This made me snort, Wil. Identified with your teacher not laughing at your jokes so obviously he hates you. And feeling like being back at school in your own group of one. Still, solitude means the quiet moments can bring beauty. You’ll have to stuff your pockets with suet, next time.
I love this piece. It brought back good and bad memories of when I was learning nederlands in a class of refugees. I was admitted because they had an extra space I could have if I paid for my books. It was the best education I could have had about the situations from which my classmates had fled. A Kurdish man wept in every class, a young Egyptian man begged me to accept ten thousand dollars to sponsor his immigration to Canada, a Nigerian woman loudly and extensively blessed me several times, several of my classmates tried to sell me their books so they could buy drugs, and so on. I managed to learn enough to bumble along in my new language too.
Oh Wil you have me laughing out loud! That said, I am very impressed with you braving the hardcore class.
"Daddy sounds weird" takes me back to the early years in our multilingual family (I was responsible for English, my husband for proper German; the boy took care of learning Swiss German himself). Our son thought he would challenge his parents a bit by declaring the dinner table language. "Today is English dinner!" he would announce, or "Heute sprechen wir alle Hochdeutsch!" I like to think he was still young enough to be impressed that we grown-ups could converse in either language— this after him translating us to each other for several years.
One day he declared that we would all speak Schwiizerduutsch (dialect) at dinner. Heavy sigh. I did my best, which still felt like rolling words around in my mouth the wrong way. Then my husband said something, probably innocuous, like please pass the broccoli... "DADDY! NO!!!"
None of us have ever forgotten the vehemence of that reaction. I don't think my husband has attempted Swiss German since then. (I still get away with it, though: village life.)
Well I envy you. That movement between languages on my part is the dream. Though I'd does sound like my boy and your (now big) boy have similar sensibilities. Cheers, Caroline. Hope all's well.
The boy splashed out with his beef cookery skills last night, made “Wil’s recipe” for the three of us. Husband was thrilled. I was chided for not purchasing steaks of the same thickness, nearly ruining everything.
Good on you for taking that class on. I haven't yet summoned the courage to even seek out a class in another language besides English, but do remember from HS Spanish just how hard and frustrating it can be. And conjugations - it'd be easier if they used the same terms - such as "pluperfect past tense" - in an English class so we knew something for comparison. I honestly think that's a huge barrier for so many English speakers learning a new language.
And, "rarely enjoy" implies that you may have enjoyed it at least once. ;-)
I do think grammar education is dreadful in the UK for sure. Having said that my Finnish wife doesn't know anything about Finnish grammar. Maybe all countries are bad at teaching the rules of their native language.
I’m about to have to fully immerse myself in Portuguese when I move to Brazil soon - the cutting humor and dense slang are huge obstacles and there isn’t a class in the town I’m moving to (it’s a small town in the interior and folks who don’t speak the language don’t usually end up there). I’m in my mid thirties and it’s nice to read about somebody in the trenches of learning a language themselves and enduring it all (although Finnish is on another difficulty level!). Good luck!!
That sounds incredible. Really good luck to you. Where in Brazil? I spent a week or so in Rio once for a work thing. Amazing place and beautiful language. Finnish also has what they call "puhukieli" the version of the language that is spoken. It is very different to the standard written version, certainly doesn't make life easier for a learner like me. And thanks for the kind words. I'll be documenting this journey much more in these diary posts from now on, hope you like them.
You had me at "Daddy sounds weird". Of course that happens to all us without the challenges of language, but that usually waits until their teenage years.
Honestly good for you taking the plunge into the language lessons, there are so many plateaus in learning a language and each one is a personal hell!! (At least in my experience!) but the light at the end of the tunnel is so tempting/desirable. ALSO that additional gender sign on the bathroom is diabolical 🤣 gonna be hard not to take that personally?
Mate, thanks for this. I totally agree. The plateaus!! I really feel that. Ive only just started learning again properly of course but it feels like I understand the rules etc but actually “performing” is something else entirely. It feels like being an expert sport commentator v the actual sportsperson (if that makes sense). And yes, there's something up with these toilet signs…
I just finished a class in Italian. Obviously, alot easier than Finnish. I had 3 youn g guys from Switzerland in the class with me who totally ignored me. It was awkward and yes, I am alot older than these boys. The difficulty was that they spoke so quietly. I couldn't hear the answers they gave and they all spoke 4 languages as well. At one point even the teacher asked them strongly to speak up. Good experience though yet, I wish they put older people together. I didn't feel out of my league but, only out of touch with the guys.
Fabulous photo and loved the story of going back to college😉
Ah, cheers. I'll keep you updated.
Bless. But, tit whisperer.
Once they realised I had no food they left me. It was upsetting.
This made me snort, Wil. Identified with your teacher not laughing at your jokes so obviously he hates you. And feeling like being back at school in your own group of one. Still, solitude means the quiet moments can bring beauty. You’ll have to stuff your pockets with suet, next time.
