The English problem is genuine. This one of the hardest schools I could imagine, and it’s a miracle that any non-Anglophones, let alone all of them, keep going. Many of them were the most brilliant, accomplished students in their home countries, but now, they have a hard time even being understood. Their courage is inspiring.
Yet I have had some amusing experiences. The person with the most positive attitude towards the language barrier is our old friend, Boubacar. He and I have a lot of excellent misunderstandings, and I’m going to roll out my first titled comic strip to depict a recent example! Pleeease Welcoooome: (You might have to click on the picture and then zoom in)
Even more hilarious communication difficulties occur when Mr. O uses American phrases in class. A few days ago, he threatened to throw his pen at Julius with a “snap pass”, and a wall of just the blankest canvases I have ever seen stared back at him. Clearly, the future leaders of Africa need to learn more about American quarterback terms.
But there’s one aspect of language here that is just mindboggling: hectic. Hectic might seem like it’s just one word, but it is so much more than that. Hectic is versatile, hectic is all-encompassing, hectic is omnipotent. Hectic couldn’t have been more one-size-fits-all if it were a pair of elastic-waist trousers with drawstring cuffs. In fact, I might mention it to the English as a Second Language faculty soon, because it would save Francophones from having to learn a lot of superfluous vocabulary. They could avoid unnecessarily specific words such as busy, arduous, atrocious, catastrophic, or bad.
That having been said, I’m not sure that anybody has looked hectic up in a dictionary yet, or if they have they’re being pretty laissez-faire about it, because it means “full of incessant or frantic activity”. Here are some usages of the word that I’ve heard recently:
“The Central Business District is sooo hectic!” This is actually quite plausible. The CBD is, in general, quite hectic, particularly at rush hour.
“My test was really hectic. Oh my God.” So this seemed less likely. Most of the tests at ALA are what I would describe as “quietly intensive”, but none of them have widespread commotion. For the most part, people stay in their chairs, suffering in silence. This is a hectic test:
“And then she was decapitated by her own seatbelt. I don’t even know how to describe it… It was HECTIC.” For obvious reasons, there’s no cartoon for this quote, and I'm sorry it's a little macabre. But to summarise, a girl was in a car crash, and her seatbelt took her head off. And I’m sorry, no, that isn’t hectic in any way whatsoever! Horrible and mortifying, maybe, hectic, no.
Ahh the wonders of slang.
i've learned that ppl in california use different common phrases from ppl on the east coast. for instance, ppl here use 'for sure'...a LOT. my TA uses it, how strange. and sometimes, i even hear guys say it O.O
ReplyDeleteand 'chill' is an often-used adjective. i've started using it too, actually. i can't make myself say 'for sure,' but 'chill' is a chill word to use :)
as for sorority lingo...i've learned a whole new vocabulary. esp for pledge secrets and tasks and whatnot. yay for learning new languages haha. props to boubacar for trying so earnestly, he probs has a better grasp of the english vocabulary than the majority of Americans by now