Have you ever noticed the difference in how people speak in different languages? Even when speaking the same language such as English the dialect of a particular region can change how the information is received. If you start leaving words out it confuses things even more.
We have been to the Caribbean many times and love the island of Barbados. On the island they have their own version of the English language with variations on words and they are exceptional at leaving words out of their sentences. For instance “Who he?” Is their traditional way of saying “Who is he?” You really have to listen carefully to understand locals from the island due to the fact they leave out words and have a heavy accent. I found a good article in Bajan Slang which if you are heading to the island you may want to read. https://www.totallybarbados.com/articles/about-barbados/culture/dialect/#.Xjf-lC9E2fA
Many or our friends from England that we have met are the same. They have their own way of saying certain things and with their accent it can be hard to understand. Add some background music and you may end up just nodding in agreement, hey it’s been done before.
In French you have different words all together but instead of leaving words out we add more in as every noun has a gender placement in the vocabulary which is either male or female such as a house is “La Maison” which is female. This can be very confusing to those not used to associating gender to items.
Have you ever found yourself staying in a location for a long period of time and before you know it you are talking like the people from the region? Your ear gets tuned to the dialect of the region which helps you pick up on how people speak. It can turn out good and bad depending how accomplished you are.
If you are traveling to another Country and trying to fit in by speaking as they do be careful how you do that. You can sound like you are making fun of them if it doesn’t turn out correctly. I have found being polite and asking for something to be repeated is the best way of making sure you have heard someone correctly. They may have spoken properly to you but left out a couple of words along the way.
About the Author
Carmen Outridge is the owner of Outridge Translation Services and has been translating documents between English and French for over 30 years. Carmen is from the Eastern Townships part of Quebec and understands the language and dialect of Quebec. To learn more about Outridge Translation Services or to get help with your next project visit www.outridgetranslation.com
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