Thank you, dear friend. That suet is a good idea of course!!
I love this piece. It brought back good and bad memories of when I was learning nederlands in a class of refugees. I was admitted because they had an extra space I could have if I paid for my books. It was the best education I could have had about the situations from which my classmates had fled. A Kurdish man wept in every class, a young Egyptian man begged me to accept ten thousand dollars to sponsor his immigration to Canada, a Nigerian woman loudly and extensively blessed me several times, several of my classmates tried to sell me their books so they could buy drugs, and so on. I managed to learn enough to bumble along in my new language too.
This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
I almost peed in my pants. Can't wait to read what the next week brought. 😀
And yes, the toilet signs are not your typical we-all-know-who-pees-here graphics.
Ha. Thank you!! Both for the kindness and reassuring me I'm not an idiot.
Oh Wil you have me laughing out loud! That said, I am very impressed with you braving the hardcore class.
"Daddy sounds weird" takes me back to the early years in our multilingual family (I was responsible for English, my husband for proper German; the boy took care of learning Swiss German himself). Our son thought he would challenge his parents a bit by declaring the dinner table language. "Today is English dinner!" he would announce, or "Heute sprechen wir alle Hochdeutsch!" I like to think he was still young enough to be impressed that we grown-ups could converse in either language— this after him translating us to each other for several years.
One day he declared that we would all speak Schwiizerduutsch (dialect) at dinner. Heavy sigh. I did my best, which still felt like rolling words around in my mouth the wrong way. Then my husband said something, probably innocuous, like please pass the broccoli... "DADDY! NO!!!"
None of us have ever forgotten the vehemence of that reaction. I don't think my husband has attempted Swiss German since then. (I still get away with it, though: village life.)
Well I envy you. That movement between languages on my part is the dream. Though I'd does sound like my boy and your (now big) boy have similar sensibilities. Cheers, Caroline. Hope all's well.
The boy splashed out with his beef cookery skills last night, made “Wil’s recipe” for the three of us. Husband was thrilled. I was chided for not purchasing steaks of the same thickness, nearly ruining everything.
That's awesome. I'm so glad. Really enjoyed that class with you guys.
Good on you for taking that class on. I haven't yet summoned the courage to even seek out a class in another language besides English, but do remember from HS Spanish just how hard and frustrating it can be. And conjugations - it'd be easier if they used the same terms - such as "pluperfect past tense" - in an English class so we knew something for comparison. I honestly think that's a huge barrier for so many English speakers learning a new language.
And, "rarely enjoy" implies that you may have enjoyed it at least once. ;-)
I do think grammar education is dreadful in the UK for sure. Having said that my Finnish wife doesn't know anything about Finnish grammar. Maybe all countries are bad at teaching the rules of their native language.
I’m about to have to fully immerse myself in Portuguese when I move to Brazil soon - the cutting humor and dense slang are huge obstacles and there isn’t a class in the town I’m moving to (it’s a small town in the interior and folks who don’t speak the language don’t usually end up there). I’m in my mid thirties and it’s nice to read about somebody in the trenches of learning a language themselves and enduring it all (although Finnish is on another difficulty level!). Good luck!!
That sounds incredible. Really good luck to you. Where in Brazil? I spent a week or so in Rio once for a work thing. Amazing place and beautiful language. Finnish also has what they call "puhukieli" the version of the language that is spoken. It is very different to the standard written version, certainly doesn't make life easier for a learner like me. And thanks for the kind words. I'll be documenting this journey much more in these diary posts from now on, hope you like them.
You had me at "Daddy sounds weird". Of course that happens to all us without the challenges of language, but that usually waits until their teenage years.
Well at least I'll be used to it maybe?
Honestly good for you taking the plunge into the language lessons, there are so many plateaus in learning a language and each one is a personal hell!! (At least in my experience!) but the light at the end of the tunnel is so tempting/desirable. ALSO that additional gender sign on the bathroom is diabolical 🤣 gonna be hard not to take that personally?
Mate, thanks for this. I totally agree. The plateaus!! I really feel that. Ive only just started learning again properly of course but it feels like I understand the rules etc but actually “performing” is something else entirely. It feels like being an expert sport commentator v the actual sportsperson (if that makes sense). And yes, there's something up with these toilet signs…
I just finished a class in Italian. Obviously, alot easier than Finnish. I had 3 youn g guys from Switzerland in the class with me who totally ignored me. It was awkward and yes, I am alot older than these boys. The difficulty was that they spoke so quietly. I couldn't hear the answers they gave and they all spoke 4 languages as well. At one point even the teacher asked them strongly to speak up. Good experience though yet, I wish they put older people together. I didn't feel out of my league but, only out of touch with the guys.
I know what you mean about softly spoken people. I've had to work very heard to hear others this week as well.
Those signs were confusing! 😆
THANK YOU