I like how when foreigners are confused about the way something is said in Russian, Russian people get this sly look and say, "Ahhh yes, the richness of the Russian language." Unfortunately it just doesn't work for English when you are trying to explain to your students why there are so many crazy rules and exceptions.
I have to teach a lesson on the Second Conditional soon. Yuck. If I didn't have to make lesson plans, I would have more time to write on my blog.
I'm even learning new words in English myself.
My classmate, towards the end of lunch hour: "I don't even feel slightly noshy."
Me: "Huh?"
Same classmate: "I don't even want to nosh, but then lunch will be over and I don't be able to get something to eat."
Me: "What's 'nosh'?"
Her: "You know, 'munch on something'?"
Me: "I'm pretty sure you made it up. It sounds like surfer talk."
We looked it up in the dictionary and found that it was both a noun and a verb. Oops. "Noshy," however is stretching it.
Later, at home, I randomly got confused and blurted out a question in Russian to my sister, who unfortunately doesn't know any Russian and is not quite to the point of appreciating its "richness."
Okay, time to turn the brain back on and go do lesson plans.
Ahhh the richness...it is funny how it doesn't work for English--people say that English just has too many exceptions! Oh well.
ReplyDeleteNosh--I'll have to look that one up!
All of a sudden I find myself teaching English to Koreans - boy, do I know what you mean! Sometimes I feel so silly trying to explain some of the bits and pieces of our language. I should try referring to its richness and depth instead. Good thought! Perhaps I can get them to buy that.
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds even more convincing if you can talk about the words coming from all different roots like Greek, Latin, etc. (Nosh is from High German).
ReplyDelete