Glacier National Park, located in Montana, U.S, encompasses over 1,000,000 acres and nurtures more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. Beside its vast pristine ecosystem, the park also serves as a platform for people from different culture backgrounds to meet and interact every summer. Thanks to Work and Travel Program, I was one of the lucky one who enjoyed the park’s outstanding natural and cultural beauty.
Upon arrival, the Manager of Human Resource Department has welcomed me with a brief yet exciting introduction of the park. God knows that I was paying my very maximum attention trying to catch his American English accent which sounds nasal, with lot of ‘r’s and, like a song to me. Soon after that, I found that the manager’s English is actually relatively easier to catch because he was so kind and considerate to speak slower with clearer pronunciation for the Asian students to understand him better.
Throughout that summer, I was amazed and overwhelmed by a vast variety of accents in America spoken by people from New York (Brooklyn), Boston, North/ South Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas and so on. Oh, not mentioning there is numerous slang which I thought I could never understand! At first, I was reluctant to initiate a conversation, worrying that it might be lost in puzzled American faces. However, my timidity was swept away by my American friends and colleagues who break the intercultural barrier with their patience and tolerance. Because of that, I had very memorable and enjoyable working experience in Montana.
For me, the beauty of Glacier National park not only fosters the relationship between nature and human being, but also among the people with diverse cultural background.
Hi Elin!
ReplyDeleteI think it's very commendable for one to have the courage to speak in the foreign place where everyone speaks in an accent different from yours.
I realized most students, including myself, took the opportunity to share our overseas experiences, and it's really an eye-opener for those who have been to these places.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Elin,
ReplyDeleteI think language is indeed a big barriar for people from different places when they try to communicate with each other and understand each other's opinion. For me, sometimes it is a bit difficult for me to understand local students, especially the words they use like "Xian" and "Lol".:0 But I'm trying to get more involved and communicate more with local students.
I think it is very commendable of you to try to start conversion with American students and I am really happy that you had a wonderful vocation in America.:-)
Dear Elin,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity you had! I have never been to GNP, but it is on my list of "must do's."
This post projects the positive experience you had in the park. What I feel is lacking though is completeness in the story telling. You present a description of your observation of the first encounter with the HR manager, but you don't give it enough attention. What I mean is that it would have been better to explain your emotional reaction at that first moment to something in the guy's behavior that you had never encountered earlier. You do talk about his accent. Could you elaborate on that? Was there anything else that you noticed in that moment that said to you: This is so weird and different from anything else I've ever experienced. Was there anything that you found difficult to interpret?
In short, I simply feel that you haven;t explored the experience in enough depth to fulfill the assignment. Do you see what I'm referring to?
p.s. I love the photo of you and Vanessa!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the commends!
ReplyDeleteYeah Brad, GNP is just sooooooooooo awesome!! Wish that you can experience 'bear encounter', too! It was one of the most exciting moment in my life. ^^
Hmn, I wanted to give some examples to illustrate the difference between American accent and and my original English accent. But due to the world limit, I scrapped that idea. Maybe I shall elaborate more about my emotion and thoughts stimulated when the Americans trying very hard to understand the foreign students there.
Hello Elin!
ReplyDeleteOver the course of this module and your university education, I find that your vocab and language ability has increased gradually and I believe your SEP trip to GNP certainly helped.
For this post, you have written clearly, concisely although concreteness might be improved if you give us more details about how accent was actually an intercultural barrier for you and not just a perceived one.
P.S. The awesomeness of GNP is reflected by your blogskin and the nice red GNP shirt you wear so often haha! =)
Now I found out you were on the W&T program in US. Never mind, about the accent, in communication it is a disaster but regarding to culture meaning and entertainment,it is tremendously fun and interesting. It provides the people the identity like if I could speak Singlish, I would feel I more belonging here and easier to be accepted by the locals. It also provides us all kinds of fun as we never lack the jokes on the accents. So it could be a useful weapon to win for the heart, like Mr. LKY has spoken Hokkien to call for the vote which did not match his usual British educated local elites' image.
ReplyDelete