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Consider these two scenes: (1) I remember hearing my ex-neighbors, of
Iranian and Tunisian background with four kids, always speaking very loudly,
giving me the impression that they were screaming all the time. In fact, I came to understand that
was their normal tone of voice; they reserved a much louder tone for their
fights; (2) My wife and I are enjoying a delicious goulash in a Budapest restaurant
and sitting at a table just outside the party hall of the restaurant where some
30 Hungarians are busy drinking. I have heard more heated discussions at a
funeral.
I bring up these examples, maybe extreme, to illustrate how difficult it
is to interpret the pitch, linguistically referred to as the intonation, and
volume of foreign cultures, not to mention to imitate them. Normal conversation
tone varies from culture to culture and language to language and defies any
universal rules. One person’s argument is another person’s small talk. A person
wanting to correctly interpret the mood of a discussion has to be acquainted with the
pitch and volume patterns of that language and culture. Over time and with
enough practice, it is sometimes possible to adopt and apply those patterns.
Changes in pitch vary from language to language. On the one extreme are
the flat languages where no vocal emphasis is placed on any specific word or
phrase. For example, normal Russian conversation typically has no ups or downs
and disappears into the sunset at the end, often running out of gas before the
last word. People add emotion and interrogation through even minor pitch
changes. By contrast, Latin languages, including Spanish and French, involve
multiple peaks and valleys with the exact pattern depending on the local variant.
Natives often interpret flat speech as either angry or non-native. Language has
a song ranging from rap to opera but its meaning is contextual.
Furthermore, some countries are louder than others. Some people by
nature and convention naturally speak at a high volume than others. Of course,
listeners from other countries may consider this level screaming. On the other
hand, those used to high decibels find the relative quiet of English
conversation, to name one example, a bit disconcerting as it seems so lifeless, even disinteresed.
Curiously enough, in some cultures high
volume expresses anger while in others it is normal excitement. When abroad,
wise travelers should avoid jumping to conclusions about the emotion behind the speech.
It could be just a normal conversation or a pleasant chat. Your native language
reference may be completely irrelevant.
If a person is planning to spend any significant time in a country and
wants to effectively interact with the locals, it is good idea to listen and
learn. There is no sin in asking someone
about the exact content and specific tone of a conversation. Within a short
time, it become increasingly easier to interpret the situation. As for speaking
like a native, that is a far longer process. To apply a foreign intonation, the
learner must practice saying common phrases with the correct intonation.
Overtime, the throat learns to modulate as a native speaker does but such training
does take time and effort. Then, and only then, can a person truly speak a
native.
Based on a person’s native tongue, it may seem that people in a foreign
country are constantly furious or bored. However, as Sporting Life said in Porgy and
Bess, it ain’t necessarily so. Conversational tone and volume are not
universal.
* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.
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