Personal Trainer

Wer sich auf internationalem Parkett bewegt, muss in der Lage sein, zwischen mehreren Sprachen hin und her zu wechseln. Neben sprachlicher Kompetenz ist dabei auch kulturelles Feingefühl gefragt. KEN TAYLOR sprach mit dem ehemaligen Honorarkonsul der Kapv

Ken Taylor on switching between languages at work

Ken Taylor: What did being an honorary consul for Cape Verde involve?

Miguel Pinto: When the embassy closed, I was tasked with doing all those things that a normal consulate would do, such as issuing visas and representing Cape Verde at diplomatic functions.

Taylor: How prepared were you for what was involved?

Pinto: I had worked for many years for the international agency SIDA, so I was used to meeting delegations from different countries, with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. And I was used to switching between several different languages.

Taylor: What languages do you speak fluently?

Pinto: My mother tongue is Portuguese, but I’m also fluent in Swedish and Spanish. My English and French are less fluent, but I get along in those languages, too.

Taylor: Did you use all of these languages in your work as honorary consul?

Pinto: The two main languages were Swedish and English — and, of course, I used my Portuguese with my Cape Verdean contacts, of which there are now about 1,000 in Sweden.

Taylor: How good are you at switching between languages? This can cause problems for some second-language speakers. Pinto: I can understand that. I think my work at SIDA gave me some practice in working in several languages. But it could be a bit tricky when I was called on to help interpret when delegations came from Cape Verde and other Portuguesespeaking countries.

Taylor: Interpreting is a very demanding task, isn’t it?

Pinto: Interpreting between Portuguese and Swedish was not such a big problem,

as I’m fluent in both and am very familiar with the vocabulary of diplomacy in both languages. It’s a bit more challenging to work between Portuguese and English or between Swedish and English because of my more limited English.

Taylor: Have you been on any English courses to improve your fluency?

Pinto: I’ve twice been on intensive English courses in York in the UK.

Taylor: And did that help?

Pinto: Yes, to a certain extent. I even learned a few English proverbs, one of which sticks in my mind — “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.

That was partly true for me, I would say!

Taylor: Speaking English is a bit like playing a musical instrument. You have to practise a lot to be perfect. Pinto: I’ve never wanted to be perfect in speaking English — just competent!

Taylor: When you attend the various diplomatic functions as Cape Verde’s representative, how formal does your language need to be?

Pinto: Being highly formal in a second language can be very difficult. But I’ve been honorary consul for a long time now, so most people know me quite well. They know I’m a sociable person, so they don’t have to be too formal. In fact, we’re generally pretty informal in Swedish diplomatic circles, which also matches Swedish society.

Taylor: Having a lower level of formality means there is less pressure on you to be perfect in the language. What other linguistic skills do you need at those diplomatic events you mentioned?

Pinto: The ability to be proactive in small talk and to be polite when necessary.

Taylor: Some second-language speakers have a problem with small talk. They don’t know what to talk about.

Pinto: That has never been a problem for me — in any language! But I understand it can be a problem if you are using a language in which you feel insecure.

Taylor: On language seminars, I have a few tips, such as using business cards to talk about names, or asking open questions to find common interests and experiences. Small talk is a bit like a tennis game. You need to knock the ball back over the net. That means listening to your small-talk partner and making relevant comments or asking relevant questions. Pinto: I agree. At a diplomatic reception, you meet and greet many people, so you have only a very short time with each one. But you want to make as positive an impression as you can of yourself and the country you represent. So, it’s good to be able to switch the language to one that your partner feels comfortable using — even if it’s just for a few moments to break the ice.

Taylor: You also mentioned politeness. How important is that?

Pinto: Even though the atmosphere at most of the receptions I attend is informal, you still need to be polite. So, your choice of words is important. You don’t want to step on someone’s cultural toes.

Taylor: For people from cultures in which communication is very direct, that can be demanding!

Pinto: True. But a lot of it depends on your personal sensitivity to the situation rather than your linguistic competence. If people see you are trying to be polite and friendly, they forgive any small mistakes you might make. For example, on Cape Verde’s independence day (5 July), I sometimes organized a reception at my home for 50 or 60 people. Then I would hold a short welcome speech either in English or Swedish. Perhaps I made a pronunciation or grammar mistake when speaking English, but no one cared as long as the feeling was right.

Taylor: What was the best part of being Cape Verde’s honorary consul?

Pinto: Meeting and getting to know so many interesting people, including Cape Verde’s best-known citizen, the amazing singer Cesaria Evora. I knew Cesaria from childhood. We were good friends. After she died, I was interviewed on Swedish radio about her. I had only good things to say. She was a great ambassador and representative of Cape Verde.

“I’ve never wanted to be perfect — just competent!”