English Language

I enjoy the English/American language. Probably because it is my primary and only spoken language. I've had some studies in German, speaking and understanding enough to be "dangerous" with it, but not near fluent. What I like about our language and is probably true of other languages is how we communicate in a non-literal manner.

What got me reflecting on this was an e-mail I received. It posed some statements that make sense, yet when analyzed don't really say what we want to say. Here are just a few:

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

How often do we do this in our communication, using familiar terminology and jargon in our communication without awareness to the understanding of others? Case in point - in my work this week I was communicating with an employee in a Malaysian restaurant seeking to verify employment of a past employee. As much as I tried I could not clearly communicate what I needed. Understanding the employees frustration and mine, I communicated that I needed to speak with the manager. That worked, except the manager was not available.

So what is my point? We have to watch what we say, knowing what we say may be "colored" by our experiences, learning, and culture. We need to note how it influences our communication across cultural, sectional, regional, and international lines.

Language is fun, ENJOY!