The eyes say it all

Monday morning rush hour. The train is packed. I'm in the train already, close to the door. A guy runs in before the door closes. I saw him on the bus earlier. Sharp, handsome, not very tall. He looks Pinoy (Filipino).

Three stops later, I position myself to get off the still-crowded train. He turned his head and looked at me. I nodded.

When the train stopped and the doors opened, he stepped off the train and stood to one side so that I, and others behind me, could get off.

What just happened?

The eyes said it all.

He looked at me with eyes that said, "Are you getting off?" I nodded to say, "Yes."

Pinoys communicate with their facial expressions, not so much the rest of their body. So, technically, I can't call it body language, rather facial language. Observe Filipinos talking to each other. Yes, they talk a lot! (No offence here. I love Filipinos and have lots of good Filipino friends!) Very often, they use their eyes to say something, raise their eyebrows to say "yes", or purse their lips in a direction to point to something. (No, they're not offering to kiss you.) It is quite easy to read their facial language. I find it a very effective way to communicate. Words not required.

Some nationalities talk with their hands. I do. Filipinos talk with their faces.

Body language surpasses the need to know another's language in order to communicate. Then again, body language is a language in itself!

Have fun learning to communicate cross-culturally!

Share your excitement!

How do you express excitement or joy? The body language is pretty much the same across cultures and languages. However, the words or sounds we express could be different. Here's some words that I have heard of or used before:

Hurrah!
Hurray!
Yay!
Yahoo!
Woohoo!
Yehey!
Cheers!
太棒了！
Asssikk!
Mantap!
Luar biasa!
ល្អណាស់

No matter what language you may use to express joy, everyone around you will know it at once. Joy is a universal feeling.

Let's be joyful today!

Body language - our daily communication tool

Is body language considered a proper language? Not officially, I suppose, but we all "speak" it without even realising that we are sending a message!

Here's an example of how body language worked effectively.

"Remember, we speak with our voices but communicate with our bodies. You have just seven seconds to make a positive first impression." - Dr Seow Bee Leng, "More than you can say" (CATS Recruit, 13 Aug 2013)

What message are we communicating today? Let it be positive!

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It just doesn't translate correctly!

Some English words just don't have an equivalent in another language! Translators have such a hard time when English speakers use a word that just does not exist in the native language.

I sat with five experienced Indonesian translators over lunch. These are the cream of the crop of translators from English to Indonesian and vice versa. They are fast and accurate when translating for speakers at seminars and conferences. One of them suddenly asked, "Hey, Indonesian translators. What is the Indonesian word for 'excellence'?" One replied immediately, "Unggul." A quick retort, "No. 'Excellence' is not 'perfect'." Then came a string of synonyms in Indonesian for the English word 'perfect'. The faces around the table showed frustration.

English speakers like to use this phrase:

We must be excellent because our God is an excellent God!

Completely impossible to translate into Indonesian! My Indonesian is far from perfect, but I can tell you that there is no equivalent word in Khmer either! What a headache!

I used to teach a lesson entitled "Excellence in the Workplace". The material was three pages long, but explaining the concepts took an hour or more. At the end of the class, I would just hope they got it. When you live in a culture where the general idea is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", then how do you instill in the young that mediocre just isn't acceptable? Language is the way to communicate, but sometimes language just fails us miserably.

Maybe body language or "show and tell" really is the way to go when communicating to someone of a different culture and language. Sometimes "show and tell" is best even in your own culture. My young Vietnamese friends were trying to explain the ring tab of a drink can to their Vietnamese classmate. After a few minutes, their friend was still puzzled as to what they were talking about. He thought they meant the cover of a canned drink (what's that?!). Finally, I showed him my small collection of ring tabs, and he understood immediately.

I love learning languages. I am far from being a polyglot. I am still learning to be more fluent in some of the languages I speak. The journey will go on until the end of my life. The more I learn, the more I find how limited our languages can be. One of those five translators around the table said, "You know, Indonesian is only one-third of English." We had a really good laugh when he said, "Lord, we thank You for your mercy, grace and compassion." While this prayer is common among English speakers, it is a nightmare for the one who is listening to his prayer being translated into Indonesian. You see, the word for "mercy", "grace" and "compassion" is generally the same: "kasih karunia". You can use "anugerah" or "kemurahan", but in general, "kasih karunia" will suffice for the general audience. So, the translator risks being labelled as "no good" when it is not his fault.

