Learning Languages and Connecting Across Cultures
This post is my contribution to the IndieWeb Carnival for October, 2024.
More than 40 years ago, I took two years of Spanish in high school. It was a requirement for college-bound students, and at the time, I fancied myself one of them. My instructor for both years was Señora Hampton, who hailed from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of an aptitude for the language. Vocabulary and pronunciation came relatively easily, but verb conjugation felt like voodoo to me. Growing up in the South, where the Latino population was significantly lower than it is today, I had few opportunities to practice outside of class. No one in my extended family spoke Spanish.
The closest I ever came to becoming conversationally adept was during my time in the military. I worked alongside a group of guys from the Puerto Rican National Guard for a couple of weeks. During that time, I managed to string together some sentences and follow conversations—if the flow of words was slow enough. Unfortunately, when they returned to the island, my Spanish skills left with them.
Like many people on the Internet, I have a deep appreciation for Google Translate. When I come across posts in languages other than English, it’s a simple process to copy and paste them into a browser window to understand what’s being said. If someone communicates directly with me in another language, I usually try to reply in kind, using an online translator. I can only hope it’s accurate!
I know several people on social media who live in non-English-speaking countries, and I’m constantly amazed by the quality of their English skills. For the most part, they are as proficient as native speakers. I try to be mindful of American idioms when I communicate with them. Just yesterday, I almost used the phrase "batting 1.000" to describe someone who was 100% successful at something, but I decided against it since it’s a baseball reference. Many people watch American TV and movies, so they might be more familiar with our phrases than I am with theirs.
As an IT support worker, I’ve spent plenty of time on the phone with call center workers in Southeast Asia. We both do our best to make ourselves understood. I really don’t understand why some people go on rants about talking to someone from Bangalore. Yes, it can be frustrating to navigate language barriers, but in 2024, it’s an old issue, and there’s not much new to say about it. That said, I do find it amusing that call center workers often adopt Anglo names. Just once, I’d love for one of them to admit, “My name is Deepak, not Steve.”
Languages aside, one of my favorite aspects of the IndieWeb experience is its internationalism. I wake up very early in the morning, and one of my favorite things to do is see what my European friends are discussing. I’m still trying to figure out the best times to connect with friends in Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere in Asia. In real life, I’ve only spent a few weeks in non-English-speaking countries, but I look back on my experiences in France and Italy with fondness. Most people I met navigated the language barriers with grace, and I can only hope that my Italian or French doppelgängers feel the same way.
Language may be a barrier, but it’s also a bridge to understanding and connecting with people from all walks of life. Here’s to more conversations across cultures!
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