This week is my final week working and living abroad in Ireland this summer. Coming into this program, I knew that time would fly by, but even given that, it is hard to believe that I will be going back home to America this weekend. I have had a great time abroad this summer, and I am sad it is coming to an end, but grateful that I have had this opportunity to travel and meet new people. For my final weekend abroad, I made one last weekend trip with my friends to Edinburgh, Scotland. Scotland was not on my list of places to visit while abroad, but I am very happy that I made the trip and surprised by how much I enjoyed my time there. On Friday we explored the city and enjoyed an authentic Scottish breakfast after we landed that morning. We then hiked Arthur’s Seat, an old extinct volcano named after the mythological King Arthur that takes around two hours to climb to the top. It was a beautiful day for the hike, and my friend Ethan, another member of this program, made the climb while wearing a boot for his ankle that he fractured the first week of this program. Watching him climb to the top in the boot was awe-inspiring, and something I will remember whenever I try to make an excuse or complain about anything ever again. After that, we went to Edinburgh Castle, an extremely old castle sitting atop a cliff that overlooks the city. It was cool walking around such an ancient structure and learning the extensive history encapsulated in its walls. On Saturday, I went on a 12.5-hour guided tour of the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness. During the tour, I got to see the famous highland cows and the beautiful Scottish countryside. I also took a cruise through Loch Ness, the famous lake known for its connection to Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. On Sunday I did some shopping around the city and got to watch the end of the Spain vs England Euro championship, the perfect way to end the trip before coming back to Dublin Monday morning.
Being in a different country carries its fair share of differences from the style of life I am accustomed to living in the United States. Although English is the primary language here, different accents and slang can make communication more challenging than it is speaking with my fellow Americans back home. The different accents are the main communication difference that gives me the most trouble. Often, I find Irish people speak quickly with an unfamiliar accent, and I can find myself lost in a conversation and need the person to repeat or clarify something they said that I missed.
These issues have resulted in many miscommunication situations that I have had to navigate during my internship. In the afternoons, my main responsibility is to answer the phone to handle any questions from clients and set them up with the correct solicitor to handle their legal issues. Besides Irish people, I also have to take calls from people from diverse parts of the world who do not always speak clear English or know what they are asking for. Since I work in a firm that deals heavily with immigration issues, such occurrences are the typical day-to-day challenges that I have a lot of experience dealing with during my time at this placement. To overcome these challenges, I have to closely listen to the clients as they speak and take notes throughout the conversation to help me contextualize their requests. Often I struggle to understand the client’s name, so instead of repeatedly asking them to repeat it, I will ask them to spell it out so I do not write down the wrong name and set up an appointment for the wrong person. Little techniques like that are ways I navigate conversations that I am having a hard time understanding and ways to mitigate miscommunication situations to a minimum.
In conclusion, communicating in Ireland is a mixed bag of difficulty and ease. While I speak the same native language, varying accents can still make communication difficult and land me in situations where miscommunication can happen. I combat these situations through active listening and using the context of the call and my overall knowledge of why clients typically contact the firm to ascertain the nature of the call and how I can best assist the client. This is something I have progressed in with time and a good skill to carry with me as I continue my career in America.
