WARNING: Some words in this story may be offensive to some readers or not suitable for a younger audience.
“Pardon my French!”
I’m not vulgar, or at least I like to believe that I’m not. However, being in England this week is flooding my mind with funny memories of language bloopers.
I’m not sure why, but language bloopers often have a bit of vulgar humor in them—at least many of mine do. I think that’s what makes them “bloopers” and so funny. My apologies, in advance. 🙂
As I mentioned in “Do You Know What a ‘Fanny Pack’ is?”, our seven years in the southwest of France brought us in regular contact with British citizens. Most of them worked for Airbus.
A Unique Program
Our four boys were enrolled in a public French school that had a “British Section” for bi-lingual children. It was a program subsidized by the Airbus industry to aid English-speaking families working in the region. This unique program allowed their children to remain completely fluent in English while still learning French and integrating into the national educational system.
Our boys were American, and we spoke American English at home. On the other hand, all of their English teachers at school were British—not American. As a result, our children learned British English, not American English.
A Drastic Difference!
I first discovered the drastic difference between British and American English when I first taught English in a high school in the south of France. This particular high school had only had British English teachers. I was the first American to teach at their high school through the Fulbright Teaching Fellowship.
From my first day of work, the administration informed me that I was to teach the students British English, not American English.
“I am not British,” I told the school director. “I am an American. I speak American English. I have been sent here by the U.S. Government.”
Hours were spent trying to learn British vocabulary and how to tell time. I practiced and then taught, “Half past two” rather than “2:30.” It was a challenge.
There are many differences in vocabulary and expressions between the two languages. They are truly TWO DIFFERENT languages!
This became a reality in our home when our boys would walk through the door from school speaking with a British accent and using British English vocabulary.
Strange Words in Our Home
They called their friends “mates” and their mother “Mum,” and used “bloody” to emphasize something they were saying. For example, “That was a bloody good football game!”
I can remember David coming home and asking for water from the “tap.”
“Oh, the faucet, you mean,” I answered with a smile.
Then, there was the day when David was doing his homework at the kitchen table. He must have been about six-years-old at the time.
“Mommy, where is my rubber?” he asked.
I burst out laughing, and it took me a moment to realize what he was referring to.
“Oh, you need a pencil eraser, honey?” I asked with a smile.
“No, I need a rubber, Mummy,” David insisted.
“Honey, it’s not a rubber in American English. It’s an eraser.”
I explained to my son that we use different words for certain objects in the United States and in England.
At home, David had an “eraser” at the end of his pencil. At school, he had a “rubber” at the end of his pencil.
This can be quite confusing for a child in the first grade!
A Funny Story . . .
This reminded me of a story that I once heard from a friend.
A British man went to the U.S. to work for an American company. On the first day of his new job, he went into the company director’s office and asked where he could find some rubbers. This was shocking to the American businessman! His reaction was shocking to the British man!
They eventually figured out the language barrier and laughed about it. The new British employee needed pencil erasers—not condoms! Whew!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Are you ready to go to the U.K. to explore some more!?
Let’s Weave Cultures!
Have you ever had to correct a child or someone you know when they used a word that was inappropriate in certain places or contexts? The word was correct, but not in that situation?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
