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How an International Experience Can Stop You From Worrying About Your Carabao English
Care only about being understood, not being perfect.
“You speak carabao English.”
I’ve heard this spoken more often than not, in classrooms and even at work.
The phrase “carabao” English is a reference to one of my country’s national symbols — the carabao. The carabao is a domestic water buffalo and it is a common sight to see in the farming communities. Thus, the phrase “carabao English” came to mean common or poor English.
“You speak carabao English” is an insult you don’t want to hear if you’re a Filipino. You will find that lots of them will willingly laugh at themselves or someone else when they hear this. The fear of ridicule or losing face makes most Filipinos shy away from speaking up in meetings where English is the main mode of communication. You fear the remark that your English is baroque, that your accent is not American enough, and that your grammar is incorrect.
I was guilty of this.
I used to spend so much time preparing for meetings involving foreigners because of the fear of stumbling over my words or messing up my grammar. Or maybe, I would incorrectly pronounce words that they wouldn’t understand what I mean. Worse, I…
