Speak Their Language #Post 5

In general, people who speak a variety of languages are regarded as great communicators as they are able to break down language barriers. As they have ‘the gift of the gab’, they are never shut out from a relationship. To learn a language is the beginning of a road in learning the country, the culture and the people.

It is a general custom to learn some useful foreign language phrases and expressions when we are going on a trip to a foreign country especially when English is not the common language. This is particularly helpful when dining out at a restaurant, asking for directions and even on a shopping trip. From my past experiences, if you are shopping in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown and you happened to be a non-Cantonese speaker (which is apparently the local dialect of Kuala Lumpur), then most likely you be regarded as a foreigner and will be charged double the actual price. Thus, speaking their language may save you from these undesirable troubles.

I would also like to share with you some of my experiences where I fully utilize my ability to speak several languages.

It all started two years ago when I was staying in Prince George Park Residences. One afternoon, while I was washing my dishes in my cluster kitchen, a Malay cleaner came and began to clean the kitchen. To break the ice, I thought she might like to be greeted in her own mother tongue; I greeted her with relatively simple Malay. We began with self- introduction and some tips on living in Singapore. Then, I excused myself as my phone rang. When I was back, my previous unwashed dishes, to my surprised were all done. She did not begrudge the trouble of helping me with the dishes, which I am grateful to her. Since that day, we became close friends and often talked about our families back in Malaysia.

Besides that, I wish to explain another incident which happened last December during my trip to Penang Island, Malaysia. On our second day, we visited Penang Hill which is the highest point in Penang Island. As we were waiting for the train, I observed a Caucasian couple who were in theirs fifties were talking to each other in French. I greeted them with "Bonjour, comment allez vous aujourd’hui?", which means “Good day, how are you today?”. They expressed their surprised to meet someone who can speak fluent French in Malaysia and not even a French. We continue our conversations about places in Malaysia and they felt like they were back at home..

Lastly, all the appreciation and benefits that I gained when I speak their language are the main forces for me to learn up a new foreign language. I cannot forget their astonished faces when I greeted them in their native language and dialect.