As our country programs expand, we continue to learn more about different cultures and ethnic groups around the world. We have adoption programs in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Samoa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we continue to look for new countries to work with. While learning about the culture and traditions of these countries may be easy (thanks Google!) learning their languages is not so simple. This makes our in-country staff so very important to the adoption process. Let’s take a look at all the different languages in our adoption programs!
Bulgaria
The official language of this Eastern European country is Bulgarian, and is spoken by over 8 million people. Up until 1989, the people of Bulgaria were taught Russian in school. Most prefer not to speak Russian, although both languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. English is the most common second language, followed by German and French. An interesting fact about Bulgaria is that they shake their heads when saying “yes” and nod their heads when saying “no” – that of which is opposite here in the United States.
Ukraine
The official language of this Slavic country is Ukrainian, and is very closely correlated with Russian and Belarusian. Ukrainian is spoken by nearly 51 million people, yet Russian is still the native language to about 30% of its population. In fact, some parts of Ukraine still declare Russian as their official language. It is common for people to be fluent in both languages. It’s likely to see one person speak in Ukrainian, and the other person respond in Russian.
Honduras
The official language in Honduras is Spanish, though many people from the islands located off its northern coast speak English. Few people are bilingual, and those who are speak both Spanish and English. Some native groups throughout rural parts the country use unique combinations of Spanish with their original African descent.
Nicaragua
The official language of this beautiful Latin American country is Spanish. Like many Central American countries, Spanish spoken in Nicaragua is a different dialect than that of Spain but is still very similar. People in Nicaragua are often animated when they speak, using a lot of gestures and body language.
Haiti
This Caribbean country speaks both Haitian Creole and French languages. A majority of the population speaks Creole which is a mixture of European and African descent. Those who speak French are often seen as “elite” members of society. Anyone who is fluent in both Creole and French will use French for formal occasions.
Samoa
This South Pacific Island nation has two official languages, Samoan and English. Samoan is an Austronesian language, more specifically Polynesian, and is spoken in other countries such as Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. Its alphabet only contains 14 letters: A, E, F, G, I, L, M, N, O, P, S, T, U, and V. H, K, and R are often used as well.
Congo
The official language of this Central African republic is French, but there are more than 200 languages known throughout the country. Those most recognized within Congo are the Niger-Congo languages of Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, and Tshiluba. When the country was under Belgian rule, both Dutch and French were prevalent.
Photo Credit: Ponsulak
Jordan Kelly
Jordan Kelly is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business where she majored in Marketing. As an assistant at MLJ Adoptions, Jordan does everything from event planning and managing social media, to writing blogs and designing advertisements.
Jordan Kelly
Jordan Kelly is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business where she majored in Marketing. As an assistant at MLJ Adoptions, Jordan does everything from event planning and managing social media, to writing blogs and designing advertisements.