Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: The Essence of a Yeoman - Effective Communication (Tag Kovan)

Posted by Ensign Kovan ch’Sirhc (Engineering & Communications Officer) in side - sim: The Essence of a Yeoman - Effective Communication (Tag Kovan)

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: The Essence of a Yeoman - Effective Communication (Tag Kovan)
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
During one of the random down times Rand had in her schedule, she wandered down to the rec hall and Galley. Two places she tended to avoid at all cost. She hated the forced socialization and having to figure out what she was supposed to say and do. She preferred to be on her own, for the most part. Now she was going to go bother someone during their down time. She certainly wasn’t going to bother them on duty with the request.

Spotting Kovan at a far table she walked over, “Excuse me Ensign ch’Sirhc. Could I talk to you for a moment?”

Yeoman Rand

Kovan did not avoid the rec hall or the galley. He didn’t need to avoid social spaces because very few people aboard this ship would willingly socialize with him. Which suited Kovan perfectly fine. He did not want to exchange idle small talk and he didn’t care about anyone’s life. The reason he came to the rec hall was to practice his figure drawing. While the others chatted or played games, Kovan practiced capturing gestures and pose with charcoal on replicated paper.

“Hmm?” Kovan looked up at Rand’s voice. Rand was. . . actually someone he did not mind being bothered by. “Alright,” He said, and set his stick of charcoal down to show Rand she had his full attention. The page was full of simple drawings close together or overlapping.

Ensign ch’Sirhc

The drawings were very good, but she didn’t comment, unsure if he would welcome the observation or not. “I wanted…I was wondering…” oh dear she was tongue tied, or she was close to it. She’d practiced this, what to say, it was a professional request, she needed to get it together. She took a breath and started over. “I’m working on some continuing education credits. There are quite a few areas I’m expected to have basic knowledge in, communications is one of them. I wanted to ask if you’d tutor me in using the universal translator or another language?”

Yeoman Rand

Kovan gave Rand all the time she needed to say whatever she came to say. It was clear he hadn’t expected the request, but he did give it thought. He never expected anyone to come to him for tutoring of all things. “I. . .could tutor you in either.” He said, slowly, because they were words he never expected to say, “I’m quite familiar with the universal translator and I know about a hundred languages. Whichever you prefer?”

Ensign ch’Sirhc

Rand thought about it. There would always be a comms officer or engineer to work the UT. Considering that, knowing languages of already known cultures could go a long way to helping the captain with diplomatic meetings, and Rand always wanted to be fluent in more languages. “I’m not sure when I might need to step in to work the UT unless there was absolutely no one else around. I always wanted to learn more languages. Any language really. I don’t have a preference.”

Yeoman Rand

Kovan nodded along as she spoke, “I could teach you the language theory which the UT runs on and theory behind its speech analysis and recognition algorithms. That said it can be very technical. As for languages, there are the big four in Federation space: Earth English, Andorian, Vulcan, Tellarite. Though if you want something found inside and outside of Federation space there is Tradealogue.

“It’s not a formal language, and I doubt the Federation has yet to venture into the sector of space it originated from. It’s a trader language, and developed to be simple to learn and highly adaptive. There are hundreds of dialects but because each is built upon the same linguistic base, so long as you know the basics and understand simple linguistic theory you can understand any one. In short it’s simple to learn but difficult to master.”

Ensign ch’Sirhc