EBSe 생활영어 시즌4 643 to 647 [ misunderstandings ]

643

Unit 643. I try to avoid misunderstandings.

I think especially when it comes to languages, it's so important to ask clarification just so (that) you don't have a  misunderstanding.

English on the go

So, something I've learned about learning languages ... something I've learned about learning languages ...

That's an interesing sentence.

But I find that it's very easy to have misunderstandings, especially because sometimes how you phrase things in your native language is different from how people phrase things in their language.

So I've found that when learning Korean, there's been times when I've said something to somebody or they've said something to me and I took it the wrong way because when I translated it in my head, I did it incorrectly.

And so instead of jumping to a conclusion and misunderstanding what they say, it's much better to kind of take a step back and be like, "Oh, is it in this person's personality to say something mean or is it maybe that I misunderstood what they said?"

And so when it comes to situations like that, I think it's much better to just ask for clarification rather than kind of getting carried away with this misunderstanding. 

 

644

Unit 644. My exaggerations lead to misunderstandings.

Sometimes I have a bit of a misunderstanding because I exaggerate a lot.

English on the go

I think when it comes to communicating with people, there are a few things that can make it really easy or really difficult.

And one of the things that I usually find is I tend to be ... like, I exaggerate a lot.

If ... Especially if I'm telling a story, just to make it more dramatic because I just like to be dramatic, I just say, like, crazy things.

Like, if I'm really hungry, I'll be like, "Oh my gosh, I haven't eaten in three days. I'm so hungry."

And there are some people who just get it and they're like, "Oh man, she is really hungry," and then other people who take it literally and they just think,

"Wow, Kelsey, you haven't eaten in three days. That's really serious."

"You should probably go to a hospital and get some fluids in you or something."

And this usually happens quite a lot between me and my mother, where if something happens and I'll say, like,

"I've been waiting for 10 hours and I still haven't met my friends yet," and she'll be like, "What have you been doing waiting for 10 hours?"

And it just, it makes these really funny situations.

 

645

Unit 645. I hate schedule-related misunderstandings.

My least favorite type of misunderstandings are scheduling misunderstandings.

English On The Go

Now, like everyone, I hate misunderstandings.

But one of my least favorite types of misunderstandings is scheduling misunderstandings.

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I have worked my hardest to alleviate any kind of misunderstandings that could arise from scheduling mistakes

or not being clear about what time we're going to meet and where we're going to meet,

or how much the activity that we're going to do costs or something like that.

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Now, I don't have a distinct memory,

because for a very long time I have been making sure to take care of any scheduling misunderstandings

by always sending one last message at the end of every conversation that says,

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“Awesome. I'll see you on this date, at this time, at this place.”

And ever since I've implemented that practice,

I've had no scheduling misunderstandings, which makes my life way easier.

 

646

Unit 646. Good communication can prevent misunderstandings.

Open and honest communication is so important to me because I think it can avoid so many misunderstandings.

English On The Go

When you have an issue with someone or when there's been some sort of misunderstanding,

are you the type of person to keep it to yourself and bottle it all up, or are you the more confrontational type?

I'm definitely the latter because there is no way I can keep such negative emotions to myself.

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In fact, I think it's very unproductive to keep it to yourself

and just to think about it and come to all sorts of false conclusions by yourself, without incorporating the other party.

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I think the core of any healthy relationship,

regardless of whether that's a friendship or a romantic relationship, or even in a working environment,

I think the core of it all should always be open, honest communication.

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And there's no reason why a situation like this needs to be awkward.

You … As long as you are approaching that person in a respectful and an open manner,

hopefully that same respect will be given back to you as well.

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So just in case all of it is just a misunderstanding,

both of you can save yourselves a lot of time by not bottling feelings up and coming to all sorts of false conclusions.

 

647

Unit 647. Misunderstandings happen for many reasons.

Misunderstandings happen on a daily basis. It's not the end of the world.

English On The Go

There are subtleties of any language that cannot be translated word for word.

Sometimes the translation is inaccurate or simply wrong, and as a consequence, misunderstandings occur.

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These misunderstandings can happen on a diverse scale,

ranging from small miscommunications, such as a time mix-up of a meeting, to large global conflicts.

And there are also cultural misunderstandings.

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For instance, a person can use hand gestures like thumbs up or the peace sign to be friendly to another person,

but that other person may perceive that as a huge insult because of their different cultural background.

And idiomatic expressions sometimes don't exist or are expressed totally differently in that other country.

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So you see that there are many ways to create misunderstandings.

The only advice I can give is don't rely solely on translation apps

and read up on the countries you travel to and, most importantly, learn to laugh it off.