May 30th The Language Barrier

I have had some hilarious moments with language problems here. Although Americans and Englishmen speak the same language, there are still some communications problems. When we first arrived, I was in the grocery store trying to locate tomato sauce (it comes in a box here, which was part of my problem). I went up and down the same aisle 3 times because I was almost certain I had seen it there on previous trips. After being unsuccessful, I had to ask someone. My helper directed me to Aisle 9, the very aisle I’d been up and down 3 times before.

I sighed and looked down Aisle 9 again. I still didn’t see it. I found another store worker and asked her. “Aisle 9”, she said. I was frustrated now and told her I’d looked there with no luck. She came with me and walked me right to it and stopped. I stared at her blankly with a perplexed look on my face. I uncertainly said, “Ketchup…”, and she nodded victoriously and replied, “Tomato sauce”!

Besides overcoming the vernacular problem, it is possible to listen to someone talk and not understand a thing they say. One of the dads at the girls’ school can have an entire conversation with me and I’m in complete misery, not understanding 90% of what he says (his accent is very strong).

I had the opposite and amusing problem the other day. Kathryn had a friend, Rachel, over to play. She is a darling little girl – very imaginative and happy, like Kathryn. While serving her dinner (the normal play date in Britain includes “tea”, which means dinner), I became very amused. I’d say something such as, “Rachel, would you like some more sausages?”, and she would ignore me. I’d try again, and she would turn to Kathryn’s ear and whisper, “what did she say?”

I found that she couldn’t understand my American accent at all! I was also highly surprised and nearly fell over when I heard Kathryn relay my question…..Kathryn spoke in a perfect British accent! Megan broke in and said, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, she does this at school all the time”!

Both girls have picked up the British inflection for talking, even at home, but Kathryn can flip back and forth to a completely British or completely American accent. It’s very amusing and shocking!
As for the boys, Andrew still uses an American accent, but he many times speaks using the words or vernacular that the British would use. i.e. If he’s waiting his turn, he might say, “Can I have a go?” John still only speaks a few words. They sound American, but it’s too early to tell. It’s probably my imagination, but PAUL sounds to me more American now! I suppose surrounded by English accents, and being more accustomed to his Scottish accent, it sounds more familiar (American) to me. Who would have predicted this when we moved here?!