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Learning English as a second language

International students quickly adapt to Cape Breton-isms

CHRIS CONNORS CAPE BRETON POST christopher.connors@cbpost.com @capebretonpost

SYDNEY — When Vaishali Saini moved to Cape Breton from Delhi, India, to attend university she quickly realized the way islanders speak is different from the English she knew.

“People here are very polite, so they use ‘Honey,' or ‘Darling,' — that I have noticed,” said Saini, who soon began incorporating Cape Breton-isms into her everyday language.

“'Have a good one' — I started to use this because I work in Tim Hortons, so when I serve people I started to use ‘Have a good one,' when I serve people.”

That ability to adapt is vital to the psychological well-being of people who are learning a new language in a new country, says Cape Breton University psychology professor Peter MacIntyre.

A leading researcher in the science of communication, he was recently awarded more than $185,000 through an Insight Grant from the federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He hopes the research findings will allow CBU — which has seen a massive influx of international students — to better help newcomers feel welcome.

‘GOOD, DEAR, GOOD’

He said the laid-back, informal way Cape Bretoners communicate might be initially confusing but it can also make the transition easier for people learning English as a second language.

“We tend to say ‘dear' a lot. It's a very welcoming sort of thing — it makes people feel part of the community. So when you're doing that more often, it is easier to feel like you're integrating into a new place, because as you can imagine, coming around halfway across the world, it's an intimidating experience, and if people are treating you with coldness, then it takes a really long time to adapt. When people are warm and welcoming, you get more interaction and then the adaptation happens much more quickly,” MacIntyre explained.

“The thing I've noticed just in my own experience, if you live in a big city, people deal with you by the role that you play. So you're the secretary, you're the cleaning staff, you're the doctor — whatever. Here's it's much more personal. You're treated by the person that you are.”

Aman Sharma came to Cape Breton four years ago and after earning his post-graduate degree in petroleum engineering hopes to make the island his home. And one of main reasons he wants to stay is the friendly nature of the people here — something he said soon became apparent by the way people speak.

CULTURE CLUB

“'Have a good one.' Some of the words I encountered — my first job was at Walmart, as a cashier, and some of the words I learned were ‘Buddy' and ‘What's up bud,' and ‘It's a nice day out there, and some of these.' Now it's all messed within our language here,” he “Buddy was one thing, and then they use ‘eh’ at the end of every sentence. Instead of saying ‘This is right,’ they use ‘Eh.’ That’s one thing I noticed,” says Milan Varghese, who was born India and raised in Saudi Arabia, of Cape Breton-isms that he's learned since moving here. said. “I personally didn't use the word ‘buddy' or ‘bud' in my life before. I'm was always using ‘sir,' or ‘madam' — formal. It is most friendly here — you can talk in a most friendly way. It's like you don't have to maintain that professionalism vibe. I love the culture here.”

Milan Varghese, who was born India and raised in Saudi Arabia, said he's now used to Cape-Breton-style English after living here the past two years. However, it's taken a bit of getting used to.

“Buddy was one thing, and then they use ‘eh' at the end of every sentence. Instead of saying ‘This is right,' they use ‘Eh.' That's one thing I noticed,” he said.

As a waitress at a local restaurant, Gur Safal K. of Punjab, India, said she immediately noticed how friendly her customers were.

“One thing would be they would be asking about the weather. The courtesy — they will ask ‘How are you?' — it's not just they are doing the business now, they will ask, and when they leave they will say ‘Have a good day,' or ‘Don't work too hard,'” she said.

“And the ‘buddy' — that I've heard a lot and my friends, they have picked it up from the locals, so I hear it from them now.”

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

MacIntyre said when it comes to helping newcomers learn to speak, patience and encouragement are key.

“The single biggest thing you can do is be patient, because communication has a timing and as native speakers we get very used to the timing — pauses mean it's time for you to talk to my turn. And if you're processing in a second language, it takes a little bit longer — and we're talking fractions of a second — so that extra little bit of patience waiting for someone to formulate their thoughts because they're thinking in a second language, that is the single biggest thing someone who's listening and interacting can do — they can be just a little bit more patient, a little bit more understanding,” he said, adding that it's more important to let the person know you understand what they're trying to say, rather than correct their phrasing or grammar.

“It's a matter of making them feel welcome appreciated and understood. Communicating meaning is the single biggest role of language, and if you can indicate that ‘Yes, I've understood your meaning,' then that's extremely gratifying for the person who's at the earlier stages of learning because they're struggling to make sure that they can be understood, and when they feel that they can be, that's so encouraging and it really increases that willingness to communicate in the future.”

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2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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