Mondays are a great day to post language and cultural bloopers. We need a lot more laughter to get us through the day! Enjoy a dose of “Cultural Craziness”! Hopefully, these bloopers make you smile as much as they do me. 🙂
Living with a non-native English speaker is filled with fun and laughter. In our home, we live “across languages,” “across cultures,” and “across borders.” It is fun and highly recommended!
The other night, Vincent had prepared a nice dinner for us, and we were all gathering at the dining room table.
He wasn’t coming to the table just yet. I could hear him rummaging in the sink, moving around the pile of dirty dishes.
“Where are the thongs?!” he yelled out.
“The thongs?” I answered laughing. “What in the world are you talking about?”
He opened the kitchen drawer and pulled out a pair of tongs. He brought them over to the table to show me.
“Thongs! You know, thongs!” Vincent exclaimed with a bit of frustration in his voice.
By this time, I was laughing hysterically.
“Those are TONGS, not THONGS!” I said.
“Do you know what THONGS are?” I went on to ask Vincent.
By this time, he had realized the humor in the moment.
“Yes, underwear!” he responded with a smile.
“Also, the sandals with the thing that goes between your toes,” I explained.
We laughed together and sat down to enjoy our meal.
What Kind of Blooper is This?
Now, we have to ask ourselves—is this a vocabulary blooper or a pronunciation blooper?
In the French language, there is no “th” sound as in English. For example, thé (tea) is pronounced “tay” in French. The name “Théodore” is prounounced “Tayodore.”
Maybe in the end, Vincent has become “over-Anglicized” in his pronunciation—thinking now, that every “t” is pronounced “th”!
In any case, don’t go hunting for a pair of thongs in the kitchen sink! You probably won’t find them.
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Avoid language bloopers! If you want to start learning a foreign language and work on your pronunciation before hitting the ground, try Rosetta Stone—in French, Spanish, and many other languages.
Before arriving in Morocco, our family—even our kids— used this highly recommended language learning program to learn Arabic. We loved it! It didn’t spare us from ALL language mistakes and bloopers, but it certainly helped!
For more cultural bloopers, laughter, and entertainment . . . read Do’s and Taboos Around the World.
Let’s Weave Cultures!
What language and cultural bloopers have you made? Tell us your funny (and “not so funny”) stories.
How do you keep a humble attitude while learning a new language and culture? How do you respond when people laugh at you when you are learning a foreign language?
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.
My own blooper was saying in a boisterous voice at the dinner table with friends, I”m stuffed,” having had my fill. Uproareous Laughter ensued, because in Aussie land, as in England, it means, “I’m shagged!” Shagged you say? What is that? Take a wild guess!
That’s hilarious! Does “shagged” mean “I’m pregnant”? I’m “knocked up”? 🙂 Or something else?
Hilarious. I love it–over-Anglicized in his pronunciation. Well, you can’t blame a person. If you’ve mastered it, you should celebrate it at every turn!
Oh, we certainly celebrate it at our house—with lots of laughter and fun! 🙂
I remember laughing with my friend from Columbia while he struggled with the “th” sound, trying to pronounce tooth and teeth. It came out more like “thooth” and “theeth” and he was spitting everywhere!
That is so funny! Hopefully you weren’t standing too close to him! 🙂
It reminds me of teaching English in France. The students would really struggle with pronouncing the “th.” I would always tell them to stick out their tongues, then pull them back in quickly, while saying “th.” We would sometimes practice in front of a mirror. I loved watching them stick their tongues out at me and their fellow classmates.