Communication is a miracle. We communicate with many different
languages, dialects, idioms, abbreviations, and accents. So it is not surprising
that our communication is subject to misunderstanding. We should treat
these misunderstandings with patience and kindness, especially when they
occur with foreigners who speak our language with an accent. Let’s
remember that these foreigners speak our language much better than we
speak theirs, and they can enrich our language and culture with the
benefits of diversity.
Rapid Response:
In Praise of Multilingualism
Communication is a miracle. We communicate with many different
languages, dialects, idioms, abbreviations, and accents. So it is not surprising
that our communication is subject to misunderstanding. We should treat
these misunderstandings with patience and kindness, especially when they
occur with foreigners who speak our language with an accent. Let’s
remember that these foreigners speak our language much better than we
speak theirs, and they can enrich our language and culture with the
benefits of diversity.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests