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Subject:RE: Learn a new language From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 13 Jun 2003 09:05:11 -0600
If you're on foreign soil, you absolutely should try to learn as much of
the local language as possible. That should go without saying, but is a
point lost on many Americans abroad, and on many Cuban expatriates in
South Florida.
But the scenario John describes is different - it's more of a diplomatic
effort to aid relations with foreign coworkers. That's still a good goal,
but one I'd approach differently. If you have the personality to pull it
off (which, having had some beers with John, I can attest to his
qualifications), it would probably be a great ice-breaker to learn some
very context-specific phrases. Imagine walking up to one of your colleages
with a smile and asking - in their language - "Are you EVER going to get
that spec to me?" or "is that mod done yet?" or "let's take the rest of
the day off and go grab a beer!"
When I was touring in Europe in my rock n' roll days, our band's road crew
was all German. So we taught each other the truly culturally important
stuff: I taught my drum roadie how to swear in English, and he taught me
how to hit on girls in German. His efforts were far more successful than
my own, but I did get a lot of giggles from my sleazy car-salesman
delivery of lines like "Hi there - I'm in a band. Would you like to see
my..."
Just one man's small effort towards world peace...
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