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Describe The Differences Between Zambians And Americans

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I was seven years old when I heard the news that my family was going to serve as missionaries in Africa. The news startled me to say the least, but I did not realize how drastically my life was going to change. As a child the experience shocked, exhilarated, and frightened me all at once. Once my family arrived in Zambia, Africa, we slowly began adjusting to life there. We quickly fell in love with the Africans and their culture; however, soon our time was finished and we came back to America. While some argue that Zambians and Americans are completely different; my experience indicates that the most misunderstood differences between Zambians and Americans are language and physical barriers.
Being a child in Africa is as exciting as it is terrifying, but what made it even scarier was the fact that the Africans kids and I spoke different languages. The local dialect spoken is Tonga, but they also speak limited English. The language proved to be a barrier that became difficult to cross. For example, when my family first arrived in Africa, the kids and I could only shyly smile and wave at each other because …show more content…

Tan writes this about her experience, “I found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her . . .My husband was with us as well, and he didn’t notice any switch in my language. And then I realized why . . . it has become our language of intimacy” (Tan 164). Here Tan is talking about how she and her family would speak a limited English that was familiar only to them and that that language had become intimate between them. During our time in Africa, we overcame the natural barriers that had been raised because of the language difference and became more intimate with our friends there through our limited Tonga and

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