Today in class we talked about communication and language. If only we were fluent in the language used in the country, then communication would be so much easier. Right? Wrong. I didn't realize how much miscommunication could happen even when using the same language. I really liked the point Ashley stressed in class that even though people speak the same language, that the words used may have different meanings to them. That is so true. I'm sure we've all had experiences when we've had miscommunication from the words we use. Just the other night I was with a friend and we like to throw in Tongan phrases and words when speaking. I was laughing at her for doing something and she said "'oua hoha'a." Hoha'a has many different meanings like annoying, overboard, irritating and also worried. I lightly pushed her shoulder because I thought she was saying don't be annoying. But she meant, don't worry.
I'm really glad we discussed this topic because I realized many things within the Tongan language that will be useful in my field study. For one thing, one word can have many different meanings. One night I was talking with my dad in Tongan and I used the word "faka'amu" which means to be hopeful, wishful. He corrected me that instead of saying "faka'amu" I should have said another word because it is a better fit in the context. Language is so important to look at when communicating because although words have the same meaning, one word could be better to use in a specific context than the other.
I didn't realize until class how much language influences how we think and what we put value on. Hearing the other examples in class made me think of the Tongan word for cousin. (I mentioned this in my last post!) The Tongan word for cousin is "tokoua, tuofefine, tuongaane" which means brother or sister. Because they use this word to describe a cousin, it's obvious that the community (and also the culture as a whole) values families and relationships. I think understanding language used could help us understand the context more. I know there are certain words to be used in the presence of the King, or at a funeral, or at another specific event, which is important to pay attention to.
This made me realize how important my communication would be with faculty and students at Liahona high school. Although Liahona high school has a rule that everyone must speak English only on campus, there will still be language barriers. I think one of the possible challenges while out there is being able to use words that they are familiar with or words in which we have the same understanding. They are heavily influenced by New Zealand and Britain, and so for one, their spelling is different from America. For example they spell the word center as centre. I think language is very important to consider while in the field because it could help build rapport with the people there. It's very interesting to know how much language and communication has a big effect on the project we are doing, and this class discussion helped me to realized ways I communicate to others around me, and be aware of the words I use as well.
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