Language barriers....
By a1intnet
@a1intnet (248)
Mauritius
March 15, 2008 2:58am CST
It's a sily one I know - but have you ever been in a place where you wanted something and couldn't make yourself understood? I am in a country where everybody seaks French - I am learning but slowly and I do try with my limited French to make myself understood. I'm a bit spoiled as most people speak really good english but every once in a while I come accross someone that doesn't. I tried making an appointment yesterday at a beauty salon - I just called as it's pretty far and I didn't want to drive all the way there only to be turned away. Well - it was a bit of a nightmare! Even to the point where spelling my name was impossible - lol - I have decided that it's probably better to go in in person where we could all use hand signals :-). Has this ever happened to you? How did you cope with it? I have seen some people get angry when the locals don't understand them. I think anger or shouting is a waste of time - I try and talk more slowly and point to relevant items to illustrate what I am trying to get accross. Sometimes I think if anybody is watching my conversations they must think I am a complete loony.
2 responses
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
15 Mar 08
language barrier...it's not silly... actually it could sometimes be very frustrating... wanting to say something but couldn't, wanting to be understood but wasn't... it's very frustrating indeed.
i experienced this during my first time to visit indonesia in 2001. i understood very little of the language and the househelper there understood zero english. we could not communicate with each other unless i demonstrate to her what i want done. it came to a point wherein it's easier for me to do stuff myself rather than ask the househelper to do it.
during my five months stay there, i learned to cope by learning a few useful words and phrases in indonesian language, just enough to get me by in supermarkets, malls and restaurants. i made sure that i look for the words that i need in the english-bahasa disctionary before i go out. i list them down in a notebook and tried to remember them.
when the househelper observed this, she used the bahasa-english disctionary herself and point out the words she wanted to say in the dictionary so that i could understand. this way, there was no miscommunication whatsoever during my stay there. :)
in the next few weeks, i'd be studying in a language school so that i could speak and write better in bahasa indonesia. :)
i'd love to learn french... i think the language is great! :) but i know it's difficult also. hehehe
@a1intnet (248)
• Mauritius
16 Mar 08
lol - yes it can definately be frustrating and I can't wait until I can speak enough French to make myself understood in any conversation!
Good for you for learning bahasa indonesian though - it sounds like it is just as difficult as French!! But I do believe that if you are going to live in a new country you DO need to make the effort to speak their language.
Best of luck with your learning and thank you for your lovely reply :-)
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
17 Mar 08
yes, as the foreigner, we should be the ones making the effort to adapt/adjust to the new environment including a new language. :)
thanks and goodluck to your french also. :)
@preve1984 (610)
•
15 Mar 08
Unfortunately the languages are a big problem. In Italy since the 6 years old in the schools english language is taught in addition to Italian... now everything is English and for us is very difficult
@a1intnet (248)
• Mauritius
16 Mar 08
Yes - I am sure that it must be difficult for you. I have noticed while I have been learning French that everything is said 'backwards'! The French tell me that English is backwards - lol. The latin based languages are so so different to English that it is definately not easy to learn one when you speak the other.
Good luck - I hope you manage. MyLot is a great place to practise your English I think :-)
@preve1984 (610)
•
17 Mar 08
Mylot helps me very much! The languages which are based on Latin are much more complicated... English is very easy compared with French or Italian, but for us is a problem having always compare with another language
