Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Language Barriers

My friends and I walk off the metro in Paris, France and look at our phones. We have no idea where to go so we walk over to the map and try to figure out where we are right now. A lady walks up to us and asks, "What are you looking for?"

Chelsea responds, "No thank you!" and turns around.  The lady looks puzzled.  I wasn't paying attention so I ask the lady again what she said. She repeats the question and I respond in French that we are looking for a friend who is coming to pick us up. I turn to Chelsea and tell her what the lady was actually asking and we all start laughing at how crazy the lady must've thought Chelsea was.

As a French minor, I could handle the language barrier in France. But in Rome, Munich, Barcelona and Copenhagen, it was a struggle. Hand motions, pointing and praying someone around spoke English was all we could do.

At a restaurant in Barcelona, the menus were offered in all different languages but the waiters only spoke Catalon so they did not know what we were ordering even when we pointed.  We ended up just pointing to the same spot on the regular menu and hoping it was the same.  Catalon is a combination of French and Spanish spoken in Barcelona.  A lot of people also speak Spanish so we were able to get by with some minimal words.  The extent of Spanish I know is from watching Dora the Explorer when babysitting.

In Rome, I took a cab from my friend's apartment but I didn't know where I was going or if he was taking me the right way.  He kept asking me questions in Italian, which I couldn't respond to. I started panicking. The only Italian word I know is "Grazie". I just kept repeating the area that my hotel was in like that was going to change anything. As the cab fare got higher, my blood pressure did too. Eventually, I started noticing things that I had seen before. He dropped me off and I was able to find my way back to the hotel.
London Tube Stops Sign

In Munich, I accidentally booked a flight home earlier than everyone else (Remember: Bad Luck Abroad Allie). I had to navigate the metro stops alone in Germany at 8 in the morning after Oktoberfest.  German words look nothing like how they are pronounced. I was able to manage it and find the correct terminal for my flight. I asked customer service by showing my plane ticket and they pointed me in the right direction.

Although language barriers have existed in almost every country I have visited, it amazes me that communication is still possible. There are many people in each of the foreign countries that speak English but it is impossible to find people in America that are capable of speaking German, French, Catalon or Italian. Through a lot of time, hand gestures and pointing, I have communicated what I wanted or where I needed to go and made it there successfully. I also learned how to navigate the metros and maps in all of these countries. I better be able to figure out New York City when I get home since that has always been a challenge.

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