For someone not very familiar with the Hispanic culture, it might be difficult to distinguish the differences that characterize each of the 12 countries mapped in the southern part of the American continent. Most often, in the United States, Hispanic characteristics are automatically presumed when encountering an individual belonging to this cultural group; and, in most cases, is very difficult to avoid stereotyping. In this particular situation, it is relevant to note that certain stereotypical characteristics do define most Hispanic individuals; however, it is always critical to take a closer look in order to avoid prejudice. When looking at the predominant language of the South American continent, for example, Spanish seems to be the principal idiom of the region, however, by researching a little deeper, we can see that Portuguese (although official language of only one country) has the largest number of speakers in the entire continent, making it the predominant language of the southern American hemisphere; this is due to the massive numbers of habitants in the country of Brazil which is also the largest country in the South American continent. This example is one of the many different physiognomies that set each of the South American countries apart from each other; however, it is the most fundamental, as communication plays a very important role in life. In this blog I will attempt to describe a few of the differences found in the communication process between these countries and how it is easy to miscommunicate even in a very similar cultural setting.
One of the biggest differences that individuals from Latin America notice whenever they encounter people or travel to another Latin American country is their dialect. It sounds as if I was referring to two different languages other than Spanish; however, different Spanish-speaking countries tend to use words differently or have different meanings for the same Spanish word spoken. As an example, I can illustrate the word “Torta”. For an English-speaking person the direct translation to this word is “cake”; nevertheless, in Mexico, the word “Torta” refers to “sandwich” rather than “cake”, and in Argentina this word is also used as a way to refer to punching someone in the face (“tortazo en la cara” means “punch in the face”). Another example could be the word “bicho”, the most direct English translation is “insect”; however, in other Latin American countries this is also referred to a “penis”. Although the second example might sound a little inappropriate, it perfectly describes the importance of Cross-Cultural communication awareness. Even in two different countries belonging to the same cultural group, there are differences within that cannot be taken lightly.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the language misconception found on the Latin American countries. As I mentioned in the entrance paragraph, Portuguese is the number 1 speaking language in South America followed by Spanish; however, most people do not realize this datum. In fact, the language misconception does not stop there. “The linguistic diversity and multiplicity of South America probably is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Thousands of languages and dialects have been cataloged, including all those that have developed since the European conquest”.(Ramos, et al para.1) In this case, I am referring to additional different tongues, other than Spanish and Portuguese, spoken in the region. Dutch and French are also languages spoken in South America ( Dutch is the official language of Surinam and French is the official language of French Guiana) but many indigenous languages still exist and are the primary languages of many indigenous groups that still exist in various corners of the continent “The largest surviving indigenous language groups are Quechuan, Aymaran, Tupí-Guaraní, and Mapuche. Quechuan languages are in use primarily in the Andean highlands (southern Colombia to Bolivia) but also in large areas of the Amazon basin and in northwestern Argentina. Quechuan, [is] collectively the third largest language group in South America after Spanish and Portuguese [.] Aymaran languages are spoken in northwestern Bolivia, southeastern Peru, and small areas of northwestern Argentina and northern Chile. Mapuche speakers, who constitute the largest Indian population in Chile, are restricted to the south-central part of the country, with smaller groups found in Argentina, especially in Neuquén province.”(Ramos et al para. 3)
As you can see, the South American continent is a very diverse part of the world that grasps many different languages; however, is very easy to create a stereotypical conclusion of the area. In my opinion, it is very important to become familiar with other cultural settings and/or countries before making any false suppositions; this is a very important step to minimize any type of miscommunication that could lead to conflict. As you can also see, it is very easy to misinterpret words, even when two people (from different countries) are speaking the same language. Supposing what someone is trying to say might not result in the same outcome and assuming that your intended message is going to have the same meaning at the receiving end might not have the desired result you intend to have. In most cases, we must learn to communicate before communicating; asking question before assuming can help eliminate miscommunications that will create stronger relationships overall.
Resources
Staff, L. (2015, April 18). Same Word, Different Meanings! 7 Spanish Terms to Use Wisely. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/spanish-words-different-meanings
Lopez, M. (2015, April 28). What are the 5 official languages of South America? Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://e2f.com/4751/
Ramos, V. A., Griffin, E. C., Avila, H. F., Germani, G., Minkel, C. W., Dorst, J. P., . . . Knapp, G. W. (2018, February 01). South America. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/place/South-America/Linguistic-patterns
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