The Language Issue

When the idea for a blog came up to my mind, I was considering either I should do it in Bulgarian or in English. On the one hand for me the English language is largely terra incongnita and I will be incapable to express all the cynicism inside me, but on the other it is continuing to be like that if I do not dare to explore it deeply and just be brave. There was a thirth opportunity – to write in both languages which I firstly found completely distasteful. Recently I was thinking about what exactly “distasteful” means especially in the terms of (post)postmodernism where “the end” does not exist and the definition of “extreme” is nothing more but “fashionable”. Let us be honest – one of the most successful Erasmus parties are with topics “Pirate party”, “The bad taste party”, “Animal party” and, of course, Halloween.  Oh, next week is going to be “UV party”. This misinterpretation of the eclectic I want to reverse and just to begin a post in English without special costume and pretention for more of them.

The language issue is actually a core feature of Erasmus. The great assumption is that everybody should speak in English and I was witness how a couple of times people from the same country are chatting for some minutes in English before understand that they do not need it. There are exchange students without any experience, but even if they have most of us are nervous when we talk to native speakers for instance. And the native speakers are nervous because they now the other people are nervous and sometimes is possible to found yourself in very nervous situation. Then comes the expressive utterance of the problem ( I am sooo nervous about my English!) for mitigating the circumstances (But your English is really great! Can you understand me? Am I talking too fast?). And suddenly the first communication problem is solved, we are all in piece with English and the next step is the great nothing or even worse – talking about the weather.

I am trying to be not too critical with the globalized English because the simple fact is that this opens the mind and perceptions for new cultures, people, music, literature, roads. And it is not the keystone that my really lovely roommate (from Poland) says she hates to speak English with Slavonic people, or Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o – famous Kenyan author who wrote most of his books in Gĩkũyũ just because he refused to use English. The main point is about to have what to say viewless the linguistic. As sociology student I have read by now many communication theories, I have visit long lection on Intercultural Communication and as Erasmus student I need to say – the perception between the people is simply beyond the theories. They are just for fun and little explanation of stereotypes and expectations they formed.

My favorite example is the body language. I do not mean the image of Italians who talk with their hands or Japanese people and their almost inconspicuous but constant bows. Immediately after my arrival in Brno I was reminded that “yes” is no more yes and “no” is no more no. And you just cannot imagine how important are this little answers! To be clear – the Bulgarian style for remark “yes” and “no” with your head is upside down. The standard nodding definitely means no and shaking your head means yes. The legend says that during the times of Ottoman Empire the Turkeys put a knife on your throat and ask you if you are agree to accept their religion. The brave answer is no, but if you shake head, the knife will cut your throat. 

And the Bulgarians except irritating could be also sly – they started to nod putting the meaning of no.  A couple centuries later this is just reason for misunderstanding on the surface. Two teachers asked me during their lectures why I disagree with them. And I do not know what is worse – to disappoint them that I actually agree or to try to explain the difference, for which I think some people still do not believe me. (By the way one Russian girl didn’t believe me for Bulgaria's membership in the EU and tried to argue.)

But I can feel the other pole where interest, curiosity and hearty laugh are. This is not about the theories, culturally distinct gestures or languages. This is about the people. When I met Petr for first time, who is important hero in my Erasmus stories together with Karolina, he wanted me to sing Bulgarian folk songs. I gave up with the passion that only a musical disability may provoke. And then he told me about the girl in Bulgaria who sang on the beach next to the fire and it was beautiful not because of her voice but because of her, because of summer, because of the sea. The voice is not a whole context. Neither is the language. The Polish word szukamy means “to look for”. The Czech one šukáme has the common (for me) Slavonic significance – “to fuck”. The pronunciation of both is extremely similar. Now, imagine Polish tourists in Czech Republic asking “Excuse us, we are looking for the girl on the reception. Can you help us? ”.

The language issue is issue of perceptions that are blurry and confused of linguistic, pirate costumes and vanity. Otherwise, why am I writing this post in English?