Language connects people. Whether you come from Belize or India, you still are interconnected in some way – albeit the spoken language is not the same, yet the emotions and social context are. We are all still teenagers; and we like to have a good time and be with each other. Although we come from different backgrounds, we find ways to communicate and interact with each other by any means possible!

From a subtle smile to a warm greeting, we are the same. What makes us different is our cultural heritage. The amazing thing about being in such a program (The Teen Summer Program 2009) is the fact that one gets to interact with people from all over the world. There is a process of discovery. Discovering new ways to express ourselves and interact with others! For instance, while a group of us may be united by our ability to speak Spanish, our varied dialects can be completely different. When conversations turns to belly-buttons or dimples, peals of laughter arise as each one of us shares our form of the word from our dialect which could translate into something totally different. These subtle smiles that accompanied our conversations turned into a learning experience as we searched for a word to describe our chubby dimples. Puzzled over which was the correct form—was it the “camanances,” “hoyuelos, ” or “huecas de mejilla?” The Spanish-speaking teens in the program all come from the same hemisphere; but we encountered differences in the language we shared. Diversity is evident even within small regions of Latin America.

There is a sense of adventure as one gets to meet new people. The concept of internationalism is most apparent when we’re laughing, having a good time, and sharing common anecdotes; which actually brings us to different types of communication. Body language and spoken language are the most dominant form of expressing ourselves. Language helps us define our personality. It gives us a unique identity. Most teens here in this program speak different languages but we all speak English. This is usually the foundation for our communication when trying to interact with people not from our culture. We try to find some commonality amongst us and then build upon that. Once common ground is discovered, the relations become positive and fluid. The use of body language has a great impact on communication. Subtle things such as looking into the eyes of a person and the way one presents oneself has a large impact on how others view you. A facial expression, such as the raising of one’s eyebrow, may signal the start of a new conversation focused on superstitions. The single act of putting one’s bag on the floor in some countries is a sign of bad luck as it could lead to one being penniless. Or the superstition that if someone is sweeping and they pass the broom over your feet then regrettably you will marry an old man. It is incredible how raising an eyebrow can lead to giggles and silly tête-à-têtes over varying cultural beliefs.

Playful banter allowed us to discover new things about each other we had just begun to get to know. But language is more than connecting people; it’s an insight into their culture. Their way of thinking! Language, be it verbal or non-verbal, allows us to do just that: Discover new things about people and their cultures.

Diana Abrego, Kiara Mendez & Manuel Portocarrero