Some interesting stuff from today’s English language lecture:

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All languages are EQUAL. Ultimately you want to express the same meaning, no matter what way you put it – all languages have the power to do that. Look at the example below about drinking tea:

ENGLISH

The Mandarin one doesn’t sound right in a direct English translation right? But who cares! You’re still being asked if you want to drink tea!

Similarly, the Mandarin one wouldn’t sound right if you phrased it in the grammatical order usually taken by the English language.

ENGLISH
Do you drink tea?

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Suspend the belief that the English language is pure! English is derived from both the Germanic and Romantic/Latin family

Some examples:

Romantic / Germanic

Some of the words that seem more “flowery” are used by certain groups of people, for example the French and the Italians. This is not due to the fact that the command of their English vocabulary is “better” that others, but by the fact that French and Italian also belong to the Romantic/Latin family, hence it is more natural for them to speak this way. Likewise, speakers of languages belonging to the Germanic tradition are likely to feel more comfortable using the words in the Germanic tradition.


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One computer mouse, two …?

One Walkman, two …?

Today I baby-sit, yesterday I …?

(Not from the lecture) Today I shit, yesterday I…?

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Our lecturer Dr Madelena told us this story.

The British like to use the term “hear-hear” to acknowledge their agreement, so you can hear the Members of Parliament uttering this in the House.

Now, a reporter from the BBC – according to Dr Madelena, is supposed to produce the “best” example of spoken English in the world – covering the event said over the radio: “… and the proposal was hear-heared…”

Past tense of “hear” is “heard”... so right or wrong, or is there no right no wrong?

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From our English Language module textbook

(Cruz-Fereira, Madelena; Abraham, Sunita. The Language of Language: Core Concepts in Linguistic Analysis, Second Edition. Singapore: Prentice Hall, Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd, 2006)

ENGLISH
Camel

SOMALI
Aaran: young camel no longer sucklings
Abeer/Ameer: female camel not yet given birth
Awr: male pack camel
Baarfuran: female camel not used as a pack camel
Dhaan: camel loaded with water vessels

… and some 41 other words to describe other types of camels

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Variations on a theme of ENGLISH

In Australia… “Wanna have a Barbie?” (By the way, a ‘barbie’ means ‘barbecue’)

In America… “I ain’t gonna do nothing.” (You might probably think it should sound, ‘I’m not going to do anything.’)

In Singapore… ooo lots of examples…

“Today don’t have, next time have.” (When you might think that the appropriate way is ‘We have run out of stock today, it’ll probably arrive…’)

“Chicken cannot eat already”
(1) The chicken has turned bad, or something has caused the chicken to become too dangerous to be eaten (e.g. bird flu?) therefore we should not eat it
(2) The (live) chicken has had its fill, therefore it cannot continue eating

“So you like it in Singapore, is it?”
Gahmen probably asks you to say:
(1) ‘Do you like Singapore?’
(2) ‘Which aspect of Singapore do you like?’
(3) ‘Was your stay in Singapore enjoyable?’
(4) ‘How do you find it here (in Singapore)?’
And et cetera, et cetera…

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Languages must be appropriately used – be warned… never mix formal with the informal…

“Ladies and gentlemen, the President will now address the meeting. So shut up.”

“My hubby was deceased.”

“My spouse recently kicked the bucket.”

You have seen (or heard?) it for yourself…