How are your French language skills? I thought mine were fair until a trip to France this month. In the city, mixing English and French was easier with local hospitality workers. In the country, communicating was MUCH more difficult.
BTW, the above translates to, “Can we all speak the same language?”
In Paris, I ordered a glass of wine that my husband translated from metric to a 5-6 ounce glass. The waiter brought me a carafe with the equivalent of a whole bottle. No wonder he asked me how many glasses to bring with it! It would have been fine if we didn’t have an early AM flight.
What happened to the US plan to convert to the metric system in the 1970s? Do you remember the Schoolhouse Rock-like public service announcement? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUXutV6Vk6k
The change was too hard, not required, and was abandoned. In our global world, wouldn’t it be much easier if we all used the same measurements?
On a previous trip to Sorrento, Italy, I tried to mime slipping in the bathtub to the front desk clerk after I nearly bought myself a trip to the emergency room. Charades are not my strong suit. I subsequently downloaded a language translation app, realizing we were too far into Italy for my English (or acting) to be understood. An animated head nod and the appearance of a rubber bath mat showed I bridged the gap.
The classes I teach at Harvard are filled with international students. While they are impressively bilingual and some even trilingual, I still need to avoid clichés, slang, and US-specific references. “Thinking outside the box”, “coming full circle”, and “herding cats” leave many staring at you with blank expressions.
Within our own country and English language, we still don’t speak the same language. The generational differences increase enough that I’ve had to consult the urban dictionary. Did you know that cheddar is money? Rides are now sneakers or shoes? And to hit a lick means to steal something? And slang often changes across regions in the US.
Communicating in a foreign country when two people speak different tongues, or the chasm between generational conversations, isn’t that different than in business when two individuals don’t have the same technical or industry background.
We all use a lot of acronyms (especially millennials because of texting). When working across departments, don’t assume everyone knows what SWOT, VAT, API, SEO, or BTW (see above) means, especially since they could mean different things to different people. Does everyone define digital health the same way? Does bimonthly mean twice a month or every other month?
Bottom line: Terminology, left undefined even in the same language, can lead to confusion, frustration, and errors. Take the time to define and explain any potential slang or industry terms to make a project, work, or just your day go more smoothly. Now THAT’S money.