‘Self Learning At Its Best’: Goa Street Vendor's Fluent English Charms Internet

Often in tourist places, the street vendors and shopkeepers learn a few phrases in foreign languages to appeal to international tourists. It is not shocking to hear a savvy hawker speaking a few phrases in Spanish, French, or English. However, now a video is raking in likes that shows a bangle seller on a Goan beach smoothly conversing in English as she talks about the change in tourist demographic over the years. In the video, the lady sits on the beach side with her goods and explains that earlier the beautiful Vagator beach was popular only amongst the hippies and foreigners.

She mentions that when she was eight years old she worked at the beach with her parents and grew up watching the hippies. However, now she sees all kinds of foreign tourists and notes that there has been an increase in domestic tourists. She adds that before the Covid-19 pandemic she rarely saw Indians but now Indians have started coming for a holiday at previously lesser-known beaches like Vagator. The Vagator beach is located in North Goa. It is known for its red cliffs.

A post shared by Sushant Patil (@der_alpha_mannchen)

This video has so far gathered over 13 lakh likes since it was posted on January 27. The video was captioned, “And she said: Whatever the life is brother, you should know how to live it well.”

In the comments section, many people praised the lady for her sharp learning skills and acute observations.

Commenting on it, an Instagram user wrote, “The reason for her accuracy and fluency is that she didn’t learn English like us, but she grasped it, and by imitating the people whose first language is English just like kids used to do with their mother tongue appreciate.”

Another wrote, “Thank goodness you took this video in films you can never see this. Someone sitting and speaking in English with a bit of a hindi accent is not shot. If at all I remember. There might be a scene in Salaam Bombay.”

An Instagram user claimed, “Her grammar choice of word pronunciation is far better than the people I work with.” “How sad that having a lovely command of the language which is a world’s – can’t help her, but a piece of paper which confirms a degree may! This is a lesson for us to know that you need not go to college and or schooling! Self learning at its best!” mentioned another.