Hiya...Speaking Abroad (#1)

Well, I've already mentioned that people here are a bit quieter than at home. Clearly, some of us stick out like a sore thumb as we saunter through town shouting to each other (yes, even though it may be your normal speaking volume, it sounds like shouting when compared with the locals--check out their stares, YOU ARE LOUD). I smile without actually speaking more as a hello or a thank you here because I am sometimes afraid of what octave might arise out of my throat--and certainly I don't want to be one of those people. :)

Most interesting to me is the responses I get when purchasing items in shops, especially gift shops at tourist attractions. Before the transaction is even complete, I am being thanked. I hand over what I want to buy. "Thank you," the cashier chimes with a curt nod. I feel bizarre saying 'you're welcome', so when he/she has finished ringing me up, I take my bag and say, "Thank you." Well, of course, I get a "Thank you" in return. It is endless and hilarious and I know of no way to stop it except to leave with a smile.

"Cheers" is another favorite expression. Used almost everywhere in the UK, it may mean just about whatever you would like. Personally, I like sitting on the trains (as I've said before) and watching the refreshment cart make its way down the aisle. Maybe it is because it reminds me of Harry Potter extracting his gold coins and chiming, "We'll take the lot!" As much as I might be tempted to say that, I remind myself that it is simply packaged food and pop so I haven't bought anything off the "trolley" just yet. Still, it is fun to watch the man or woman selling snacks slide down the aisle saying "cheers" to anyone who buys anything, or simply gets out of his or her way so the aisle may be cleared for sales.


My favorite local use of language incorporates "cheers" into a different expression: "Cheers, love." This lovely and warming expression was bestowed upon my ears as I exited our tour bus in London; these words from the bus driver's mouth made me feel like we were very good friends for just a moment. I know the use of the word "love" as a person is a very generic term here, but I can't help but find it extremely pleasant. It is much more appealing than the American "sweetie" or "honey" which can feel patronizing at times, depending on who is speaking and how they are used. Perhaps some Brits feel the same way about "love" but it just doesn't seem to carry that sentiment---it just seems friendly.

In general, people here are very polite in their manner of speaking. Body language and tone convey attitudes of annoyance much more accurately, but their actual choice of words doesn't reveal anything except polite words. At home, I feel like the accepted and traditional way to speak in public is to be polite but we are losing that more and more every day. I notice even in the things I hear my teenage students say in front of me or walking in the halls with their friends at school, that I wouldn't have dared to say near adults when I was their age. They curse a lot more, and don't seem to have learned the difference between how to speak to adults or out in public and with their friends in private. This translates to adults in American culture also speaking with less refinement and manners, too. For the most part, the British seem to still value manners in speaking more than we do. Even still, I can see the change happening here, too. At Sherwood Forest, for example, there were some British teens visiting the site as well; one girl was mad at her mother and was cursing loudly at her. The mother did admonish her for her use of language but you could see that this was not the first time the girl had chosen these words. Robin Hood would be appalled at a child speaking to her mother this way! It is not only a cultural thing but also a generational thing---look at how the speech in television and film has incorporated more and more strong language (cursing) as a natural part of daily speech. So, while manners in speech might have lost their way faster in America, they are changing a bit everywhere because of global media influence. The attitude just seems to be, "So what? I don't care what anyone thinks. I will talk how I want!" Very ego-centric; but I think it's mostly because no one has really taught them anything else. I understand it, but it still bothers me--I think words are so important and we are thinking less and less as a culture about what words mean and how they make us sound when we speak. People need to think more and speak less sometimes. That's why writing is so nice...it makes you see what you are saying.





(random side note: At least we finally have a President who can speak well again--the last 8 years were torture for those of us who care about words!)