Embarking on a word tour, if not world tour
When an Australian firm approached me with training assignments for its non-native speakers, I lapped up the offer without any second thought. Being able to train students from various nationalities online, earn in dollars on hourly basis and time flexibility — it all seemed an ideal income-supplementing-soul-satisfying opportunity for a wanderer like me who vividly imagines touring the world, at least with words, if not on foot!
Learning the foreign versions of general greetings was thrilling and invigorating. All the trainees, irrespective of their nationalities, shared a common goal; to be the citizens of a country, more prosperous, robust, and industrialised than theirs. As the sessions progressed, they would start dishing out their own reasons for migration and expected me to lend a patient ear to their catharsis. I, on the other hand, yearned to learn the insights of their culture, lifestyle, traditions and customs and of course some ‘name-throwing’ in my resume.
Every training slot was unique, anecdotal and experiential in its own way. Most of the trainees were repeat testtakers, who after having tried their luck once, had decided to take professional help. And as they say ‘once bitten is twice shy’, to ensure that they were in safe hands, under able guidance and on the right track, they would often fire a volley of questions at me and wait for the answer. I would often get amused by the variety of apprehensions & perceptions they had and the tricks and techniques they used to satisfy their curiosity about my skill-set. I never let the cat out of the bag, I confess!
Of all, I still remember the early morning sessions with a Singaporean student in winters last year. With hands tucked inside the blanket, sipping black coffee, half-asleep, half-hallucinating, I would struggle to keep myself alert during the sessions. Alternatively, my trainee, after returning from her night-shift, fiddling with her breakfast would start answering my questions in her flat, hyper nasal, SouthAsian dialect. Very often during the sessions, I would get disturbed by creaking sounds (of Bonsh ; a Buddhist hanging bell, she later mentioned). Owing to cultural differences, sensitivities and potential embarrassment, I saved this question till the last day of the training.
Nonetheless, there are many other instances when I broke into a laughter riot. For instance, a Turkish student calling ‘Hameboorger’ (for Hamburger) as the highest selling item in his country, or getting into an avoidable debate with an Arabic student about essay on women empowerment, or an Egyptian who would call up and say “Awee miee Gawdh Naiha, I am laite” (Oh my God, Neha , I am late), or a South African struggling to pronounce my name right or a Telugu student saying ‘Yus, yus’ (for Yes).
The sessions still go on and I ensure to reserve a 5-minute interactive slot with trainees about their country’s culture, tradition, tourist sports and what not! So far, I’ve gathered enough information about Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), Aya Sofya (Turkey), Cape of Good hope (Cape town), and Gardens by the Bay (Singapore). Though these sessions can never take me to a world tour, a word-tour is definitely on the platter.
EVERY TRAINING SLOT WAS UNIQUE, ANECDOTAL AND EXPERIENTIAL IN ITS OWN WAY. MOST OF THE TRAINEES WERE REPEAT TESTTAKERS, WHO AFTER HAVING TRIED THEIR LUCK ONCE, HAD DECIDED TO TAKE PROFESSIONAL HELP