"Lost in translation" is a very real thing. However, it motivate us to learn more languages and learn them well, rather than make us throw up our hands in surrender. Being able to communicate in another language even at a basic level brings satisfaction that cannot be described.

Here's to learning a new language! Fun Language Tools

Be kind today

Kindness is a universal language

A smile. An act of kindness. A touch. These are universal and always welcome. No common spoken language of communication is needed. We all understand a friendly face.

While we set out to learn a new language, let us not forget that body language speaks so much louder than words ever can. So, give your best smile today! Go make someone happy!

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What brand of English do you speak?

There is only one language people speak around the world: bad English. - Bennie Mostert

What brand of English do you speak? In my post "The rule doesn't work", I mentioned that my friend speaks perfect English. He corrected me saying, "I prefer to say that I speak perfect Filipino-English." This triggered another thought: I thought Filipinos said they speak Taglish (Tagalog + English), not Filipino-English.

I've heard of many brands of English:
Taglish (Tagalog-English) in The Philippines
Singlish (Singapore-English) in Singapore
Chinglish (Chinese-English) in predominantly Chinese-speaking countries like Taiwan and China
Then there's Hong Kong-English in Hong Kong (with a heavy Cantonese accent)
Malaysian English in Malaysia
British English in the UK
American English in the USA
Canadian English in Canada (ending your sentences with "ae?")
I'm sure there are many, many more brands of English out there!

Regardless of the accent you have, the real question I have is whether any of these speakers of the English language can "code switch" depending on whom he/she is talking to. I can. My classmate who has lived in America for many years can too. In fact, on a recent holiday to Singapore, her children kept glaring at her, wondering why Mom was talking funny! Mom's reply, "I'm at home! I speak the way I would at home!" When in Rome, speak as the Romans do.

One of the beauties of the English language is how it has adapted itself in every different country where it has gone, thus adding colour and variety to this so-called universal language around the world. At the end of the day, my friend Bennie Mostert is right. "Bad English" is what we speak, unless you're the Queen of England!

Don't be discouraged in your language learning process. Time and hard work are needed to really learn a language well. At the end of the day, a combination of basic language and body actions will help you communicate in any country of the world. But, keep going on the learning journey. You will earn loads more respect that way.

Here's to learning a language well!

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When words fail, use your body

Body language must be the most effective means of communication when language fails. Kim Ji Woon speaks no English. The Hollywood actors and actresses he chose for his movie speak no Korean. Hire an interpreter would be the obvious choice. But "lost in translation" was the result. How did they manage to make the movie?

When the other side can't understand what you're saying, show them.

It was so effective that the above comment was expressed!

"Don't tell me you love me, show me!" Common expression that women say to their husbands or boyfriends. This could not be more true in this case. But what was being shown was not love. It was a work directive. Effective? Yes! Was everyone happy? Yes! What more can you ask for?

I'm not advocating that we all stop talking and start gesticulating instead. Language is necessary most of the time. But when you just can't get your message across, try using your body or drawing a picture. After all, a picture paints a thousand words.

Happy communicating!

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Is English spoken in Australia?

Sydney and Melbourne are multi-cultural cities. A short visit to these two cities have made me realise how much the cities have changed in demographics. Eight years ago when I visited, I heard a lot of English spoken except in Chinatown. Today, I hear so many languages spoken than English. Practically everyone is bilingual. Every kind of food is available anywhere and everywhere. You have so many choices: Chinese, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Middle-Eastern, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Hungarian, Australian, Indian, ... the list goes on and on. So spoiled for choice.

There seem to be more languages spoken than English. As I'm on the bus or walking on the street, I hear Indian languages, European languages, Asian languages, ... very little English. So why does the non-English world want to learn English? Is it really a universal language spoken everywhere? Maybe.

While the non-English-speaking world is learning English, then the English-speaking world should be learning other languages. Since mastering a language takes time and a lot of effort, both worlds should learn other languages. That way we can all meet half-way when it comes to communication. After all, "the only language that everyone speaks around the world is bad English." (Bennie Mostert) What is key is communication. Remember, body language counts a lot too!

Have fun communicating! Learn a new language today!

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