They speak English there, right?

It's something I asked my wife not too long ago when we were thinking about planning a trip to Italy. Me, being the self-involved American I am, assumed (uh oh) that, "Of course they speak English in Italy. If/when we go I'll be fine." Well, good thing I'm not going to Italy anytime soon, because I'm sure with this viewpoint I'd find myself soon in trouble.

Obviously no, I don't really believe that. When I take a moment to really think about it I couldn't assume I could get by just speaking English if I went to Italy. I'd likely need to brush up on common phrases. Or, at the very least, know how to use my Google app to help me translate (hooray, technology!). But here's the thing - I really did have that thought. And herein lies a problem...

I think there's perhaps an assumption, at least here in America, that most people around the world can speak English. And if they don't, then they should. "If I travel to Italy I should be able to go into a café and order a coffee in English." It's, admittedly, one of the more naïve viewpoints we possess. Perhaps not from a standpoint of superiority, but simply from some type of unconscious bias. 

Case in point - I had a Chinese intern work with me over the summer. I didn't make any effort to learn Chinese phrases. I simply showed up day one and began having a conversation per usual. It wasn't until a coworker of mine, who was also sitting in on the call, noticed he had turned on transcription services to (most likely) help him understand what I was saying. How foolish did I feel?

But it was a unique learning lesson, and one that teachers and instructional designers should consider - especially those whose primary language is English. Yes, English is spoken/understood in many places in the world, but perhaps not to the extent that we assume it is. There are implications for making this assumption - that some non English speaking students may struggle if placed into situations where forced to converse with those who do. Or, if using technology in Web 2.0 environment, we may encounter language barriers which lead to confusion and/or breakdowns in the effectiveness of the lesson. At the very least, careful consideration should be given when designing lessons for those who don't share a common language.



Comments

  1. MarionJuly 28, 2023 at 2:47 AM

    I liked your reflections!
    As a non-English native, it's refreshing to see that some English natives have these considerations in mind when working with international people. More generally, we should all have these considerations in mind, not just English natives. I remember I had a Syrian student a few years ago and he did not speak a word of French. But he was super motivated to learn. He had a notebook and was writing all the words I was saying. He also took French lessons several hours every week. His engagement made that he quickly became fluent and maybe better at French than me in many ways. His engagement revealed one very important treat of his personality: he wanted to learn French to learn, interact, and fit in the country he moved in. This revealed a remarkable sense of community I did not see in someone else.
    He became one of my best friends. I hope I contributed to his "French integration" in some way.
    This moment of my life taught me that we have a responsibility when our work involves international people. We cannot anticipate and cover every possible situation that a foreign person will encounter in their journey, but if we keep an open mind, nurtures empathy and remember that we ourselves will learn a lot by engaging in this international experience, then I think we all could grow and learn more than we could expect.

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