Lost in Translation?

The other day I heard a cute conversation while waiting for the bus. A little Hispanic girl was trying to translate a sign for her mother, but since the mother could not quite make up the idea, she went ahead and explained in Spanish what the sign meant, with limited accuracy I concluded.

Even after the laborious explanation from the girl, the mother seemed puzzled and simply nodded agreeing with her daughter, who was visibly irritated for the lack of understanding between the two. They then went on with their day. It seemed to be something they were used to.

This anecdote may seem charming, but when you think about it, it can be a real problem of communication, especially between children and parents. How many times has it happened to you, or have you seen it happen in your family?

A lot of times, parents get frustrated because the children cannot communicate effectively with them. They feel left out! At the same time, children feel the burden of having to speak both languages equally well, and having to meet the expectations of their parents. This creates friction and in the long run it can create a communication gap that ends up depriving all parties from really knowing and sharing with each other what’s important in their lives.

It is very common for Hispanic teenagers and young adults to have a preference speaking English. A lot of times, parents simply step aside hoping and the relationships deteriorate.

Do you get lost in translation? Can you effectively communicate with your parents or other adults in the family, who happen to be more comfortable speaking Spanish? Do you make an effort to speak it at home?

Speaking English and Spanish is a great benefit for a number of reasons, and one of the most important ones is to be able to communicate with our parents and grandparents, to share with them, to understand the jokes and enjoy the stories. It’s a way to be in the same page.

But how do you close that gap? By making a concerted effort to speak Spanish at home, by sharing with your parents, by allowing yourself to make mistakes and be taught, and by teaching others, by promoting the importance of Spanish at home and away from home. At the same time, be patient and work with your parents or grandparents. Teach them when you can.

Try it. It works. Not only will you feel the change in your vocabulary over time, but you will be glad you did, as this opens the door to being much closer to your family. It is worth it.

Now, let’s hope that the mother and the girl from the anecdote above can work that out themselves. Their bus ride home would be much more enjoyable, I guarantee it!