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I had an interesting experience in an Uber a few days ago. None of the maps were picking up on the address I wanted to go to, so I had to direct the driver to the mall myself. He hardly spoke English, but was fluent in Italian. Luckily, I currently take Italian at Emory. Between his little English, my little Italian, and some hand gestures, we were able to make our way to the mall and discuss what living in Italy was like on the ride.
Toward the end of the reading we did in class, Vershawn Ashanti Young makes a very valid point regarding code meshing. It really is found everywhere. Young believes it “allow writers and speakers to bridge multiple codes” even though Fish states that languages are unmixable (71). I very much agree with Young, the idea that languages are not mixable is inaccurate. In my personal experience mentioned above, the mixing of Italian, English, and non verbal communication allowed for me to learn about my Uber driver’s home and for me to communication where I would like to go with my Uber driver.
3 Comments
Doris Cikopana
2/1/2015 01:40:47 am
Hi Anusheh. I think the experience you had is very interesting and it is so nice that you were able to use and codemesh English and Italian. I remember a few years ago I had a similar experience at the Italian Airport in Rome. I met this lady who was from Macedonia, but lived in the US, who could not communicate with an airport employee because she did not speak English or Italian. She worked at a place where a lot of people spoke Spanish so she had learned a few words. We communicated in Spanish and then I translated the information in Italian to the airport employee. As you mentioned, Young explains code meshing and I think that languages can be mixed and be used in communication too, just as Young describes it in pg.71.
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Margaux N.
2/1/2015 12:03:37 pm
I too had a similar experience at a train station in Brussels. An American couple were trying to find their way around town and wanted to buy tickets at the ticketing booth. Only problem was that the couple didn't speak a word of Dutch or French and the ticket salesman didn't speak any English. This is when I came into place and translated the information between the couple and salesperson. Just as you and Doris said, code meshing does occur everywhere and happens in the most random places.
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Erica Fischer
2/2/2015 12:51:15 am
I think that is great that you were able to communicate with your uber drive to get to where you needed to go without being fluent in italian and him not being fluent in English. What I think is even more impressive is that you were able to have a normal conversation. I have defiantly had my own experiences with being able to communicate with someone who didn't speak english and I didn't speak their language. Young also says language isn't just words which I think is another reason why we were both able to commentate with people when our spoken languages were not the same. Using things such as hand motions and facial expression can defiantly help people to understand each other.
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AuthorAnusheh Kafi, a freshman at Emory University Archives
April 2015
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