Fatum Operandi - SS102: Dialogue: Nature of Language
SS102: Dialogue: Nature of Language
This dialogue brings many things to mind, so I'm going to lay them out there quickly.
1. We are creatures of emotions and communicate most effectively through them. Language will always be a poor substitute. In Conversations with God, God mentions that saying something is actually the least effective way of communicating because it is so open to error and misunderstanding. And we've all seen this. Online, most people are limited to just the words on the screen. This often leads to misunderstandings that would not have happened face to face. Humans read so much from facial expressions and body language, though it's not conscious usually. And honestly, when did humans develop speech? Clearly we were 'humans' before we had a well developed vocabularly and got along fine, evolving into who we are today.
2. I just read a book called Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood by Hollis Gillespie. In it she talks about being a translator in Germany. She can't determine if she's a good or bad translator. For one, she doesn't translate very naturally, meaning her translations are simple and very literal. For instance, on page 4 she is supposed to ask when a patient had her last bowel movement. What she says is "Madame, when was the last time you went to the toilet solidly?" Or the time she couldn't find the metal end of the seatbelt and told the taxi driver "Pardon me, but I am missing the penis of my seatbelt." Clearly these aren't the way natural speakers would say things, but she gets her point across and gets a good laugh in the process. So is she a good or bad translator? Language is so flexible, that I think she gets her point across and is therefore reasonably good. Granted she would not be considered good for a political situation that involves so many subleties. All depends on context. But her situations show how language is not an exact science.
3. We are constantly making up words. How often do you find yourself looking for a word to describe what you mean, and you make up a whole new word, or at least alter a normal word to give it an emotional aspect. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a prime example of this. They are constantly making up new words, which I love! I think the evolving nature of language is what makes it exciting, and allows you to own it rather than letting it own you.
4. Though making up words is fun, when dealing with people that are not native english speakers it's important to stick to words they understand. I had a conversation with Belete Muturo's wife, who is from Ethiopia and doesn't speak much English, and I had a great time with it. They were about to leave Wisconsin for Missouri and we talked about how there are giant mosquitos, but less snow. She was glad to be leaving the cold, though I warned her about humidity. She said Ethiopia has beautiful temperatures, always around 70 and that she misses it. And she was hoping she would be closer to her family that's on the east coast. All this was spoken with less words then I used to describe it I'm sure, but it was a lovely conversation and a great learning experience. I definately missed out on things living in a very homogeneous part of Wisconsin, but I'm catching up little by little.
Language is easy to forget about since we use it so often, but it's important to look at how you use language. It can make all the difference in the world.
This dialogue brings many things to mind, so I'm going to lay them out there quickly.
1. We are creatures of emotions and communicate most effectively through them. Language will always be a poor substitute. In Conversations with God, God mentions that saying something is actually the least effective way of communicating because it is so open to error and misunderstanding. And we've all seen this. Online, most people are limited to just the words on the screen. This often leads to misunderstandings that would not have happened face to face. Humans read so much from facial expressions and body language, though it's not conscious usually. And honestly, when did humans develop speech? Clearly we were 'humans' before we had a well developed vocabularly and got along fine, evolving into who we are today.
2. I just read a book called Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood by Hollis Gillespie. In it she talks about being a translator in Germany. She can't determine if she's a good or bad translator. For one, she doesn't translate very naturally, meaning her translations are simple and very literal. For instance, on page 4 she is supposed to ask when a patient had her last bowel movement. What she says is "Madame, when was the last time you went to the toilet solidly?" Or the time she couldn't find the metal end of the seatbelt and told the taxi driver "Pardon me, but I am missing the penis of my seatbelt." Clearly these aren't the way natural speakers would say things, but she gets her point across and gets a good laugh in the process. So is she a good or bad translator? Language is so flexible, that I think she gets her point across and is therefore reasonably good. Granted she would not be considered good for a political situation that involves so many subleties. All depends on context. But her situations show how language is not an exact science.
3. We are constantly making up words. How often do you find yourself looking for a word to describe what you mean, and you make up a whole new word, or at least alter a normal word to give it an emotional aspect. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a prime example of this. They are constantly making up new words, which I love! I think the evolving nature of language is what makes it exciting, and allows you to own it rather than letting it own you.
4. Though making up words is fun, when dealing with people that are not native english speakers it's important to stick to words they understand. I had a conversation with Belete Muturo's wife, who is from Ethiopia and doesn't speak much English, and I had a great time with it. They were about to leave Wisconsin for Missouri and we talked about how there are giant mosquitos, but less snow. She was glad to be leaving the cold, though I warned her about humidity. She said Ethiopia has beautiful temperatures, always around 70 and that she misses it. And she was hoping she would be closer to her family that's on the east coast. All this was spoken with less words then I used to describe it I'm sure, but it was a lovely conversation and a great learning experience. I definately missed out on things living in a very homogeneous part of Wisconsin, but I'm catching up little by little.
Language is easy to forget about since we use it so often, but it's important to look at how you use language. It can make all the difference in the world.
posted by Jaxson at 21:33
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