Hello, again language learners! In the last post, I talked about the language barrier when traveling to a country where you do not speak the language. This time, I am going to talk about what happens if you go to a country where the spoken language is English, but the people’s accents and the words they use are so different that you don’t understand what they’re saying. This would be a bit disconcerting, wouldn’t it? But it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s a wonderful way to learn more about your own language.

My parents have lived in Ireland for the past two years so I have been able to visit them several times. Recently, I took a trip to Galway to see them and was charmed, as usual, by the distinct Irish accent and colloquial words they use in conversation which are so different from what I hear in the US. Something I hear quite often from Americans after they visit Ireland is that the Irish accent is “so hard to understand.” While I don’t really agree with this, except for perhaps a few occasions when I’ve been in very rural towns, I’ve also spent a lot of time in many different English speaking countries and gotten used to the differences in accent and pronunciation.

It’s very normal to find that there is a learning curve to understanding a new accent. The way that words are pronounced and the inflection or emphasis placed on each word varies slightly based on geographic region. This is true even within the US. I recently spent some time working in Colorado where I misunderstood some of the words my coworkers were saying to me because they pronounce their vowels slightly differently than we would in New England. Try and think of a time that you may have traveled somewhere in the US where you did not immediately understand the accent. This is exactly how you may feel when you travel to another English speaking country like Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, India or others. 

Now, back to Ireland and understanding what the locals are saying. While I can’t help you get used to their accents, I can give you some examples of words you may hear there which would be unfamiliar. Here are a few of my favorite ones:

• Hiya: This is self-explainable. It means hi or hello. You’ll understand this when you hear it, and it is a very Irish greeting. 
• Good Craic (pronounced crack): this means something was great fun. It can be a bit jarring to hear what sounds like “Last night was good crack!” but that “crack” is actually “craic” and means fun. No need to worry. 
• Dead on, fun, serious: When dead is used in front of an adjective, then it is like saying “very”. 
• Sláinte: Cheers. You’ll hear it at the pub and you should say it back.
• Diesel vs petrol: you don’t use the word “gas” when talking about filling up your car in Ireland (or anywhere in Europe really). You use diesel or petrol.

Now, these are just a few examples of words that are slightly different than what we use in the US. If you’re planning a trip to another English speaking country, make sure to look up common words and phrases to know what to look for. This will help immensely when you arrive. And if you have trouble understanding an accent, well, there is no harm in very politely asking the person you’re talking to if they would mind slowing down a little bit or repeating themselves. Remember, just because the country is English-speaking doesn’t mean it’s the exact same English you speak!

And most importantly, enjoy experiencing a new culture. You may think that other anglophones are similar to you, but they’re not and there is always something to learn from another culture, including the way they speak your shared language. Happy traveling!

À bientôt!

Shannon