Pathways for Mutual Respect Interactive

Lately I have become addicted to language learning podcasts, two of my favourites being Coffee Break French and Coffee Break Spanish, which offer dozens of lessons in 15 minute installments (short enough to enjoy with a cup of coffee). I find these are a great way to learn because podcasts offer much more flexible and self-driven learning than a rigid classroom environment. Also, the simple conversational approach is more engaging than many other “teach yourself” kinds of programs. Unfortunately, there is no Coffee Break Farsi, and I have been browsing the net for good Farsi resources with little luck.

Until I manage to find a good systematic and regularly updated podcast for learning Farsi, I will post piecemeal audio or video files that may be helpful for those of us looking to familiarize ourselves with the sound of Farsi and some of its basic words and phrases. I have included one such example in this post, which you can hear by clicking the link below. The English speaker will say the phrase he wants translated in English and the Farsi speaker then repeats the phrase in Farsi.

A little taste of Farsi…

Our entry this week comes from Pathways intern Jacque. This semester Jacque is studying in Cairo, Egypt, which provides plenty of face-to-face encounters with cultural difference.

After nearly two months in Cairo, I have begun to realize not only that there are obstacles to cultural cohesion, but also that there is one that has a particularly stagnating effect on the process. The language gap is by far the most prevalent obstacle. In order to defend their unique identity, individual cultures tend to emphasize certain characteristics that separate themselves from other cultures. Language separates those who are foreign from those who are native to a culture.

Language is a separating force but also a unifying one: the glue of a particular society of people. There is no question for me on this issue. One must learn another culture’s language, in order to participate in and better understand that culture. I have had interesting reactions from people when trying to utilize the little bit of Arabic that I claim to know. I remember a particular time, when I was in a small store in Dahab, when I bartered for a certain price on a small wallet. We went back and forth on prices for a minute before I told him 15 L.E was the highest I would go. He then told me that he would only give it to me for that price, because I asked in Arabic. In the streets when people are asking me to buy flowers or fruit from them, I’ll say no thank you in Arabic, to which their response usually is, “You speak Arabic! “ I have also had the opposite of such experiences. There have been quite a few times when I’ve asked a store owner how much something is in Arabic and they respond in English. In addition most often people approach me by speaking English, which is understandable considering my undeniable appearance as a foreigner.

In essence, the language barrier really has an effect on how much I am able to participate in and learn from the culture. Beyond communicating with people, it is almost impossible to understand all of the idiosyncrasies of a culture without knowing the language. Yet while language is an obvious obstacle it is also one that can be overcome with time.