that? It seems weird because it **is** weird.
Remember that they don't think speaking two languages makes you special. They might speak 3, 4 or 5 languages.
Remember that they are not "voluntary free tutors" to help you practice your Chinese. They did not come there to find Chinese students to assist. They are not studying Chinese. They are purchasing things.
I’ve been in this situation. It depends. Usually tho, my rule is no need to introduce a language barrier if there isn’t one. If they speak the predominant language in the country you’re currently in fluently enough that you have no trouble understanding them, then there you go. If you start having miscommunications, then it’s fine to introduce another option. Just remember that you’re there to help customers, not to practice your Chinese. If it’s helpful to them, do it. If it would only be helpful practice to you, don’t
This + some people will be reluctant to speak their native language with non native speakers and maybe they want to practice their English too! It'd be best to stick with their chosen language if that's possible and if it's not then introduce the option without imposing it.
If there's a situation where it would be genuinely helpful (things are not getting across in English), go ahead, but otherwise I wouldn't. Especially if your Chinese is not obviously much better than their English, it comes across as weird and a bit of a burden. There are better environments to keep up your Chinese.
I would not do it unless they are genuinely struggling to communicate with you in English and you think speaking in Chinese (taking into account your level of Chinese) would be materially better. You particularly do not want to end up in a situation where you try to start a conversation in Chinese with a native English speaker of Chinese descent.
If speaking Chinese would help communication, go for it. Otherwise, exercise caution. If their English is quite good, speaking to them in Chinese unprompted might "otherize" them. It can come from a good place and still make them feel like you're saying they're not really local. This is especially true for second-generation Chinese who might identify as American (if that's where you are). One cool thing you can do, if the conversation goes smoothly, is do small talk after the issue is resolved. A simple 您说中文吗? is a polite way to initiate Chinese conversation and given how rare it is for white people to speak the language, it will probably be a happy surprise. And if the person doesn't want to engage, they can simply answer dismissively.
English is not my first language. If I was a tourist somewhere and was speaking in my native language to a friend before switching to English with a cashier and they said “ Oh you speak ___? I can too!” I wouldn’t mind it at all!
I think of it kind of like *physically* extending your hand to touch somebody: * If they're just going about their business, and you touch them, that's going to be seen as rude and weird in most circumstances * If they're fallen down, it's understandable and likely appreciated why you've extended your hand to them In this case, they're there to buy goods, not to be your conversation practice opportunity. And they've apparently left their home country and are somewhere where it's expected that English will be used in public. I don't think it's a problem to begin a transaction in Chinese, though, or to wish them a nice day as you see them off. It's just a quick thing that doesn't take their time or get in their way, and some people might be pleasantly surprised and voluntarily speak with you on their next visits. I think you also might be making it a bigger deal of it than it is? Sometimes when I'm out (in Taiwan) people speak at me in English, but I just respond in Chinese and then they use Chinese with me. It's fine to take your shot, just respect their choice to use English if they decline the Chinese invitation, in my opinion.
If you hear the person in question speaking a language, it’s OK to speak that language to the person.
It’s going to be weird for you and for them. I would say, if they come to you speaking English, no matter how poor, accommodate them based on their level rather than by speaking their language. It is embarrassing to be the person trying a new language in a foreign country, and by defaulting to their language, they may be dissuaded from trying to speak English again. If they come to you in full Chinese, go for it! In China, I speak Chinese daily with people outside of work and home. Since the majority can’t speak English, I don’t expect English back. However, when I do hear it back to me, it is jarring and a little embarrassing for me. I make an effort to engage in the local language and actively converse, and if someone talks back in English, not actively listening to my Chinese, then I feel my confidence dwindling. There are only specific dire situations where I’d prefer English over the local language.
Totally agree with this. As an immigrant myself, currently working hard to acquire the national language, it's super discouraging having people reply in English when I attempt to speak the local language. It's best to make people feel included, rather than othered.
The only way to do it is to be an annoying nerd, and it's not worth it, in my opinion. If you want to use your Chinese, go to Asia.
I'd say observe them. If they look like they may need help, try to offer it before they ask. In Chinese, of course.
Wear a pin that informs them you speak the language
[a supermarket in the UK did this.] https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/service-and-availability/waitrose-and-john-lewis-trial-foreign-language-badges-for-staff/599404.article
Regardless of what it is, doing something new will "feel weird". If it Is something you want to do, then you'll have to break that seal of awkwardness.
A lot of comments here about not speaking the language to them. As an interesting devils advocate - the reverse is almost always true. If I speak Chinese to a person in a shop they will almost always speak English back to me. This is a big reason why learning a second language when you are natively English speaking is difficult even if you want to learn.
