Ignorance and English

Dr. Banaian has a long standing argument that students need to be able to adjust to a variety of accents and dialects of English. Here is his most recent edition . It is my hope that the economics department retains the highest quality faculty for their budget.

There is a serious problem with people in my generation. We generally expect people to cater to our needs. This is not what the real world is like. In the real world, when a product is successful in another country, and the company is fortunate enough to have an English speaking client, the native English speakers must adjust because real money is on the line.

I hope when students attend college, they attend with the purpose of gaining an education that will help them succeed in the world market place. Part of this education is not only exposure to other cultures, but learning the ability to communicate with people from these cultures. Those who refuse to learn this skill will not succeed later in life.

A polite way of handling miscommunications is to smile, raise your hand, and say, “Would you please repeat yourself? I was unable to understand.” Usually, if you are polite and smiling genuinely, the professor will oblige. If you have a serious problem understanding, your professor keeps office hours. Spending time with your professor beyond the three hour lecture a week will help you adjust to a new accent and will enhance your education. Also, remember that Americans, myself included, do not speak proper English, we speak American.