Free Write (Language Barriers)

Describe an event in which someone you knew spoke non-standard English or maybe you yourself have had such an experience. In any case, in what ways did the use of non-standard English affect the person or you? What lessons about language did the experience teach you?

JSH Farms, the company I work for,  hires a lot of Mexican's. Mostly because they are very hard workers, and do a good job. I encounter what we call a language barrier all the time, because I don't speak Spanish. Yes I know I should learn, but I never seem to have enough motivation. Anyways I help with payroll, and take and make phone calls. So the Hispanic families will come in to pick up their paychecks, or sometimes they will have a problem with their checks and ask me to help them. One particular story I remember is when two young men came in asked me for their checks. I handed them the signature sheet and asked them their names. One thing that I have realized is that whenever you ask them for their names they always give you their first name. And even though I've been doing this for quite some time, their accents were so thick that I couldn't understand their names! Oh no! So I checked the signature sheet to see which names they had signed their signatures under, and found the paychecks. Handing them the checks they looked at them and handed them back... they had signed under the wrong names on the list. Finally I got my boss who knew who they were and let them get it sorted out.


I really don't view this as a negative experience I think that they felt somewhat out of place since no one in our office speaks Spanish but at least I was able to find someone who could help them.


As far as what I learned from this, I learned their names, and I learned that they don't always sign under the right names on the signature sheet.


I am encouraged to learn Spanish, and I want to but right now in my life I honestly don't have time. Maybe someday... it is a beautiful language.