My project consisted in broke a cultural norm about language. I visited some shops whit the idea to speak in Spanish and not in English with cashiers at the moment to pay for some of my items.
I visited three places in Lansing: Target, Wal-Mart, and Meijer.
During my visit in Target at the moment of pay my items I was assisted by a young lady, she was around twenty-five, was blond and a little shy. When I arrived at her workplace I introduced myself in Spanish, and I explained to her, in Spanish, that I wanted to buy all that stuff. The first part of my introduction she just looks at me trying to figure it out what I was saying, when I said in Spanish that I wanted to pay for my items, she was red and doubting about what to say, she tried to says something but just took my items and she scanned them. Well, the moment was a very awkward for her, but was a surprise …show more content…
When I was approaching to pay some things, the cashier that was greeting me was a lady around the fifties, she was very gentle. When she was greeting me in English, I answer in Spanish. In the beginning, she was surprised, a little nervous but she never stop to smile and be gentle, actually she was very close to laughing with the situation because every time that she gave me an instruction or offers me something I responded in Spanish. At the last moment that I was with her she never stop to smile and be gentle, that make me think that maybe she knew something of Spanish.
Well, in conclusion, I had different reactions to different people. I know that for North Americans awkward moments are something that they try to avoid, and it is a bit difficult to handle. But also was a good exercise for me, trying to understand that the language barrier is not something that is complicated for the person that can not or is not speaking the language of the country where you are living but also for people that cannot speak your language, could be frustrating or challenging for
I visited three places in Lansing: Target, Wal-Mart, and Meijer.
During my visit in Target at the moment of pay my items I was assisted by a young lady, she was around twenty-five, was blond and a little shy. When I arrived at her workplace I introduced myself in Spanish, and I explained to her, in Spanish, that I wanted to buy all that stuff. The first part of my introduction she just looks at me trying to figure it out what I was saying, when I said in Spanish that I wanted to pay for my items, she was red and doubting about what to say, she tried to says something but just took my items and she scanned them. Well, the moment was a very awkward for her, but was a surprise …show more content…
When I was approaching to pay some things, the cashier that was greeting me was a lady around the fifties, she was very gentle. When she was greeting me in English, I answer in Spanish. In the beginning, she was surprised, a little nervous but she never stop to smile and be gentle, actually she was very close to laughing with the situation because every time that she gave me an instruction or offers me something I responded in Spanish. At the last moment that I was with her she never stop to smile and be gentle, that make me think that maybe she knew something of Spanish.
Well, in conclusion, I had different reactions to different people. I know that for North Americans awkward moments are something that they try to avoid, and it is a bit difficult to handle. But also was a good exercise for me, trying to understand that the language barrier is not something that is complicated for the person that can not or is not speaking the language of the country where you are living but also for people that cannot speak your language, could be frustrating or challenging for