Nigerian Immigrants
Being an immigrant from Nigeria was initially a challenge when I first moved to America. I generally speak quite fast, but I soon realize that some Americans could not understand my English and might misinterpret me. I had to talk slower in order to pass the right messages across. Below are two examples of situations when I misinterpreted a message and when my message was misinterpreted. During my freshman year in undergrad, I was approached by some classmates asking if I want to go to a football game, I did not think into it too much. To my surprise, the “football” I was used to was what Americans called soccer. I misinterpreted the whole conversation because of the language barrier between us; and mistakenly thought my classmates were discussing American soccer. …show more content…
Another instance of misinterpretation hindered by noise and cultural difference is -when I am at home with my Nigerian roommate, I particularly choose to speak my native language because it is more convenient. For instance, if I am speaking to my roommate while my American girlfriend is present, I will respond to him in my native language. However, my girlfriend feels offended because she misinterprets our conversation; and believes that we are talking negatively about her. Moreover, I am only choosing to speak my language because the words form
The Igbo Tribe
794 Words | 4 PagesThe Igbo people were a tribe living in Nigeria in the late 19th century. Their way of living is remarkably diverse than the lifestyle of people living in Western continents. While the Igbo people have very similar resources to western people, they use them in varying ways, such as farming. Farming is crucial for their clan’s survival, they use crops such as yams as a food source and for ceremonial purposes. Not only is farming a great way to get food, members of the tribe who farm a great deal, are seen as more important or powerful.
Lippi-Green's English With An Argument
610 Words | 3 Pages“Speakers choose among sociolinguistic variants available; their choices group together in ways which are obvious and interpretable to other speakers in the community”(68), Green says in context to the fact that inside speech communities, specific languages seem normal but once you leave that area, it may be hard to communicate as effectively with others. The way that people communicate is the way they are able to relate to their neighbors, when you take that away from them you take away their allegiance and their sense of loyalty to their community (68). Even if two people who speak different versions of English, they are both speaking English and will be able to understand each other, but communication is always easier and more effective when conversing with someone who has a similar linguistic style, or with someone from a related culture. Even when all parties are willing to work hard and share the burden of communication, sometimes accents can be too much of a barrier and prevent full
The Cost Of Diversity In Communication Two Camels Analysis
393 Words | 2 PagesIn the essay “The Cost of Diversity in Communication: Two Camels”, the author Eva Karlsson shows how the lack of speaking a common language and diverse cultural perspectives can cause misunderstanding and embarrassing situations. Karlsson tells us about a very unusual misunderstanding that happened to a couple from Sweden who were on a vacation in Tunisia. The author says, in Souse, where Sara and Larry were enjoying their time, they decided to go to a night club. While they were there, a Tunisian man came up to Sara’s boyfriend asking permission to dance with her. Larry approved.
1920's Immigrants
341 Words | 2 PagesThe United States experienced great changes of immigration from the 1880s to 1920. More immigrants were coming into America during this period. There were many reasons motivating immigrants to journey to America. There were different reasons that led immigrants to come into the United States. For example some came running away from religious persecution, other for oppression, and economic difficulties.
20th Century Immigrants
90 Words | 1 PagesBut this is not a new story. My own great-grandparents left Russia and eastern Europe for the US around the beginning of the 20th century. Jews didn’t have an easy time in tsarist Russia and, certainly by contemporary standards, they were a persecuted, oppressed minority. Equally, it would be naive to think that they weren’t in large part motivated by the desire to build a better, more prosperous life in the US. The same is probably true for many of today’s migrants: both push and pull factors are at
Migrants Immigration History
258 Words | 2 PagesAlongside the route, there were various things or experiences that the migrants experienced. Basically, there were numerous accidents that they encountered for instance death as a result of being run over by wagons. Another one was accidents due to gunshots from half-cocked pistols in their wagons or from various individuals who at times used to fool around with guns. Conversely, the migrants contracted various ailments majorly yellow fever Oregon fever. At least two-thirds of the migrants lost their lives due to this quick killing disease.
