English, Fringlish, Czinglish...

(DR. LARSON---#4: Language Issues (or not so many anymore!)

     My very first real blog post touched a bit on the topic of being exposed to a new language, and how it feels to live in a place where English is almost nobody's first language. Looking back on that one though, I think I was a bit overwhelmed, and I thought it might be interesting to have a reflection of language perception from the beginning, and the end of my little Czech adventure.

     Languages can be really fun to figure out, and if you look at them like a game or a puzzle, it makes not being able to understand them a lot less frustrating. In Europe, there are obviously many different languages, but many of them have lots of similarities, if you are able to notice them. For example, some of them are Latin based, or romantic (Portuguese, French, Italian, etc.), others are Germanic (German, Dutch, Swedish, etc.) and others, like in the case of the Czech Republic, are Slavic (Russian, Polish, Slovak, etc.). These are just three examples, there are MANY more, but these are just the ones I have been exposed to yet. By now, I have been in at least one country that have a language based on these three, and it is so interesting to me to see the many differences and similarities between all of the languages. I was just in Poland about a week ago and I understand how people believe that Czech and Polish culture is so similar, but by being in the Czech Republic so long now, I have gotten fairly used to the language, and I found it strange to sit down in a Polish restaurant and wish for a Czech menu instead! The languages are somewhat similar, but for a Slavic language, Czech is actually much smoother than many people might think. Any central/eastern European country is expected to have a harsh, guttural, German or Russian sounding language, but the Czech language is actually beautiful in it’s own way.

     Being around so many people that speak different languages is also really entertaining, because English is sort of a common tongue between all of the Erasmus, no matter how good everyone is at it. We also pick up different words or phrases from all the different languages, and it is actually a lot of fun! I think we all have learned hello, goodbye, and how to swear in like 10 different languages! We also like to throw in a bit of our basic Czech, because most of us have learned that also! My personal favorite in every language is how to say “cheers” though, because all of them are so different, and all of them are so much more fun that the simple “cheers” in America! Its also a great conversation starter:

Foreigner:  Hi! Where are you from?

Me:  America! And you?

Foreigner:   (oh jeez and American… here we go…) Im from Slovenia

Me:   Oh Slovenia! OP-OP-OP-OPPPPPAAAHHHHHH!

Foreigner:  OP-OP-OP-OPPPPPPAAAAHHHHH! (Oh wow, she knows cheers in Slovenian? Maybe not ALL Americans are so ignorant!)

     Getting to know, or at least just making even a small effort to learn a language can improve relationships so much, and make it seem like you genuinely want to know about a person, because the language a person speaks is so much a part of their identity, and cultures in general. It also is just a fun thing to be able to know. Na zdravi! Salud! Salute! Chin chin! OOOPPPPAAHH! Na zdravia! Egészségére!