Fun Frases... I mean, Phrases

One thing I am excited for this summer is to renew my vocabulary. It will be good to be around "native speakers" again. Previously, I've explained "Chinglish" (Chinese + English). Chinglish is common and understandable, they have a different sentence structure, grammar patterns, and a completely different alphabet.  But the longer you stay immersed in a culture with a different language, the more that you pick up that language. Unfortunately, Chinglish is much easier to pick up then Chinese is. So between our team, we've found ourselves saying little phrases or structures that aren't proper English and we'll probably be laughed at when we get back home for using them. You may have began to notice the deterioration of my English ability in my writings of emails, blogs, and via skype. (Even in that last sentence I had to stop and think for 30+ seconds to try and remember the word "deterioration.") I thought it was just me, or maybe just at our campus, until I spoke with the president of Teacher Services for our organization who works in the States. He said it happens to everyone. "I will get an email from one teacher and have to stop and think what he is talking about. I can't believe it that I'm getting an email from a man who has his Masters Degree in English but is butchering the language with grammar mistakes all the way through his email." I had to laugh, and at the same time sigh in relief.

We have a saying here at Hua Qiao within our teachers that whenever we start speaking Chinglish accidentally someone will say, "Wow, Abram, your Chinese sure is getting good." The more Chinese we learn, the less English that we remember... or just the more you talk to Chinese students the more you replicate their language. Sometimes, we find ourselves intentionally talking in Chinglish so that our students can understand what we're asking them or trying to tell them. Unfortunately, it isn't always intentional.  I'm beginning to be at the point that I can't remember what is correct anymore and what isn't. So I'll be excited to refresh my vocabulary and English vernacular when I come home. Here are a few fun phrases that we or our students will say.

"I want to happy everyday."

"Go for lunch?"

"You should drink more water, it is good for your healthy."

"You should wear more clothes-es"

"Will you have a rest?" (take a nap?)

"Warmly welcome you to come."

"Sanks." (there is no "th" sound in Chinese so it comes out alot as "s")

"I go now." or "I go first" (when they're done talking to you in the hall way and need to go.)

"That is all." (when they're done talking)

"Ok. See you."

...and a list and a half more that have become way to familiar to me at this point. Hope you enjoy.

Sank you. That is all.