Getting Orientated…

“Do you know what gym shoes are?”—A question posed to the class by our Strategic Management professor.

The room fell silent as we all looked at each other, completely puzzled. The professor continued to explain himself and eventually we all understood what he meant, but I could only think, Yes we know what gym shoes are. No, we do not know what you just said in your British accent. This wasn’t the only time we have had such miscommunications with the locals and I doubt it will be the last.

According to my friend Mitch, being in the UK is like being in an alternate universe. After being here for almost two weeks, I would have to agree with him. It’s almost like we are at home in the US, but not quite. People drive on the opposite side of the road and, as proven by my professor, we speak the same language but that does not mean we always understand each other.

At Oxford, students are expected to do most of their learning on their own. On a certain level, this works for me. On the other hand, sometimes those minor language differences cause some confusion when it comes to learning the subject matter. If I were at Georgetown this would be no problem, I would just use the book to figure it out later. Yet, when your British professor is also the author of the textbook, you realize there is a flaw in that logic. Now let me explain, it’s not that I don’t understand what my professor is saying in the literal sense, but sometimes it takes me a minute to actually grasp what he’s saying. For instance, when he refers to a $10 million borrowing, what he means is a $10 million loan, and I know that. But after 15 years of being taught in America, it is taking time for me to integrate his speech patterns with my own thought process.

While they lead to certainly interesting exchanges, the language differences don’t always lead to confusion. My International Finance professor often exclaims things like, “Smashing question!” or “Jolly lucky!” Even if one couldn’t guess their meanings, the big smile on his face generally give it away. These and other local colloquialisms have given way to many new catch phrases among the group. My favorite is “Cheers” because it effectively ends a conversation and I don’t have to worry about misusing it.

All in all I am having a smashing time at Oxford and I can’t wait to see what the next month has to offer. Cheers!

Moral of the Story: I am an American student who speaks American English being taught by British professors who speak the Queen’s English, and sometimes things get a little lost in translation.