Say it in Pashto: US troops learn new tongues

While American soldiers can usually get along in Paris and Tokyo, more of them are now entering what is to them one of the most culturally different places on Earth: the Muslim corner, where suspicion of Americans runs rampant and where the challenges of language and culture are putting Special Operations Forces to the test as never before, analysts say.

"The idea of the 'ugly American' came from the fact that we sometimes think that we do things the right way, and that everybody should eat and greet people the way we do," Mr. Axtell says. "We aren't ugly, but unprepared, and that's what the military is finding out."

For soldiers preparing to go to the Middle East or other culturally foreign places, language immersion seems to be the best approach. Most instructors are native speakers and spend much of the time giving "assimilation" lessons about local customs.

During the Gulf War, American forces did receive a sort of cultural competency exam, when the Army passed out a 40-page booklet on Arab gestures and body language. The orders: Adapt to local customs, speak with your eyes, give praying Muslims plenty of room. And then there's that thing about reading from right to left. "Not backwards," jokes Commander Loney.

Some more tips, from "Do's and Taboos": "Don't gawk at Arab women, and don't even consider trying to date them. Don't be upset if Arabs stand very close, even touch you, when conversing. And don't ever admire an Arab's possessions; they're very generous and may feel required to give you the object of your admiration."

"Some of this may seem crazy, but, in their eyes, we're a bit crazy too," Axtell says.

Perhaps the most crucial gaffe to avoid is to sit back and put your feet up. Indeed, showing the sole of your shoe or foot - the dirtiest part of the body - to an Arab is considered the worst of all insults.

For soldiers in the field, such mistakes can be, if not outright dangerous, a serious stumbling block for negotiations and interrogations.

So far, the lessons are being learned well, says Amel Selwanes, a language-instruction book writer from Cairo who teaches at Ft. Bragg's school.

"In the Gulf War, it was the British troops who were always coming over to the Americans, asking for their help to translate," he says.

Why are the once-ugly Americans proving so adept at learning the local lingo? "Because they follow orders," Mr. Selwanes says with a smile. What's more, Americans, despite their reputation for cultural indifference, have some basic traits they can bank on as they practice their Pashto with the local populace: gregariousness and optimism. After all, some scholars say that up to 90 percent of communication is nonverbal.

For the soldiers here, most of whom joined the Army just after high school, the tongue-twisters often prove more difficult to master than the etiquette.

"I'm starting to be able to get a lot of it, but I have the most trouble with the grammar," says John, a special-ops soldier from Florida who is struggling with standard Arabic. "But some of the guys have it worse: They still have trouble asking where the bathroom is."

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