Have you encounter language barrier before in your own country? Here's mine today

Today I visited a restaurant, but I encountered language barrier when trying to order a soup noodles in my own “territory” (country).

I spoke first with Chinese Cantonese, but the Burmese answered with half Chinese Cantonese and half English. I wanted to say more but I didn’t know the ingredient in English. Then I spoke to him in Malay (“I am having here”) but I wasn’t sure if he understood.

When I left the restaurant, I waved my hand and said “Thank you”. He replied with “Jetsu” or something which I had been taught before it means “Thank you” in Burmese language.

There was one Mat Salleh (a white man) sitting at the restaurant also enjoying his beer.

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Yeah the main teacher at the Zen center I go to is from Japan, very often the student teacher needs to step in and clarify what someone means so the head teacher can understand.

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In my country we have 11 official languages. English, Afrikaans. Zulu, Xhosa, Venda, Sotho…to name but a few. In the major cities you are ok with English since most people take that as a second language in school…but it remains a challenge to communicate in English in some of the rural areas.

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Well I live in a metropolitan city which is very linguistically diverse, so I often encounter Cantonese speakers (i.e. poor Chinese immigrants) who don’t speak English. I don’t mind it though because I think language is beautiful. I also encounter a lot of Spanish speakers but I speak basic Spanish so I don’t really have a problem communicating there. But my Spanish isn’t good so sometimes I do.

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I function in both of my country’s official languages, English and French. When I have problems, it’s usually with a newcomer to the country speaking a different language or an immigrant that hasn’t assimilated and learned English (a real problem in some communities).

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