There are several cultural differences that I've had to get used to. The local students are taught British English in school so there are a lot of words that they pronounce differently than Americans do as well as use different words that mean the same thing in American English. Americans have a distinct accent that most people here are not used to hearing on a daily basis. Being unfamiliar and unaware of these differences has brought me some extremely funny and embarrassing moments.
For the most part, understanding the locals is very easy. Although many have an accent, those who speak English, speak it very clearly. And because they speak proper British English, their sentence structure and expressions are often times easier to understand than how most Americans speak. One major difference is that the locals roll their “r’s” which sounds really cool when they speak.
Here are some common words said in America that are referred to differently locally. Saying some words we use in America. here are bound to cause confusion amongst locals. I’ve learned most of them the hard way.
Ketchup- tomato sauce
Trunk (of a car) - boot
Potato chips- crisps
Napkins- surfeits
Soda- fizzy
French fries- chips
Excuse me- sorry
Bathroom/washroom- toilet
Garbage can- dust bin
Soccer- football
Football- American football
ma’am- Mma- (mm-ah)
sir- Rra- (rrrr-ah *roll the “r”*)
Hello (to a woman) - Dumela, mma
Hello (to a man) - Dumela, rra
Goodbye- Go siame
How are you? - Le kae?
Oftentimes locals will say that they can’t “hear” you, if they can’t understand what you are saying due to your accent. And they usually can’t “hear” me. I mumble a lot and I kind of have a low pitched voice which is not a good combination.
One of my local friends taught me a little trick to tell is someone is speaking Setswana. They told me that if I hear someone speaking a language that is not English and I also hear English incorporated into it, it is most likely Setswana. Most people here speak multiple languages, so often times they incorporate multiple languages into conversations while speaking. Most of the people in Gaborone and in Botswana speak Setswana, since it’s the National language. But there are also people here from Zimbabwe, South Africa and other African countries, so it’s difficult to always distinguish what languages people are speaking at all times. While speaking Setswana, most of the youth incorporate English words into each sentence. So I can usually tell what people are talking about. At this point I’d like to mention that I get mistaken for a local on a daily basis, more-so than in Ghana. And locals here have a bad tendency of expecting that everyone here speaks Setswana. So what usually happens is, someone will speak to me in Setswana and I will understand the general context of what they are talking about, due to the setting we are in (usually occurs when I am buying food). So I’ll respond in English. But usually the person will continue speaking to me in Setswana and I will begin to no longer understand what they are saying and I will tell them that I don’t speak Setswana. After this, they usually look confused because I had answered their first couple questions. I then tell them that I’m not from here or that I’m American to clear up the confusion. And the person I am talking to usually laughs and says, “I thought you were Motswana” (a citizen of Botswana).
Another major difference here from the U.S. is that the people drive on the opposite side of the road (which they consider the correct side)! This was one of the most confusing things to get used to amongst coming here. I still get confused when I’m in a vehicle and we’re going through a roundabout or if making turns. Also when I’m trying to cross the road, I have to remember that cars are going the opposite direction on the street.
One of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to get used to since living in Africa- Ghana and now in Botswana is the slow pace and poor customer service. I don’t mind the slow pace, especially here in Botswana since its capital city is far less populated then the capital of Ghana. But one thing that’s hard to get used to is poor customer service. As my marketing professors often say, customer service is not a strong point in Africa, but it’s slowly developing and becoming more important in local businesses. But for now, I have just had to learn how to be more patient. Waiting for food at restaurants takes forever, this by far is the most annoying. And usually when taking combis (mini-buses) to get around the city, the driver will wait for the combi to fill up before it leaves from the beginning location- so that he is are able to maximize his profits. But this usually entails waiting crammed in a hot mini bus with no air conditioning for ten minutes.
In the classroom, there is often a language barrier. Although lecturers are in English, students and professors often speak in Setswana and I usually don’t even think that they notice. Most of the students in my classes answer questions the professors ask with a combination of English and Setswana. Sometimes it seems as though the students cannot fully express their thoughts in English, so they supplement with Setswana. This doesn’t bother me, since it’s just part of the cultural experience. I will usually just ask a classmate to translate what is being said if I feel what they are saying is important.
The employees of most local businesses I have gone to also speak Setswana when providing service. So I always have to let them know that I don’t speak it.
Ordering food over the phone can be quite difficult, especially when taking into consideration Setswana, British English and different terminology used by between Americans and locals. I tried ordering a couple pizzas for my roommate and I and it was nearly a complete fail. I spoke as clearly as I could but it still didn’t work out well. From the beginning, the employee misunderstood what I was trying to order. I had to ask her to repeat what she was saying on several occasions because I was having a difficult time understanding what she was saying and she started getting frustrated. She assumed that I was ordering one pizza and began asking me for my phone number and address. When I tried telling her that I wanted a second pizza she assumed that I didn’t want the first one. When I tried to explain that I wanted both she became confused. I started using American terminology that she didn’t understand which made it worse. Once she finally understood my order she asked me if I wanted extra cheese on each of the pizzas. I said, “No thank you”, but she didn’t understand what I meant. She said, “Rra” but in the form of a question- indicating that she did not understand what I meant. And she was rolling the “r” really hard when she said it which was annoying me. She kept saying “Rra … Rra … Rra." Oh Lord, it was a mess. The pizza place ended up delivering one pizza but billing us both. So a second driver had to deliver the other pizza they did not deliver.
Adjusting to cultural differences here has overall been easy and a fun experience and I am definitely looking forward to telling my friends and family all the funny stories once I get home.
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