Monday, May 03, 2004
Language Barrier
I met a Marine interpreter who was talking to Iraqis coming in and out of Falluja. Iraqis will usually wave and give a, sometimes, perfunctory smile, but I’ve never seen them glow as they did when they talked to that interpreter. They really appreciated the fact that an American took the time to learn their language. Even women broke protocol to shake his hand and give their opinion. It motivates me to learn the language. I’ve ordered some CD’s, though it’s one of the most difficult ones to learn. The language barrier is the biggest problem we have here. Some think the louder they speak to an Iraqi, the more likely they are to understand. I empathize with the Soldiers who had such trouble in Viet Nam. We aren't given enough interpreters, though a lot of the ones we have are very good.
I met a Marine interpreter who was talking to Iraqis coming in and out of Falluja. Iraqis will usually wave and give a, sometimes, perfunctory smile, but I’ve never seen them glow as they did when they talked to that interpreter. They really appreciated the fact that an American took the time to learn their language. Even women broke protocol to shake his hand and give their opinion. It motivates me to learn the language. I’ve ordered some CD’s, though it’s one of the most difficult ones to learn. The language barrier is the biggest problem we have here. Some think the louder they speak to an Iraqi, the more likely they are to understand. I empathize with the Soldiers who had such trouble in Viet Nam. We aren't given enough interpreters, though a lot of the ones we have are very good.
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