Entry #4: What’s that? I don’t underst
Trip Start
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Trip End
Ongoing
Pahoa, Hawaii
Monday, April 9, 2012
Description: Hawaii is a really small state, but the variety of people who live there is so big! So many people were brought to Hawaii between 1852 and 1946. This is approximately 395,000
Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Okinawans, Koreans and Filipinos who came to
Hawaii to work on sugar and tarot fields. When they arrived on the islands,
they brought their languages too. A lot of them started families by marrying
Hawaiian women. So, we can conclude that most of them had to learn English as
well. This is the reason why we can hear so many languages and different
accents when we visit Hawaii. Also, sometimes it is hard to understand some of the
expressions that people use because the meaning is completely different from
French. Obviously, this is the biggest difficulties for the language when we
travel to Hawaii.
Constat/analyse: During my first month as a farmer in Hawaii, I met five Micronesians who are working on our farm. At the beginning, I wasn’t able to understand what they were saying. Their mother tongue is the Micronesian language, but they can speak English just a little
bit, so their accent is so strong. I made them repeat again and again.
Sometimes we had to mime what we wanted to say to each other because it was too
hard. Now, it’s a little bit easier for me to understand what they want to say,
but I really have to concentrate myself. When they talk, they don’t really open
their mouth so it’s hard for a French speaker who doesn’t know every single
word in English to understand this kind of accent. Also, I met a kid who comes
at the farm with his mom on the weekend. I found that it was hard to understand
what he wanted to tell me! Sometimes in Québec, it’s hard to understand what a
young kid want to tell you, so imagine when it’s not in French! I think that
with the time, I become use to hear English everywhere around me, so I get use
to some expressions and words. But unfortunately, when people mumble, I still
find it hard to understand what they want to say… After a few weeks with the
same people I am less shy to ask questions about the meaning of things that
people say.
Comments
Simply fascinating Audrey!
I imagine it special to be surrounded by people form different origins, they should also be curious about yours!
I suggest you to write in your journal (if you are using one), words and expressions from those dialetcs. That way you will always remember them!
Take care!
Your superisor
Enrique Fernandez Velazquez
Well, I would like to know a few words in Micronesian, but after two minutes I forget how to say that. It's very very hard! I'll maybe ask them to write me some words before I leave!