Having met many new and interesting people it is also difficult to understand that they are also learning, and that perhaps for better or for worse I have the tendency to slip into Pidgin when speaking with someone who has not yet mastered the English language. I have encountered a cornucopia of people from Brazil who desire very readily to learn English, but for whatever reason have not been able to master the language, but have command of operative phrases and use an albeit Pidgin like way of speaking.
What's worse is that I will slip into Pidgin when typing back and remove unnecessary words that are not essential to comprehension. I am quickly becomes, "I is" not because my friend in incapable of understand the syntax and grammar, but because it is easier for me to understand how they are understand it in their own language. Portuguese is in itself a sort of Pidginesque language that really came about right off the coattails of Spanish, and it has the vocabulary and grammar to prove it.
Other very prominent problems conversing with people who have not yet gained a command of the language is that there are often problems to resolve with their computer or general use of some tools that the internet allows. I was unfortunate enough to have been thought to have given a Virus to one of my friend after trying to install a web cam and microphone so we could practice speaking and see each other. Of course, I was absolved of all wrong doing, but I was still quite confused as to how everything panned out, even though I wasn't to blame.
(Image Courtesy: Daniel F. Pigatto from Open Source Pidgin Chat Client. )
Leave a comment