How to communicate effectively with porteños? Join us! Friday February 12th, 6.00pm - Palermo

Does "Sí" mean "Yes" in Argentina?

When I deliver intercultural trainings, my audience (travelers, expats and international students living in Buenos Aires) usually show a special interest in sharing their experiences on first interactions with Argentinos. A few of them are funny tales and stories of success, but many are chronicles of frustrating encounters, where communicating effectively with Porteños feels like trying to complete a 1000-piece puzzle and always missing the last piece. Expats claim that there is a kind of magic force preventing them from connecting with their Porteños collegues, flatmates or partners.

So why is that?

Sometimes it is the lack of motivation to mix with Porteños that leads to failed interactions. In other cases, Spanish still sounds like Mandarin Chinese to many NewComers who struggle with the local accent and the fast-speaking style of Porteños.

But when the motivation is there, and they have learnt to say more than “Si, gracias” in Spanish and “Qué Buena onda” in Lunfardo´s Buenos Aires slang, there is one more box to consider in BA expats´ checklist: communication style.

A frequent complaint is that locals "just don’t know how to answer a question straight to the point". Is it because all Porteños have suddenly lost their train of thought? Well, some of them possibly, but ... everyone?

Others moan that Porteños usually don´t say what they really mean. Does "Sí" mean "Yes" in Argentina? Or Spanish rules changed and “Sí” now means “Maybe not, but I won´t tell you that”?

The challenge is a bit more profound, and way more interesting to explore!

Cultures differ significantly on many dimensions, being one of the most important ones the level of directness and indirectness. Differences between these two poles account for a large number of cross-cultural misunderstandings.

According to Edward Hall, one of the most respected US Anthropologists and Cross-Cultural Researchers, cultures can have high-context and low context communication patterns.

In a low context culture (such as USA or Germany), communication tends to be direct. Most of the information is in the words and there is no need to read between lines. People say what they mean and they mean what they say.

On the other hand, in high-context cultures (such as Japan, Southeast Asia or China) most information is transmitted indirectly. It is usually implicit in the physical context (such as body language), while very little is contained in the verbal, explicit message. If telling the truth threatens harmony, then the truth should be adjusted or disguised. Preserving relationships and avoiding loss of face are main concerns. So if you forget to read between lines, you will be missing the largest portion of the message of your indirect counterpart.

Having said this – are you now ready to go one step farther in your appreciation of Argentinos´ communication style? Where do you think that Argentina stands between the low-context/ high context cultural orientation?

And last but not least - what kind of communication patterns do YOU have?

I look forward to your thoughts!

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Last seats available - "Lunfardo: Slang of BA - Language, Culture & Identity" - Friday February 5h, 6.00pm

Why saying "Che Boludo" with a foreign accent is not too bad - Languages and Expats identity

Heading to Argentina for a season abroad? If you are a Newcomer, someone needs to tell you the truth. Argentina is not only about dancing tango in Caminito and making eternal pilgrimages around Parrillas of Buenos Aires. Actually, one of the biggest challenges of this Latino country is to understand the colorful Spanish language. No big deal right?

The language barrier would be just another element of the expat cultural adventure, if it wasn´t because everything you learnt in your vacations in Madrid becomes useless when you try to speak Castellano, the Argentine version of the Spanish language. And if you thought this would keep you safe in Porteño land, it is because you haven´t even heard about the existence of Lunfardo yet… Lun... what? Oh yes, Buenos Aires citizens, also called Porteños, have their own slang.

No wonder why the tragedy of language immersion can reproduce awkward feelings of our early childhood, when we used to feel small, weak and hopeless in a world of adults. Been there before?

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Did you ever hear the stories of ... let´s say, 30-year old expats full of hair on their chests, confessing they used to feel like a 4-year-old child when living abroad? This is also true for expats relocating to Argentina. Why is that? Language barrier challenges our sense of identity. It is not unusual that expats make visible efforts to integrate to Argentine culture, by forcing themselves to speak Castellano like a native- or at least try hard to make their first “Che boludo” expressions sound as accent free as possible! Even though we may think that in Rome we should behave as Romans do, pushing ourselves to the limits can lead us to wonder: “Am I still the person I used to be?”

  

First things first

Our native language fosters relationships with main significant others in our childhood: our first friends, our first loves, our first jobs.

When we live in our home country and speak our native language every day, we hardly notice its existence. Our language is a suite that everybody is wearing around us –and we give it for granted, as the air we breathe. And every time we speak to our co-nationals, their response reinforces the fact that “we are all in the same boat”.

However, when we relocate to a country where a different language is spoken (or same language, but with different accent or idioms), the environment of the host culture tells us silently “Listen to yourself…You are not one of ours”. Language barrier comes suddenly into play, leading us to review our communication strategies and wonder how to make ourselves understood.

Language, culture and identity: a 3-way road

Since we learn to speak, language shapes the image of ourselves, others and the world we live in. If there isn´t a word to name it, then it is not part of the reality we perceive.

When expats face the challenge of living abroad, the language of reference of their childhood is not there anymore. And with it, it´s lost the early childhood ability of letting themselves impregnate naturally by the music and intonation of a new language. Adult expats learn grammar and vocabulary in a more rational way than children. They need to devote large amount of efforts to learn a foreign language that will help them perceive the new cultural reality and to communicate with individuals who are part of that reality. Who wants to feel “different” anyway?