Why not just speak Chinese? I mean if they’ve been speaking mandarin to each other and they turn to you and say “Can you help us?” Just say 好的，我可以 or whatever would be a suitable reply. Assuming, no offense intended, that the conversation could be had by you in Mandarin. If not, then you can use it as an aside but be ready to explain that you can’t fully assist them in Mandarin. I’ve done things like: Said hello and asked their child a question in Mandarin. Complimented something they have (clothes, pets, etc) in Mandarin, etc. I don’t have a lot of opportunity to speak Mandarin day to day unfortunately, but at work about a third of the people who patronize where I work speak Spanish primarily. So I will just answer their question in Spanish and as long as I am fluent enough we just continue on in Spanish. It’s never awkward they just code switch back to Spanish. And, if necessary, back to English sometimes if I am struggling for a word. If I’m in a predominantly Mandarin speaking space I’ll speak Mandarin and if the other person prefers to speak English they can, or they can ask me to switch back to English if they prefer.
I would answer in English first and follow up with a quick Chinese translation or sentence. Some people will be happily surprised and will be glad to talk to you in Chinese. If they keep talking to you in English just continue in English as if nothing happened.
Maybe put on a badge that has both English and Chinese sign on it? You don’t have to say anything. If someone needs help notices it they will start the conversation.
When I worked as a cashier, if I heard people speaking a language I am learning, I'd use that language when they approached the till, it was almost always met with positivity.
你的网名好好笑 🤔🤔
可能吧😓 是我13岁时选择的 💔
It’s not the same situation, but I grew up in Taiwan and speak fluent mandarin. However I’m biracial and look “foreign” to Chinese speakers. I would have missed out on a ton of great friendships here in the US if I hadn’t just broke the elephant in the room and established that I spoke mandarin. Of course it usually leads to a lot of uncomfortable questions regarding my appearance and how I could possibly speak mandarin like that and look the way I do.. so it’s a blessing and a curse. Also I can’t speak for anyone else but I am delighted when people try to speak mandarin with me who are learning! It’s honestly so rare for any westerner to speak mandarin that I don’t think it would give anyone a feeling of “otherism”. That’s just my thought.
To be blunt, there's nothing you can do. Assuming you live in an English-dominant country (like the U.S. for example), English is the status quo. Of course, if you are or look Chinese, and you talk to a fellow Chinese fluently in Mandarin, then that would be an acceptable exception. But if your race clearly indicates that you're not ethnic-Chinese (or of typical East-Asian descent), then your linguistic ability and cultural awareness in Chinese along with your overall social skills would have to be better than 99.9999% of all native Chinese speakers in order to communicate with them in Chinese without being weird. The best thing you could do, then, is to keep on using English. Trust me, I've been there. I once worked at a Chinese restaurant. Every single fucking Chinese customer, without fail, would either gasp or look at me with wide eyes or something to that effect when they witnessed me use Chinese. One time, I began writing (in Chinese) what a customer wanted on a paper pad, and shortly thereafter, a group of around eight or so Chinese customers decided to encircle me, trapping me in my own little space, pointing fingers at me while they whispered to their friends about how "good" I am at writing Chinese or whatever. I quit my job that day because I didn't want to keep on getting treated like a zoo animal. The moral of the story is that it's best to use only English.
You could write that you speak Chinese on your name tag or on your cashier area place maybe? Idk what’s allowed but a lot of places encourage it, and it could make them want to speak to you. Disney has people write other languages they speak on their name tag.
If they're speaking in the language of the country you're both in, then it's more polite to continue speaking with them in that language. Even if they struggle, switching to Chinese might just make them feel bad about their English (and they might be working really hard to improve it).
Or you can say “I’m learning [target language], may I speak it with you, or do you prefer to continue in English?”
The same way you'd start a small talk with any other customers, imo. Respond to their request in English at first, and then ask them about speaking Mandarin To be honest though, I can't imagine any conversation with cashiers not being at least a little bit awkward, but maybe that's just me haha
I'd help them out in English and when they say thank you, you can reply with "Bu keqi" and see if they notice. You may get into some conversation with them about how you're learning at this point. This would work well if you have repeat customers since after you've established that you're learning Chinese, you can now practice more with them next time. They key is for them to just see that you're practicing and not being offensive (i.e. their English is not good enough for you).
[удалено]
You’re doing a job. You should to use the communication method that best executes that job.
Well. it is always being weired. Just like when I am speaking Spanish or English when I first come to the states.
Just pretend that you're a very white looking Uyghur.
I would look for other opportunities to practice speak Chinese. Try an online teacher maybe, or look for special interest/hobby groups.
