Week Nine: English to English Translation

I was born in Boston. When I travel in the United States, people are always surprised to hear this. They say I have virtually no accent. Compared to my mother and my grandparents, this is true. Still, like most Northerners, I talk fast. And, apparently, I have retained quite a few regional colloquialisms. I never realized this, until a few nights ago at dinner, when my co-worker felt comfortable enough to tell me that for about the first week we knew each other, he barely understood me. 

There are three official languages at the Constitutional Court-- Albanian, Serbian, and English. There are also Turkish, Bosnian, and French speakers. The only real language requirement is a working knowledge of English. The English of the younger workers-- especially the interns-- is, in my opinion, close to flawless. The grammar is perfect, and the pronunciation is clear. Many of them took advanced degrees taught in English. The problem is, just because I could understand them, did not mean they could understand me. 

In a professional environment, I always make an effort to slow down my speech and maintain a professional demeanor. However, the office culture in Kosovo is so warm and relaxed, I quickly slipped into my normal (i.e. rapid, informal) speech. So, at dinner over some bottles of Peja, my coworker came clean. The other international intern, Leona, is from France but has bilingual proficiency in English. In the beginning, she would translate my English into clearer English for my coworkers. Was I embarrassed? Yes. But mostly, I thought it was hilarious. I am very lucky that my coworkers pushed through my opaque idioms and lightning-fast quips to get to know me and become my friends.