This was my last full week in Dublin, and I had a fantastic experience. I had typical weekdays sticking to my schedule. However, this weekend, my roommates decided to go to Paris. It was a fun, but tiring experience. We had to get up at 3 am to make the 6 am flight, but we did make it. Once we got to Paris, we went to Napoleon’s tomb, and the museum connected to it. It was a great experience. Just walking around the city, you see so many stunning buildings. We went to all the big things one can go to in Paris. However, the best part of the trip was going to cafes in the morning and getting coffee and a baguette. It was a long trip home too, since we decided to leave at 6 am on Monday and get back in time for work. Even with the lack of sleep, the trip was worth it. I desire to go back one day. I am looking forward to my last week in Dublin and hope to make the most of it.

Now that I have talked about my trip, I can focus on the question this week. Ireland has relatively low-context communication, much like the States, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences in communications or miscommunications. One thing that is a lot different is the way people communicate at work. I have covered this topic in my previous blog posts, but it has been my biggest takeaway in the differences between the US and Ireland. People in Ireland tend to give vaguer instructions when working on a job. People in Ireland expect you to figure out how to complete the task. This example is probably the only time when Ireland uses high-context communication. In the States, you are told exactly what and how to complete something. It has been a little bit of an adjustment, but by now it doesn’t even cause me to blink an eye. When I get a task, they don’t leave out instructions, but I am expected to make the instructions myself.

Even though both America and Ireland have low-context communication, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to have miscommunication. The biggest struggle I have had with miscommunication is the joke culture. There have been several times when I am in a conversation and I can’t tell if something they said was a joke. I don’t know how to describe it, but sometimes the humor doesn’t translate. Ireland is a lot more laid back when it comes to jokes, compared to America. When I work in America, I don’t expect my bosses to be cracking jokes with me. However, here that is common and it has taken me a little bit to adjust. At first, I was too uptight and not used to the laid-back atmosphere. However, now I can crack jokes with the boss and fit much better into the environment. I am glad most of the miscommunication from not understanding jokes is gone. 

The vast cause of miscommunication for me has been the differences in terms and accents. This is a simple problem, but there are words and phrases that are different. This issue has led me to sometimes not understand what the person in front of me just said. This is especially true, when in a place like a pub where people use a lot more slang than in a workplace. Ireland loves the word craic, but when I hear that, I do not think of a good time. There are other phrases that are local to Ireland that I didn’t understand. However, after being here for 7 weeks I finally understand most phrases and words local to here. One thing, I don’t know if I can ever adjust to is a heavy Irish accent. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Irish accent, but sometimes I can’t understand what a person is saying. If I am in public with a lot of noise, and someone with a heavy accent is trying to speak to me, I am not picking up much of the conversation. To be fair, they may have the same problem with me, but I don’t know.

Overall, I haven’t had too hard a time adjusting to the communication style here. I am glad to have had the few challenges I did. I believe having some problems is better than none, because it allows me to problem-solve and improve as a person. I hope to have a great last week and hopefully come away from this internship fully understanding Irish culture.