English is prominent in the United Arab Emirates. Most signage is Arabic and English. All the advertising includes text in both languages. I can survive here without being completely in the dark. Bonus!
But then, I read the signage and wonder. Are they speaking my language? There are a lot of half built projects around this time. Apparently, there was a big surge in building, lots of stuff got started, then the world financial crisis caught up to Dubai, and the building halted. Most of the larger projects have tall fences erected around the base of them. This large wall provides billboard space for advertisement. Lots of the projects still have ads posted advertising their developments.
I drive by this one on the way to the hardware store. Each time I read it, I think, what? The words say: "This hoarding will not change for another year. After that, Media production will change forever." The International Media Production Zone stands behind the wall. So, they were advertising that when they were finished building, things would change in their field. I get that. I totally do. But 'this hoarding'? What does that mean?
So, I looked it up. And sure enough, way down in the meanings, there is a definition that says a hoarding is a temporary fence enclosing a construction site. Now, I get it. Boy, speaking the same language is supposed to make things easier, right?
--Sandee Wagner
4 comments:
Aw, don't you hate it when someone who's not a native English speaker knows it better than you do?
Kudos to you for looking it up. Too many people would have just written it off as wrong and given in to a moment of smugness every time they saw it.
Marilyn,
I would never assume that if someone letters something 6 ft tall, they didn't know what it meant. But I have noticed, after hanging about with some Scots, that we can be speaking a completely different English. I followed a gal through a store to 'buy a hob'. What would YOU think she was shopping for? That was a drop in cooktop. So, even when I know the words, I know other people are using them differently. spw
I wonder if the same thing happens sometimes in places down south where everything is both in English and Spanish. Also, I always forget that there is different kinds of Spanish depending on where you are from. Guatemala is different than say Spain. I dated a guy in college from Guatemala and his roommate was from Spain and he often had a hard time understanding words. Maybe the billboard you are seeing is speaking to say European English?
Alexa,
I'm SURE it does. When I worked at CP, we did our IVR in both English and Spanish. We had to have the Spanish translation vetted by three different Spanish language specialists to make sure that the Central American, Mexican and Spanish dialects were all covered and clear.
George Bernard Shaw said that "England and America are two countries separated by a common language." I think that sums it up nicely! spw
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