Learning Language

My most favorite job I ever had was working in the Reading Center at BYU-Idaho. There, I was a tutor for international students (helping them with their English) and native English speakers (helping them with study skills). I made many friends that I think about often. And sometimes, I recall the things they said that made me laugh. For instance, Munkhbat, from Mongolia, one day realized I wore mascara and said, *gasp* "You paint your hashbrowns?"

One time, Marcos, from Brazil, was telling me about a studio apartment and how the bedroom and "chicken" were connected. (kitchen)

One of my good friends Jay, from Korea, was moving with his wife and children. He had graduated and was going to further his schooling in CA. He sent me an email telling me he appreciated my help and that he hoped we could "stay touching each other" (stay in touch with each other).

When Marcia and I met for the first time, she spoke very little English. I spoke no Portuguese. I was just subbing for another tutor. We were trying to make introductions, and when she said, "You have namorado?" I thought she was asking what my name was. You know, name and namorado seemed to have the same base of the word. I nodded. "Namorado Brittney." She laughed. "No." When I finally got the dictionary out, I realized she was asking if I had a boyfriend.

This morning, Claire got out the corn flakes, and we were soon notified by Summer that Claire had dumped all the cereal out onto the table. But it was okay, because they were now eating "all the snowflakes" for breakfast.

About a year ago, Summer was rummaging through our junk drawer and she found her bracelet. She pulled it out, held it up to me, and excitedly said, "Mom! I found my breakfast!"

I'm not sure where Summer picked it up, but she has said "What the heck!" a few times lately. For some reason, today, she has mistaken the phrase, and now often says, "What the half!"

Learning language is fun. Especially when you can laugh at the mistakes. When I was in Guatemala, one evening I said to my friends, "Estoy muito casada!" They all laughed. Instead of saying cansada as in tired, I'd said "married." At the time, I wasn't married--to either husband. Hehehe.