For my first blog post, I decided to talk about the language barrier. This is the most trouble that I have ever had communicating. The other time I travelled internationally, I went to Costa Rica. I knew a fair amount of Spanish, and therefore did not have much trouble with basic communications, such as ordering food and getting directions. Coming to the Czech Republic, however, was very different. I did not know a word of Czech before flying over, so I could not even begin to identify what various things were. Many people here do know enough English to understand the basis of what I am saying. However, there have been quite a few people (mostly in restaurants) who do not know any English. In these cases, ordering food is reduced to pointing at menu items that I have translated for myself using the Google Translate app.  It is a new experience for me. I am used to always being able to communicate, and I have never really experienced such a large language barrier.

                Shopping has also been somewhat difficult. Everything is in Czech. When I go grocery shopping, I start browsing to see if there’s anything I want. The problem is, I can’t tell what most things are just by looking at them, and I can’t read the labels to figure out what they are. When buying milk, for example, it is very difficult to tell if you are buying regular, skim, soy, almond, etc. Since all the signs are in Czech as well, I can’t read them to figure out what is in which aisle. If I am looking for a certain thing, I just have to wander the store until I find it. I had always taken how easy shopping was in the United States for granted. I never thought about how difficult the most basic things (like buying laundry detergent or something) became once you don’t understand the language.

                We have had a couple of lessons in learning Czech, and it is a rather difficult language. Pronunciation has probably been the most difficult thing for me to grasp so far. Looking at a word, my brain automatically wants to pronounce it the way you would in English, but quite a few of their letters make somewhat different sounds. Some sounds are difficult for me to even make. We have learned a few basic words and phrases, in order to help us communicate a little better. The problem is, however, that even if we know the words, if we do not pronounce them just right, Czech speakers probably will not be able to understand us. Our professor was telling us that it is very difficult for native Czech speakers to understand foreigners speaking Czech. Since English is such a common language, and many people from many places speak it, we are used to hearing and understanding English in many different accents. The Czechs are not used to this, because not many people learn to speak Czech who are not Czech.  That makes communication even more difficult, and is kind of discouraging when you are trying to learn and use a new language.

                Hopefully as time goes on and I get more practice and learn more words, I will better be able to communicate. I have already learned how to ask for the bathroom, and hopefully soon I will be able to order food and ask directions. I know that I will not be fluent by any means by the end of the three months, but it is still nice to learn another language.

*The first picture is from Olomouc. The second picture is from Prague, of the river and the Prague castle.