Living With Language Barriers

[CoopLoop]

KHi guys,

I am a ctrauma person in recovery with a non-trauma problem. I am living in a house share with two other English native speakers and two other French speakers. The French are certainly fluent but not 100%. They also talk among themselves in French.

I don't think this is a racist problem, it could happen with any culture. Basically communication is often very strained. It is not helped by the fact that I may have a disagreement with one and leave the room to find her yapping away to the other in a language I dont understand. One cant help but be self conscious!

There are two problems here, not being able to fully communicate is one.
The cultural gap and the solidarity is another. They are quite out of sync with our culture and can come across as rude without meaning too ( and it happens to me too! I can seem rude without meaning to ) They can do things that are very inappropriate because they don't get the fabrics of our society.

By the solidarity I think they will back each other up because they are both French and from the same region. The reason the second girl was picked for the apartment was because she was French and the first girl wanted to give her fellow countryperson a place to live.

Let me also say, I respect a persons right to speak a language. I speak an indigenous language besides English that is often considered 'dead' and I know what its like to speak a different language and the problems that come with it.

 

[Ronin]

Could you try finding common gestures that convey the same thing to increase a sense of solidarity?

And how are you with sharing meals, if possible / if you can trust them that much? (Not even meaning full on dinners and lunches, starting with small things as local snacks could do, ditto wine if you're not bothered by alcohol and they happen to be drinkers).

Could you go to some sports events together? Do you share interests in any free time activities that don't require that much language to get the point across to begin with?

& How are you with learning basic courtesies in French? I find often the little words go a long way as an entrance to a culture one's not familiar with, if even to get by for a few months.