Vernacular in The workplace

A few days ago I found myself left out of the loop when my colleagues and boss decided to speak Luganda during an official meeting. At first, I was taken aback by the insensitivity (I don’t speak a stitch of Luganda), then dismayed at the lack of professionalism. In a protest, I rudely scraped my chair and childishly marched to the bathroom to passively scream my disgust into the mirror.

By the time I graciously returned to my seat, everybody around the boardroom table was still conducting the meeting in Luganda. After a while, one of my colleagues—concerned why I, the writer on the job, was not writing anything—queried my resigned attitude. By then, screams into the bathroom mirror had done absolutely nothing for my temper; everything inside me wanted to scream, “I cannot write in Luganda!” at this jolly paunchy specimen in front of me. 

However, my angelic more poised self took over and I nonchalantly replied, “Translation please.” To be honest, I think it was the fear of certain joblessness and not composure that directed this succinct response. Nevertheless, at that point they all swiftly switched back to English, leaving me wondering how a non-Luganda speaking foreigner would have coped in such a situation. “Perhaps,” I thought, “people do not understand the impact of speaking a language that not everyone understands.”

Bad etiquette
I have always thought that it is generally in poor taste and a thorough display of lack of good upbringing (or education) to speak to someone in a language they do not understand; it could be an indication that you are not confident or conversant in your language skills. Sometimes, when I read the emails people send around, I shake my head in pity. “This must be a vernacular speaker who hasn’t had enough time to build prowess in English,” I usually utter to myself. Then I proceed to try and decipher the hidden meaning behind their gibberish.

The funny thing is, my counterparts can narrate stories of being beaten for speaking vernacular in school (obviously the beating did not work), yet they babble in their native tongue incessantly as hapless foreigners look on.

Tribal divisions in a neutral zone
Unfortunately, when one hears a language they can not comprehend, they naturally withdraw from the conversation and gravitate towards a place they can express themselves. In my travels and in my life, I have seen this happen a million times. So I have no beef for Luganda or any vernacular for that matter. It’s the divisive factor that I detest. That poor soul who doesn’t understand the conversation coils into a corner and stays there.

Our country is already riddled with tribalism. Do we have to bring into the workplace, which ought to be a neutral ground for thinking, hardworking members of society?
Just because one finds their tribesmate does not mean one must exclude the rest, particularly in a group setting. If you want to express yourself in your language, go ahead; but make sure everyone around you speaks the same language too.

Suspicion and Gossip
In medieval Europe, foreigners would be stabbed because people thought they were plotting their deaths. Yes, it makes the listener uneasy and they immediately suspect you are talking about them. This breeds misunderstandings and quarrels.

Looking back, I should have made my dismay known instead of passively screaming into a bathroom mirror in my mother tongue (which sounds very jarring and harsh to the ear). It is only good manners if we all speak the same language and respect the forum, particularly if it’s a public one. I admire foreigners who come to a new country and struggle to speak the local language.

As you contemplate about speaking vernacular in the office, please consider the person who does not understand your language. In the meantime, I’ll be brushing up on my Luganda.