Good Morning,
In one of my daily readings from the book "Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War" by Jane Hampton Cook (http://www.amazon.com/Battlefields-Blessings-V2-Revolutionary-Stories-Courage/dp/0899570429) I came across a story of a language barrier which could have changed the course of world history.
The colonials had just taken a sound beating on Long Island, New York in 1776. The British troops with their Hessian mercenaries had delivered a solid blow to the poorly trained, demoralized and frightened troops under General Washington. It was just a matter of time until the British made their final blow and end the revolution once and for all.
Washington had decided to evacuate Long Island and waited until nightfall. His troops started boarding any kind of boat they could find and started heading across the East River to the island of Manhatten. What helped Washington and his troops was a nice blanket of fog which helped cover the troop movements.
Yet, a loyalist did see the troops departing and sent one of her slaves to warn the British. The man sent arrived at the British camp and was met by two Hessian soldiers. These German mercenaries did not speak any English and when they saw the man frantically trying to warn them, they had him put in a cell.
The following morning when the man was finally questioned by a British officer, he told them about Washington's escape by boat at night. The British scrambled to take advantage of the information only to find that the last Revolutionaries had sailed beyond musket range and to safety on Manhatten.
This language barrier cost the British what could have been the end of the war.
How much are we losing when we encounter a language barrier?
What are we doing to prepare ourselves to more clearly understand those we interact with?
Getting to know the words people say as well as the inflection with which it is said as well as the all important body language is a vital requirement for better understanding. This can be as easy as asking for clarification when we hear something that we even think we may not understand. Sure there is a bit of fear at looking foolish for asking, but then again, how foolish will we feel if we don't ask for clarification and the worst DOES happen?
Better understanding reduces the chances of these language barriers and the potential losses that can come from them.
Enjoy!
Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
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