Speaking with native speakers!

Hi

This is Aanna from India. I'm currently working in Singapore and I'm having a problem here.. communicating/ socializing/ making friends with native speakers !!

I do not find any issues in communicating with the non-native speakers .. I do get along with other nationals.. like Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean.. but with native speakers?!! Ah ! ...

I don't know what I'm really lacking and trying to figure it out.. need help!!

Well, I could guess some reasons.. but how far are they right? no clues ..

1. Native speakers do not socialize / make serious friends with other nationals.
2. It is really frustrating for them to communicate with people who speak plain English. In other words people who can't articulate well..
3. Strong cultural differences could be a reason. Some friendly gestures in one culture may be considered as lack of etiquette in English culture.

Any ideas on these lines, please ..?

Cheers
Aanna

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi

This is Aanna from India. I'm currently working in Singapore and I'm having a problem here.. communicating/ socializing/ making friends with native speakers !!

I do not find any issues in communicating with the non-native speakers .. I do get along with other nationals.. like Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean.. but with native speakers?!! Ah ! ...

I don't know what I'm really lacking and trying to figure it out.. need help!!

Well, I could guess some reasons.. but how far are they right? no clues ..

1. Native speakers do not socialize / make serious friends with other nationals.
2. It is really frustrating for them to communicate with people who speak plain English. In other words people who can't articulate well..
3. Strong cultural differences could be a reason. Some friendly gestures in one culture may be considered as lack of etiquette in English culture.

Any ideas on these lines, please ..?

Cheers
Aanna

Welcome

I've been there, too. Making friends in a foreign country takes time, and, like everything else in life, you have to work at it, so don't give up! Have patience, and be yourself. Everything will fall into place. You'll see. Remind yourself of the people you know back home who are not from India, say visiting unversity students. Don't they, too, face a similar situation? It's not them, nor is it you, nor is it 'native speakers'. It's about not having that circle of support we have at home. That support system is so much a part of us and who are that when it's not there, we begin to question why it is we can't seem to strike up friendships. It's easy to make friends at home because we have contacts; friendships are made of and based on trust. Back home, I wouldn't approach a total stranger and try to form a long lasting friendship--that person would probably call the police! . In a foreign country, we have to allow people enough time to get to know us, enough time to build trust, and that takes time.

[aanna]

Dear Casiopea

Thanks so much for your comforting words !!

Warm Wishes
aanna

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by aanna

Dear Casiopea

Thanks so much for your comforting words !!

Warm Wishes
aanna

You're welcome, and don't forget: you're not alone. If you feel it, then there are at least a few hundred-thousand, take or leave a million here and there, who also feel the same way.

[zoltan_nbsmba]

Dear Aanna,

I dunno if the "problem" is with the language. Locals keep a greater distance from "strangers" and I think from each-other as well. I have long suffered from the same phenomenon too. Now almost all my friends are non-local Indians. I would love to share my experiences with you, so please reply if you are still interested. (I can see your post is pretty old)

Cheers,
Zoltan

(a Hungarian MBA student in Singapore)

[aanna]

"share my experiences" ..that would be so sweet!

[zoltan_nbsmba]

Hi, Aanna!

Nice to see you back here. Sorry, I don't have much time now, so let me be short. A lot of Singaporeans "no can speak good English" either. I wouldn't approach the problem from here.
Do you use yahoo or msn messenger? Why don't you add me to your contacts and we could chat if you want. My IDs are:
EMAIL REMOVED - Send PM to This User Instead
EMAIL REMOVED - Send PM to This User Instead
(I use yahoo a bit more often)

See you online!
Zoltan