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Fluency in language is more about translation, you also need to know the cultural references. 11. November 2015

>Fluency in a given language is more than your range of vocabulary and accent, it is how well you can make yourself understood, and understand others. In everyday language, we often make references to other domains, so as to convey a deeper meaning with few words. References to sports, tv-shows and movies are commonplace in the USA, though it is of little help understanding the individual words when you hear “Monday morning quarterback”*, “Swing for the fences”** or “Hail Mary attempt”***, if you do not know American football, baseball and basketball, and their role in society. (See the explanations at the end of the article). There are plenty of similar references to history, ("He met his Waterloo" as one example) literature and politics, for any given country and language. Also Norwegian.

The Norwegian language offers examples of words and expressions that reflect our values and lifestyle. A sufficient translation of the sentence: “Det var koselig å gå tur i marka, det var en helt trolsk stemning!” would be: “It was nice to go walk in the woods, it was an absolutely magical atmosphere!”. However, this translation does not really capture the relational dimension of the word "koselig", the institution of "gå på tur i marka"; and "trolsk" is certainly a more specific and special type of atmosphere than "magical". (Please read this article for more examples: http://www.businessinsider.com/norwegian-phrases-the-dont-exist-in-english-2015-4 )

Norwegians can be quite direct, saying what they mean, and meaning what they say. In most other countries, one is expected to show more tact, and assume the other party will read between the lines, especially when discussing a delicate issue. In the USA, one would use phrases like: "I let him go", to describe firing someone, and you have to look for the "family planning" aisle in the pharmacy to get contraception. Examples abound, though in Britain it can become even more subtle, where your relative ranks and [to Norwegians] exaggerated levels of politeness also come into play. In the table below, are some business favorites.

Despite English being spoken in the USA, Britain and Australia, there are at times large differences in the cultural aspect to the language. Having experience from one of these will indeed help when moving to one of the others, though it will still take some time and effort to learn the local characteristics; or to borrow a term from cricket, to become "an all rounder". That will require time, interest and effort, though once invested, it will greatly enrich your understanding and help navigate the local culture.

Good luck and work well!

What an English manager says	What they mean
"I hear what you say"	"I disagree and do not want to discuss it any further"
"This is in no sense a rebuke"	"I am furious with you and letting you know it"
"With the greatest respect"	"I think you are wrong (or a fool)"
"Correct me if I'm wrong"	"I know I'm right. Do not contradict me"
"QUITE good" (with the stress on the "quite")	"A bit disappointing"
“Quite GOOD" (with the stress on the "good ")	"Excellent"
"Perhaps you would like to think about....” or "I would suggest..."	"This is an order. Do it or be prepared to justify yourself..."
"Oh, by the way" or "Incidentally ..."	"The primary purpose of our discussion is..."
"I'm sure it's my fault"	"I know it is your fault, please apologize"

* NFL football matches are generally played on Sundays. The quarterback is the team captain, who has to make split second play decisions during play, deciding the team's fate. These decisions are often discussed and criticized at the office and on talk radio the following day, with the benefit of hindsight and plenty of time to think.

** In baseball, there is great prestige to hit the ball out of the park, and into the stands, both popular with fans, and it makes for an automatic home run. However, to achieve this, the batter needs to swing with all his might, hoping for the best, that he will hit the ball, and that it will go to the very edge, namely, the fences.

*** in basketball, the score is often quite close, and the rules say that a throw, though not a goal, must be made before the time runs out. So if a player on the team a point under, gets the ball with just seconds to go on the clock, but not enough to run across the court, may fling it, hoping it may just hit the basket. This is referred to a "hail Mary", referencing a Catholic prayer.

**** This is a historical reference, to Napoleon, who had not lost a battle, until he met the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, where he was defeated; and marked the end of Napoleon's success. This is often used for when someone who has had a line of successes, fails in a terminal way.