Not On My Watch

Language is very key to every human as well as culture. Through the use of language we are able to create meaning and make sense of the world around us. There is verbal and non verbal language and both are significant for expressing our thoughts and feelings. There are different languages all over the world. Though some languages may have similarities, there are times certain things have different meanings in different languages. Most of the time, the language we use, reflects our culture and our culture also reflects our perception of the world. Thus, the use of language influences our perception of life and our reality. We are able to assign meanings to certain things based on what it represents in our culture. This is why it is essential to understand the language of a group to better understand the people. I speak two languages fluently. That is the English language and Asante twi. I remember a few years ago, I tried to teach a korean family friend how to speak English. It was very difficult for him until he started assigning certain aspects of the English language to the Korean language and this made it easy to understand the English language. For example, in the use of  Asante Twi, I must consider both verbal and non verbal expressions as meaning is assigned to hand gestures, facial expressions and tonation. Thus, in communication especially with an Adult or someone older than me, I am conscious of the gestures I use so as not to appear disrespectful due to how my culture has influenced my language and hence my perception of reality.

Non-verbal language is very key when communicating with others especially people from a culture different from ours. The non-verbal expressions we use in our culture which may seem okay may be offensive to another culture. My culture for example pays much attention to the use of the left hand. The left hand is not tolerated when talking or used when interacting with others as it is deemed disrespectful when someone uses the left hand. Hence, if someone from a culture where any of the hands can be used for receiving or expression when talking, that may be misunderstood and can lead to the other party being offended at the gesture.

With nonverbal messages, unlike verbal messages where one may be able to understand the meaning of what is being said, same cannot be said for nonverbal messages. For most nonverbal messages, meaning may derived from the context and not just based on how it is done as meaning differs from one culture to the other. These are some of the obstacles that may cause one to not read nonverbal messages accurately.

Peter Nwosu's article on "Cultural Problems and Intercultural Growth:My American Journey" was one article I thoroughly enjoyed because his culture and experiences are very similar to mine. We are both from West African countries and hence share similar cultures as well as experienced a whole different life in the United States of America as International students. For me,one problem I encountered or faced just as Peter Nwosu did was the use of cash and my inability to distinguish between a quarter, nickel,dime,penny. I was always confused when I worked as a cashier and students brought in bills which needed to be changed especially with coins. This was a very challenging period for me as I had to ensure I balanced the account before closing the safe. One can only imagine how long it took to close my account even when my shift was over. However, I made the effort to ask my supervisor and colleagues at work who knew the currency and they helped me and eventually I became a pro. Most people fear asking as they do not perhaps want to be looked down on or ridiculed. I have the firm belief that no one loses anything by asking, however you will lose a lot when you choose not to ask.

Another issue was the issue of race especially coming from an African country where blacks were seen to be in charge of everything and not judged by the color of their skin. It took sometime getting used to and I am still getting used to that . However,  what has made it easier is the understanding of my identity and being open to learning and experiencing a totally new culture from mine.  I am also open to informing people about where I come from and the beautiful culture and amazing people. This is my own way of trying to do away with stereotypical perceptions that people have of blacks especially Africans.

I totally do agree with Geller that "changing the world is within the reach of everyone of us. Once we understand our capabilities, we cannot avoid our responsibilities". As Mahatma Gandhi rightly said, change begins with us and if we want to see change it is our responsibility to take that step. Change does not occur if we choose to be silent about injustices in our society just because we are not affected by it. We all have power to cause change and it starts when we speak up. We also cause change when we are willing to respect and tolerate the different views of others and be willing to learn aspects of cultures which may be different from what we are used to. It is through some of these steps that we can make our world a better place to live in.

 

 

References:

1. Lustig, M. W. & Koester, J. (Eds.). (2006). Among Us: Essays on identity, belonging, and intercultural competence (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon.

2. Samovar, L., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., and Roy, C. S. (2017). Communication between cultures (9thed.). Boston: MA: Cengage Learning.