Job Discussion Forums

[dtomchek]

Dzein Dobry:

A Polish friend of mine is doing some research on Miscommunications between Poles and Americans...I was wondering if any of you out there (or maybe all of you out there ) can give some neat/funny/sad stories about miscommunication and whether or not it had to do with language or culture???

For instance, I was once walking in Gorzow trying to find something and stopped to ask in Polish where is was. He replied, "Daleko" (far)...I replied with a quizzled look on my face, "Jak daleko? Czy jest 5 minute or 10 minutes?" (how far)...He replied, "Bardzo daleko" ("very far" with a serious expression)...he really refused to give a more exact time frame for walking or distance...

Anyway, I only walked about 8-10 minutes before I came up on whatever it was I was looking for

It definitely was not a language thing so the guy either had no idea of where it was in relation to where we were or it was a cultural thing where they do not want to give exact times or distances...I'm thinking it was the latter....

Anyway, any help would be appreciated...
Dave

[Brooks]

good topic.

One thing I would say is that Poles tend to have falling intonation at the end of sentences so people may think that they show a lack of interest, but I think it is just because intonation is different in English.

Aside from communication, Poles seem to frown more than Americans, but when they smile, it is genuine.

[melindabrasher]

While I was in Poland one of my friends called his friend Sam's apartment, or so he thought. When a woman answered, he asked, "Sam?" The woman answered, "Tak." (Yes.) After a long silence my friend asked again, "Sam?" The woman answered warily, "Tak." Long silence. This went on several times, with the woman getting more and more agitated. I can't remember if she hung up or what, but my friend never got to talk to Sam. It was only later he realized that "Sam" sounds an awful lot like the word for "alone." So he'd been asking that poor woman, "Alone?" "Alone?"

Definately just a language problem.

I myself also experienced a lot of difficulty communicating with imperfect grammar. I'd learn a new word and I'd try to use it, but I wouldn't put the correct ending for gender and case on, and many people couldn't understand me. One time I was at a fruit stand and asked for "dwa mandarinki" (two tangerines, I thought) The woman stared at me like I was crazy. She asked, "Ile?" (How many.). "Dwa," I repeated sheepishly. "Ile?" Finally I held up two fingers and the light bulb went on. She said, "Dwie!" (or something similar--my grammar's real shaky.) Apparantly I was using the wrong case, and she didn't understand. These types of things happened mainly in places were the people weren't used to foreigners, I think, and the way we twisted their poor language.

[gregoryfromcali]

One big difference I notice is that in Poland when you walk in a room you are supposed to say "Hello" first.

Where as in the states and in the U.K. you usually welcome someone by saying "Hello" to the person entering.

This can cause some tension. As people take greetings for granted.

After two years I just realized that a man is supposed to greet a women first when they are in the same room.

Again this is one of those things that can make a foreigner feel like a constant outsider.

And of course. Saying "bye" is important. I worked with an Aussie teacher who would leave work without saying "bye" and she seemed very unfriendly to the school.

[malcoml]

It is actually normal for Aussies to say bye. Unless of course your are sneaking off from work and not happy where you are. Maybe this was the situation with her.

[CROGO]

The funniest thing I can think of is what my grandmother told me about her family. They were all Polish immigrants in the U.S. There was a truck that drove through the neighborhood that read "New York Pies". Her grandmother wanted to know what was so special about the dog from New York that it was being driven around in such a big truck.

[biffinbridge]

One weird thing I've found in my ten years' experience of Poland is that they are really bad at buying rounds.In England it's a normal thing to do.

[Alex Shulgin]

[gregoryfromcali]

[dtomchek]

That one about the New York Pies just made me laugh

For clarification, the situations have to do with time, space, and language so these examples are pretty good so far. My friend who this is for really appreciates them.　Ｓｈｅ still needs more so any more help would be greatly appreciated.

I know when I brought 2 Polish students to the US, they were amazed that is was almost as cheap to eat fast food as it is to shop in a market...definitely not that way in Poland...also could not believe that it got dark so early (we're talking 815pm) in the summer.
We were at a buffet in Las Vegas and one came back with a taco shell that was empty (no meat, cheese, lettuce, etc) ...could not explain was "salad dressing" was...just had to try them all out (french, blue cheese, thousand island, they liked Ranch the best though). Trying to explain was medium rare and well done for a steak was quite the challenge as well...

The staring also was a difference...in America, it is rather impolite to stare for too long but not so much in Poland...one they peg you as a foreigner, they just stare all they want...

Anyway, keep them coming...

[biffinbridge]

The good news is that I'll be in Poznan on Sunday,(just got back from Libya), but really,even my wealthy Polish friends are pretty mean.I find Poles really materialistic and arrogant when they've got money.I preferred the place in the nineties when there was a bit more equality.You're right about the wages though.My ex-wife works a 50 hour week for about 300$ a month.Truly awful!

[dmb]

[gregoryfromcali]

Is this thread going to downgrade into more and more Polish bashing?

[CROGO]

[dtomchek]

Hey guys:

Well, I really do not want this thread to degenerate into pi__ing on each others weeds about useless things or Polish bashing . My friend would just like some examples of differences. Thanks a bunch and remember to BE NICE!!!