So it is not illogical to conclude that language immersion is always an opportunity to challenge expats´ sense of identity.

Some expats incorporate the foreign language extremely fast, usually to avoid the discomfort of the new situation. On the other hand, others offer great resistance to learning it, in the belief (not always conscious) that they should maintain fidelity to the language spoken with their parents and loved ones. In these cases, there is often an underlying belief that the native tongue is the only one that can express vital experiences authentically, so the foreign language is rejected for being “poor or insufficient” and for disguising their identity.

In other occasions, resistance to incorporating some expressions of the foreign language is a way of avoiding the shame of being a child again – in need to “create” the words in a universe of adults.

Having said this - There is light at the end of the tunnel.

When you overcome the cross-cultural challenge of the language immersion, you´ll begin to feel that there is enough space in yourself for both your native language – and Castellano. Your identity is no longer threatened. On the other hand, you will perceive that learning foreign languages makes you rich and diverse, and you can offer this diversity to others.

 As an expat in BA, you´ll come across plenty of interesting opportunities to assimilate Lunfardo.

Use them!

- Go beyond your comfort zone.

- Talk to locals.

- Listen to Porteño children – they have tons of things to teach you - you used to be a child too.

- Try using new expressions you learnt from that nice Argentine waiter  or that funny new word you overheard in the supermarket.

The good thing about getting familiar with Lunfardo is that it will take you closer to the real identity of Buenos Aires and its people, giving your cross- cultural experience a whole new dimension.

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Join our Intercultural Coffee Meetings for Expats in BA!

Learn. Share. Live Buenos Aires

Next Meeting: "How Much do you know about Lunfardo: Porteño Slang?"
Friday February 5th  -  6.00pm.
"Tea Connection". O. Cossentini 1545. Puerto Madero
Attendance fee: 40 Ar$/ person.
Coming with a friend? 70Ar$ for both of you!

Limited seats available  Pre-booking required.

To book your seat, please send us an email to nomadasglobales@gmail.com

How much do you know about Porteños? - January 25th, 6pm in Puerto Madero

Following the route of Porteños Coffee in (im)perfect Buenos Aires

Yesterday it was a great day. As great as the place we visited.
We were 8 global nomads at the entrance of the emblematic Café Tortoni, the 150-year-old cathedral of Tango on Avenida de Mayo, to hold our 1st Expat Coffee Meeting of the Year.
Leading to Casa Rosada (the Government house), Avenida de Mayo tends to be extremely crowded at any time of the year. Luckily, Porteños usually escape from the heat of BA in January, looking for the (cool but crowded) beaches of Mar del Plata. Or Brazilian beaches, if they are lucky. This leaves BA subways empty, the traffic a (little) bit less hectic, and Cafe Tortoni....equally crowded!





1 minute after we got in, people from all walks of life began to form a long line at the entrance, as if they were hoping for a miracle to happen. It was not easy to get into the most traditional Coffee Place of BA. The Doorman was the Magician. Once the door opened up.... Magia!

You are inside of a tunnel of time. Cafe Tortoni reflects the soul and history of Porteño Life. Crowded and noisy, as Porteños. But the smell of coffee in the air, the antique decoration and the flavor of art and literature on the walls make it the perfect scenario of imperfect Buenos Aires.
Who would want Buenos Aires to be perfect? And last but not least, what makes you think that Porteños would be perfect?

Insightful moments happen when you are not expecting them. And perfection doesn´t leave space for magic.
Our Coffee Meeting was perfectly (im)perfect, thus magic. Some of us arrived late. A few couldn´t stand the noise of coffee machines and 1000 languages bein spoken in tables around us.
I had to interrupt my presentation on “How to communicate effectively with Argentine locals?”. Why? Because of the waiter, or the noise or something totally expectable? Not at all.
Simply because a funny tourist suddenly came to our table to record us with his camera. We became part of his story, whether we wanted it or not. Wherever this gentleman came from, his fellow co-nationals far way from Buenos Aires will witness – through this recording - the graceful imperfection of a bunch of smiles, coffee cups and diverse languages sitting around our table. We were 8 global souls sharing stories. Figuring out how to be a foreigner in BA. Representing 100 cultures but exploring one: Argentina´s.

And most importantly, embracing it.

Thanks Michal, Kendra, Violeta, Kaley, Phillipe, Melissa and Alejandra!

Café Tortoni was the beginning of our route of Coffee.
Our next stop is Café Manhattan.

Are you joining us?


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Do you have an expat story to tell? Do you wonder how to overcome the shock of surviving Buenos Aires?
Monday January 18th 6pm - Intercultural Coffee Meeting for Expats
Where? Grand Café Manhattan - Avda Cabildo y La Pampa - Belgrano
Presentation and discussion on "Culture Shock of Newcomers in BA".
Last seats available.

40 pesos/person
If you book 3 meetings in advance: 100 pesos/ person

To book your place, please send us an email to: nomadasglobales@gmail.com

Last seats available for January - Intercultural Coffee Meetings for Expats in BA (click picture to enlarge)