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<\/a>Not only did I not know Portuguese, but I also did not know any sign language, American or Brazilian. Even if there was someone to translate the sign language into Portuguese, I still would not be able to understand what was trying to be conveyed not to mention it would have to be translated again. Not only did this make things more stressful and complicated overall, with all of these translations it was very possible for meanings to get changed or be misinterpreted.<\/p>\nAs the trip went on, I met several people who did speak English, whether it was the hotel concierge or employees at some restaurants. To be honest, it came as quite a relief because I could speak in English and have it correctly understood. At times, I began to question how selfish I was that I was looking to communicate in English rather than trying to communicate in Portuguese. I was always asking for the English version of the menu, using my finger to point at what I wanted, or trying to speak in English, wrongly thinking that people would understand. As soon as I realized I was doing this, I began attempting to speak in Portuguese, slowly but surely. I familiarized myself with menus so I could properly order a meal without feeling like I was making a fool of myself. I knew that I had to stop believing I was never going to learn the language and instead try to embrace it. I had to open my mind and accept that I did have the ability to learn and understand Portuguese, even if my time in Brazil was limited.<\/p>\n
I felt much better as I opened up and began to embrace the Brazilian language and culture. However, my first encounter with someone who was hearing impaired reinstated all of the fears I previously had about the language barrier. Once again, I was stuck not knowing how to engage with people I truly wanted to engage with. At that point, my minimal knowledge of Portuguese would not be able to help me engage with them because I did not know how to properly use sign language. We did have a few Brazilian sign language lessons, but not nearly enough to engage in a full-fledged conversation with anyone.<\/p>\n
Desperately needing to find a way to overcome this language barrier, we found a way to compensate. All of these preliminary fears quickly went away as soon as everyone took out their phones. Since one of the hearing impaired people we met, Daniel, knew English, Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language, and American Sign language, he was able to take the texts on my phone and appropriately translate it to the people I was trying to communicate with. It was quite a sight, all of us with our phones out showing each other what we had typed, asking questions about ourselves, our homes, where we grew up, and even things as basic as what type of food we liked. I felt like we truly got to know each other. It was a prime example of how technology can be used to connect two very different cultures.<\/p>\n
During one of my interactions, I was asked to help play a game on a cellphone that involved brand recognition. It would show a certain brand label and ask for the player to type in the name of the company who owned that label. After a little while, we were all engaged in the game, teaching each other different brands, both Brazilian and American. We were smiling, laughing, and having a great time playing the game, explaining, through texts, what My preconceived notions before I boarding the plane made me think about how narrow my thought process was. After some self-reflection, I realized that the hearing-impaired people of Brazil had the ability to accept people who speak languages different than their own. It was apparent that they expressed a willingness to assist my team and I not only in learning and understanding Brazilian and American Sign Language, but also Portuguese. Many of the hearing impaired people we engaged with were very conscious of language as a whole. Upon returning to the United States it became more apparent the large role language plays in our culture. Because English is the primary language spoken in the United States many people were very intrigued about how much Portuguese I had remembered since I had been in Brazil. It seems as though because most people in the United States speak English, when tourists who do not speak English visit, they are treated slightly differently than if they did speak English. This was not the case with the people I worked with in Brazil. They were open and welcoming and did not treat me any differently because I spoke a different language.<\/p>\n The challenges of a language barrier are hard to overcome, but it was so apparent in Brazil that everyone was willing to at least attempt to communicate. My venture into Brazil definitely changed my ideas about how to attempt to tackle something I once viewed as a problem, something as common as speaking a different language. I have become more understanding and willing to adapt to languages that I am not familiar with, as well as eliminated my fear regarding self-consciousness and language. Overall, the challenges I thought I would face in Brazil were never anything to fear, only the opportunity for successes that I hadn\u2019t yet realized possible.<\/p>\n Before I departed for Brazil, my anxiety was at an all time high. There were countless fears going through my mind. Would we make it back home with all of the research we needed to turn in an excellent deliverable? Would my team and I get along and become closer during our trip? Would I … Continue reading <\/a>company each brand stands for and what each company does. It was not only fun, but also another great, unconventional way to learn more about Brazilian culture.
\nThat moment was the ultimate turning point in my communication fears. I became extremely open minded to the language barrier seeing it as an opportunity to learn. During the interview processes, I tried my best to understand what was being said instead of being fearful or nervous about the language barrier that at one point divided me from embracing Brazilian culture.<\/p>\n<\/a>They were not self-conscious about not being able to speak Portuguese. Because of this, I reevaluated my thoughts about the hearing impaired population and their ability to communicate. I was struck with the thought of how many times they meet someone who speaks a language different than theirs. For myself, at home or at school, it is quite rare that I communicate with anyone in a language other than English, but they must encounter people who do not speak their language much more frequently. For that reason, I felt as if the hearing-impaired population in Brazil was much more open minded and willing to teach. Like English, sign language is just another form of communication. This made me realize that there was no reason for me to feel self-conscious either; we could learn from each other.<\/p>\n\n