ESTIMATED TIME: 5 minutes
What is language?
Language is an essential part of communication. It is the means by which we convey messages orally to other people. There are many languages throughout the world, and (often) many dialects of each language.
The Adelaide to Outback (AOGP) learning needs analysis identified some common elements that cause misunderstanding. These elements were accent, register, fluency, and slang. In some cases, we found that the underlying cause of misunderstanding was due to the interaction of different Englishes.
Different Englishes
There are many forms of English spoken in the world today. Some of the world's Englishes include Aboriginal Australian, Australian, American, British, Indian, Chinese, Swedish... and so on.
Varities of English might all seem to be the same language: they all use similar words, and they put those words together in similar ways. But there are some very big differences between them. Two of these differences are emphasis and rhythm. Also, in some Englishes, common words are used differently.
While people speaking different types of English can often understand each other, there are some cases where speaking different Englishes can result in significant misunderstanding and/or poor communication.
It is important to be aware of the elements of English that may contribute to these misunderstandings. If you are, you will be able to communicate more effectively with your patients.