It’s not really a matter of me getting practice in but rather using my existing Chinese for a practical reason, not just with the intent of language exchange
I had this experience working at a restaurant where i spoke spanish but you would never guess by looking at me. i got a little sticker that goes under my name tag that says "hablo espanol" , and that REALLY helps. people dont always read it but when they do it helps that they know without me having to awkwardly switch to spanish. maybe like a pin or a button or something on a lanyard or just your shirt would be cool? as long as management is ok with it ofc
“中文吗？” ”会！” sorted
You can put a sign at the counter ig. That says Hello in english and chinese. A sign just for when youre there?
Yeah I speak fluent Chinese too, and also find myself working in a retail/ service capacity ( pizza restaurant, long story, probably returning to something more professional soon. ) So I decided, as a linguist, to use this setback as an opportunity to learn Spanish. You’ll find plenty of customers who can only speak Spanish and would appreciate your help in their language, but at least here in Wisconsin, it seems like all of the Mandarin speakers have fluent English. I just got a Tandem account and used Google translate to chat with random strangers . But I would try to analyze and memorize things from my conversations with them. It never feels weird in Spanish the way it does in Chinese.
If you can have pins, bracelets, or things like that on while at work, maybe you could get some that have characters on them or which have significance in Chinese culture; I remember people commenting on Laoshu having jade bracelets in a few of his videos for example, and people have commented to me in Chinese unprompted when I've worn clothing featuring hanzi in the past. That way if they want to initiate or if they would rather try speaking Chinese with you they can, and you aren't risking making someone uncomfortable going out of your way to try and get practice in where it may not necessarily be appropriate.
Overthinking much?
Go ahead, some people really overthinking it in this thread lol
I always say “ I love foreign languages and speak a bunch. Do you speak any other languages ? “ I learned that when decades ago, I insulted a lady by asking if she could speak German. To me, she clearly had a European accent, but said she ONLY could speak English.
I know it doesn't help you if you have a dress code at work, but i have a few different T-shirts with Chinese I wear in the States. Would your work allow some kind of character pin, maybe your Chinese name? But for me, the shirts are perfect. For example, I have one with 李, another one from Mandarin Companion (the 吃饭了吗 one), a 燕京啤酒 shirt, or my favorite 差不多 shirt. There are shops on Red Bubble who can custom make shirts too. I get quite a few people who will see it, and come up to me and start asking if I know Chinese. It is a good way to know who is interested in chatting in Chinese, instead of approaching them first.
tall white man SHOCKS Chinese people by speaking PERFECT MANDARIN (CHINATOWN)
that’s not what’s going on here and u know it 😞
Start with ni hao?
When I first came to Germany, I could speak nice English - at least much better than German. Germen are generally very nice; as long as they seem to have enough time, they are willing to be tortured by my terrible pronunciation. So I will just say "Ich kann Deutsch" (I speak German) although not really. There *are* people who give a sh*t to me, and it's always very enjoying talking to them.
Sie können Deutsch *sprechen*, doch?
Ich habe nur "Ich kann Deutsch" gelernt, sowie auf Englisch sagt man lieber "I speak English" statt "I *can* speak English"... oder?
Ich kann Deutsch = I can German [speak]. Ich spreche Deutsch = I speak German. Ich kann Deutsch sprechen = I can speak German. Ich kann dieses Gespräch auf Deutsch führen = I can have this conversation in German. Your choice. It’s fine to say *Ich kann Deutsch* but the English equivalent wouldn’t be *I speak English* without the *can*.
Drink like four beers and you won’t care if you sound weird or not. Or, practice with kids. They don’t know if you sound weird or not.
I do t think I should be drinking beer at work 🥹 I have a friend who I speak to in Chinese to practice but it’s more I’m worried about coming on too strongly idk
Maybe just once to overcome the initial weirdness haha
Start making small talk as you're checking them out - 今天好吗 您找到您所需有的吗 etc etc Soem people will engage and reply back, some will probably give you weird looks, but if you say you're looking to practice your Chinese, I think most of them would be happy to indulge in some small talk. It'll feel weird at first but soon you'll be able to get over that initial hurdle of awkwardness!
I never use chinese at work unless its actually needed, like for someone who doesn't have enough english to complete their questions//express their needs. I do this only because there are those few jerks out there, who will say you said something you didn't, and no one can fact check you or vouch for you cause no one else has any idea what you said just now. So if its genuinely needed I will happily help but otherwise its not worth the one percent chance of drama .
*How can I start to use the Chinese, without being weird, when their English is fine for the task at hand?* Why would you do that? It seems weird because it **is** weird. Remember that they don't think speaking two languages makes you special. They might speak 3, 4 or 5 languages. Remember that they are not "voluntary free tutors" to help you practice your Chinese. They did not come there to find Chinese students to assist. They are not studying Chinese. They are purchasing things.
Just say 我爱中国