Parents By Richard Rodriguez Analysis
758 Words | 4 PagesRichard Rodriguez had written a book that people could relate to especially if their parents weren’t originally from the United States. When I encountered the passage “-it was unsettling to hear my parents struggle with English” (27). It reminded me of how my mother who originally grew up and lived in the Philippines and struggles with English when she speaks fast. Growing up I began to notice that she made grammatical errors that would often confuse me. My dad didn’t stay in the Philippines as long as my mum did but even he has mispronunciations time to time when I talk to him.
Hmong Language Barriers
2436 Words | 10 PagesLanguage Barrier: barrier to communication resulting from speaking different languages Self-Introduction My nationality is United States, America and my ethnicity is Hmong. I am the second youngest child in my family. My parents
Japanese American Immigrants
587 Words | 3 PagesThe first Japanese Americans emigrated to the U.S. mostly as the second or third sons of the family in search of a new economic future similar to other immigrants. Primogeniture was still in practice in the late 1800’s, so the eldest son inherited the entire estate, leaving the other sons at the mercy of their own resourcefulness. These fortune seekers settled along the western states as farmers and farm laborers amid high anti-Chinese sentiment. They’re willingness to work for lower wages in poor conditions created a split labor market and as a result, they endured extreme hostility and physical attacks from union members representing the manufacturing and service industries. They experienced legal discrimination in the forms of denial of citizenship and denial of land ownership as non-whites.
Racial Profiling Among Immigrants
844 Words | 4 PagesAs an immigrant, it is possible to live in two different worlds which are miles apart. The immigrant passes through identity development phases where they are faced with communication and integration problems. As a result, it is possible to be viewed as less intelligent or ignorant which is not the case because all they have is a communication barrier. Language is an avenue of self expression that brings out what is in the heart but without one the immigrant becomes voiceless. On a personal case, this disintegrates all the optimism that I had when coming to the US making the task of completing my education insurmountable.
Barriers In The Devil's Highway
697 Words | 3 PagesVery few, if any, immigrants have the opportunity or time to learn English before they immigrate to the U.S. This barrier makes it almost impossible to warn and aid them. Although the Border Patrol and humanitarian groups attempt to warn immigrants about human smugglers, the signs are written in English. In addition to indecipherable signs, the language border hinders an immigrant’s ability to survive in American society. In almost every community, English is the written and spoken language.
To Speak Is To Blunder Analysis
1635 Words | 7 PagesYiyun Li feels that same way and can’t comprehend but feel separated from her own language’s culture. “In my relationship with English, in this relationship with the intrinsic distance between a nonnative speaker and an adopted language that makes people look askance, I feel invisible but not estranged. It is the position I believe I always want in life. But with every pursuit there is the danger of crossing a line, from invisibility to erasure” (Lin 7). This clearly shows that she can be isolated from the people around her.
What Is The Biggest Challenge Of Learning American Culture
355 Words | 2 PagesThe biggest challenge I faced when I moved to America was learning a new language. The American culture and society was a new experience that I must learn to adapt. There was a lot of culture shock when trying to fit in with American society. As an American we must learn to understand jokes and sarcasm. It is a shared social system and we must learn the values and norms; this is the design of American society.
Semantic Rules In Communication
701 Words | 3 PagesSomeone may misinterpret what they have been told or read. Because this happens on a daily basis. This equivocal language can be humiliating and uncomfortable. When the
Human Trafficking In Nigeria
3250 Words | 13 PagesHuman trafficking is an international issue that has been increasing in the last few decades all around the world. Interestingly, a large number of organized crime involves the human trafficking of women in particular. This paper will focus on the relationship between human trafficking and prostitution with women, concentrating on those being brought to Italy from Nigeria. Before delving into an analysis of human trafficking with women, the term must be defined, as it is often confused with the term ‘human smuggling.’ The ‘Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children’ defines human trafficking as the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat
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