Lost In Fast Food Translation

(Photo uploaded by Michael Galero on Flickr.)

Communication is a skill that is essential and must be developed through practice.

Children can be vicious critics when it comes to judging one's manner of

speaking. That is why, during their adolescent period, many individuals develop

the fear of being teased for their pronunciation of certain words. This fear can

continue to be a hindrance as children reach adulthood, because adults can be

just as callous as children. Most likely, everyone has had an incident in which

he or she has regretted making a comment. Even though it may have

been embarrassing, sometimes one cannot help but reflect on what happened

and laugh. Instead of remembering an incident as humiliating, think of it as an

experience to laugh about with family and friends.

(Photo uploaded by final_station on Flickr.)

For instance, one afternoon a family was driving home from a prior engagement. Since the event lasted longer than expected, all of them were hungry during the trip home. The parents decided to stop at a fast food restaurant, so their children would not have to wait to eat dinner. In order not to divert much time from their trip, the family agreed to go through the drive-thru. The only concern was that the husband was driving. Since he was not a native speaker, he was afraid to communicate with others. He did not like being teased -- especially by his two young daughters -- about the way he would pronounce certain words in English. Therefore, his wife told him not to worry. She would order the food once they arrived at the restaurant, but the man told his wife no. He wanted to try it on his own. As they approached the Jack In The Box menu, his wife and two daughters told him what they wanted. Then it was time to face the dreaded speaker where he would utter the food orders. And yet, with a smile on his face, he confidently said each order with perfect pronunciation. His family was impressed. He was proud of himself for being able to say each item they wanted from the menu with no hesitation. The only problem was that once he was done, the next thing they heard from the speaker was: "Hello, may I take your order".