@Dutchess_III Yes, but… the way people answer this question has a lot to do with what they think the motive for asking the question is. Is the question asked out of genuine curiosity about how people cope, or is it an expression of frustration with people who don’t sound like them? I’m not just referring to this question by @chelle21689, but other instances when we hear this also.
If not speaking the native language actually hinders the newcomer’s ability to live and work in their new country, then they will learn it eventually. If it doesn’t, should we care what language they want to speak? What I hear when I read a question like this is, “why is that person refusing to speak a language that I can understand?” In other words, it points to the asker’s inability to understand that language. I think that kind of distaste for “otherness” is what @ragingloli‘s response was addressing (at least, that’s how I responded to it).
The way that @chelle21689 worded her question makes me hope that he or she is genuinely curious. I think that whether or not a newcomer learns the language depends on a lot of things. When you call a place “home”, you’re supposed to be able to feel safe there, comfortable, free. Communicating badly can put all of those feelings at risk, particularly where there is intolerance, or a fear of intolerance. Sometimes it’s easier not to communicate at all, than to be looked down on for communicating badly. For people who feel this way, it’s simpler to stay within a community where their language is predominant, and not learn the new language. That way, they are always assured of being treated as an equal.