On my first night in Calcutta, India, miles away from my school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I prepared for bed after a long two days of travel. I didn't have any tissue paper to clean my glasses, so I decided to get toilet paper. I walked into the bathroom, and as my hand reached for it, a lizard the color of sand and the size of an adult hand stared at me, as it sat on the wall above the toilet. I shrieked. When I rushed out to find the houseboys, I found them all sitting together in the kitchen. Most of them spoke Bengali, but one of them, named Sushant, also spoke some Hindi. Unfortunately my vocabulary was not advanced to the point where I could just say, "There is a lizard in my bathroom!" in Hindi, so I pulled out my best Indian accent to try and explain. I managed to say bathroom (somehow), and that got them up. Not knowing what else to say, I reverted to my native language English and vivid charades, saying "lizard, lizard!" They looked at me and rolled their heads saying, "Ah, gizzard, gizzard," and began showing me how the showerhead worked. I could see the lizard begin to move. I shook my head, and said, "no no..." and soon remembered one of my favorite words: dekho; it means "look." So I pointed and repeated, "Dekho, dekho!" and they turned and saw the lizard looking right at us. Sushant said, "Ah," shook his head, and went off into the hallway. In moments he came back with a wooden broom, pushed the rest of us out the bathroom and shut the door. After I heard a couple of knocks against the wall, he opened the door and said, "Acha, sab tikh hai." Ok, it's all right. I shook my head in understanding and gave him my sincerest thanks and nod of respect.

Garden Lizard, India. Wikimedia Commons: Venkatx5

***

Language is the foundation by which we begin our interactions with other people. From body language to spoken and written word, language has the power to transcend borders. Within each language, therein lie multiple facets of the culture to which that language derives from.

While my story of my first night in India is fairly light-hearted, it taught me a lot about the struggles one faces when trying to communicate across cultures.

Wikimedia Commons: Matt Derry

When I think of the millions of immigrants in the U.S., immigrants who speak a different language, a different dialect, from the American English spoken here, I think of all the struggles they must encounter on a day-to-day basis. Between my experiences abroad, and my family's Jamaican migrant background, I feel as though I can relate to them. As a result, that makes me care, about their experiences, about how they are adjusting, about who is there helping them along the way and providing them with a safe space to be themselves. After all, my family and I too have experienced what it feels like to be an outsider when you do not speak the language of those around you.

As any typical communication struggle goes, when someone sees that you don't understand what they are saying, and you feel as though you can barely understand what they are saying, immediately a wall forms between you and that other person. Why? Because it's too much work to try and listen.

But I remember my father's words to a young tour guide at UPitt, when this young man could not understand what my father was saying. And so he said to young man: "Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth, and not my accent."

Illustration in Giovanni Boccaccio's book De claris mulieribus. The Latin book of biographies of famous women was written between 1360 and 1374. It was translated into the German language by Heinrich Steinhöwel, and printed by Johannes Zainer, Ulm, 1474.

Countless times I have seen too many people get frustrated and turn away from someone who did not speak the same language as theirs. I have seen this most in the U.S., as there tends to be this expectation that anyone who is here can speak English as fluently as an American. However, that is not the case. And those who do not speak English should not be shunned from society simply because they are just not at that level yet.

In a survey I sent out to the multilingual students at SF State, I posed questions to find out what difficulties (if any) students have faced in adjusting to college life, or life in America, in general. If they experienced any problems, I asked them to explain why. While some either left the question blank or stated they have no difficulties, many provided responses stating that they have trouble making friends with Americans – "native English speakers." Their reasons why:

• "I don't speak English good enough."
• "I'm afraid my English isn't good enough to talk to Americans."
• "I feel more comfortable around people who speak my language."
• "Americans hang out with Americans. Internationals hang out with other internationals."

While it is sad to say that this is the reality for many, it is very important that these issues be raised. When we admit to our biases and recognize what problems exist, we then create a platform where we can be open about the ways in which we engage in cross-cultural communication. Based on my experiences, I see the following actions as key to fostering such an environment:

1) Patience – Just because someone does not speak the same language, does not mean they lack intelligence or social skills. They just need more time to explain themselves as best they can.

2) Listening – Like my father says, listen to the words coming out of their mouth, and not their accent. It's amazing how much we can understand if we approach conversations from that perspective.  

3) Learning – As we listen, we are learning about another human being, another culture, another way of communicating. Use this as an opportunity to learn all that that person has to offer.

4) Teaching – Don't be afraid to share. Most likely that person is willing to learn what they can from you too. All you have to do is be open to engaging in the conversation.

Emile Cohl (left) visits his friend André Gill in Charenton. Wikimedia Commons

I believe that in practicing these simple steps, we can continue to truly form and maintain strong global communities. After all, language is meant to connect, so let's utilize it in that spirit.

Wikimedia Commons: JC Mar

Amanda Bent is the Cultural Awareness and Diversity Editor for Wandering Educators and works in in English Department as the Undergraduate Programs and Web Coordinator at San Francisco State University. She holds a BA in Anthropology and English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently enrolled in the Masters in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program at SFSU.