Do I resort to paternalistic "understanding?"

My current research interest  has led me to dissect Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Masks.  It's a really great read which investigates the identity problem of the black man and the effects of the black psyche in a white world.  In Chapter 1: The Negro and Language, Fanon discusses how white men address negroes as if they're speaking to a child.  They begin by smirking, whispering, patronizing and cozening.  "Talking to Negroes in this way gets down to their level, it puts them at ease, it is an effort to make them understand us, it reassures them..."( Fanon, 32.) He later goes on to give an example of how a physician varied his level of communication between whites and negroes.  When the physician speaks to a European, he states: Please sit down...Why do you wish to consult me?...What are your symptoms?..." Then comes a Negro or an Arab: "Sit there, boy...What's bothering you?...Where does it hurt, huh?..." When, that is, they do not say: "You not feel good, no? (Fanon, 32.)  Fanon goes on to state that he was told by these European doctors that there is no wish, no intention to anger the Negro.  However, Fanon believes that this absence of wish, this lack of interest, this indifference, this automatic manner of classifying him, imprisoning him, primitivizing him, decivilizing him, makes him angry.  Fanon himself observed how he too, would adopt a language suitable to his patients. He began to notice that if he was treating a patient who had dementia, that he would began to adopt a dementia, feeble-mindedness language.  He realized that he was "talking down" to the patient.  In an effort to revert against such behavior, he makes a point to always speak normal French, to not allow himself to resort to paternalistic "understanding."

This was of much interest to me because I have noticed how I communicate differently with Ravi (and many other Indians who are not in the "professional" net working circle), our driver.  Initially, I would communicate in Standard English: Good Morning Ravi, How are you?  Good.  Can  you take me to Food Zone and then I'd like to go to FabIndia. After FabIndia we can then return to Ozone. Ok? However, after witnessing time and time again the uncertainty in Ravi's eyes, I begin to wonder how much English is he really understanding.  Or perhaps, like myself, someone who is trying to re-learn Swahili, I'm aware that although I may understand Swahili, I sometimes have a difficult time comprehending if a person is speaking too fast or if I'm unsure of the sentence structure.  So, I now speak to Ravi like this: Good morning Ravi, how are you? We go Food Zone.  Then we go Fab India.  The back home to Ozone.  Ok?  Ok.  Am I speaking down to Ravi? Or is it a language barrier?  I certainly don't look down upon Ravi, however, I have to wonder if I'm decivilizing him by speaking to him with paternalistic or in my case maternalistic "understanding."  

My thought, similar to the European doctors that Fanon refers to, is that I'm using a language that is easier for him to understand.  But is it really?  The first few weeks here, I spoke Standard English to Ravi and he often seemed anxious and confused afterwards.  So, I thought I was alleviating his stress by communicating with a broken dialect of English.  Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. However, Fanon's point is an interesting one.  I'll definitely have to take it into consideration.