“Language is the source of misunderstandings.”
from Le Petit Prince, by Antoine de Saunt-Exupéry
I always felt German was a hard language to learn – much harder than French, my first foreign language at school – but I do understand that the English language has its problems too…
Here are some sentences found, oh goodness knows where, many years ago, that I sometimes show to my students to console them when they have difficulties!
- The farm was used to produce produce.
- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
- Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
- I did not object to the object.
- There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
- They were too close to the door to close it.
- The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
- After a number of injections my jaw got number.
- I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
And then there’s these:
- The chicken is ready to eat.
- Visiting relatives can be boring.
- They are cooking apples.
- They are hunting dogs.
- We saw her duck.
- He ate the cookies in the kitchen.
- Mine exploded.
- I know a man with a dog who has fleas.
😀
Who says English is easy?!
Oh we think it is easy…I remember those sentences when teaching elementary language to my students…I dare to say many who speak English would have a problem with them.
You’re right! Leading to many misunderstandings!
Oh, these are too funny. Loved all of them. I did not know that you are a teacher. Good for you. Teachers are wonderful.
Thank you! My students tend not to laugh, but to groan!
Mmh: Tho’ European-born, I must have lived too long in a basically English-speaking country!! I can manage about 4-5 languages only : I suppose English is the one I use most. I cannot understand one single solitary reason why any in the second column should provide difficulty! Please explain!! In the first list given: as long as a newcomer to English knows a word may have more than one meaning [as in most other tongues!]: why is there a difficulty with any? Exactly where does any problem lie : D ?
In column one, the pronunciation difference (stress on syllables) between nouns and verbs/adjectives causes problems (to native speakers too!). In column two, there is always a second meaning… Read them again! 😉
Yes, of course there is a ‘second’ meaning! There always is!! Surely one uses logic and/or finds out more about the language? 😀 ! It still means having a certain amount of ‘experience’ in a language 🙂 ! And indeed I am only fluent in about four!!!!!
In der 2. Spalte wären saw + mine deutsche Teekesselchen (wir sprachen schon mal darüber) 🙂 Es darf nur ein Wort sein und ist häufig ein Substantiv ~ aber Verben gehen auch 😉 Have a nice Winter-Weekend! Uta
I still haven’t played that game! Hope you have a good weekend too, Uta!
I loved this! I know quite a few people who have studied English as a second (or third or fourth…) language, and I can sympathize with the pain of trying to sort all of this wackiness out! It’s not easy! 🙂
I think the double meanings of some English words are hard too… I learned today that a pasty is something completely different on your side of the Atlantic to the British, i.e. a pastry pie! 😉
Exactly.
This is a terrific post, Cathy, and I love the quote from The Little Prince. I also agree with you on the German–I think it’s a very difficult language to learn!
Thanks Robin – I think I’m fluent and then someone says something in Bavarian dialect and I’m lost again! LOL!
Yes, the quote from “Le Petit Prince” surely is very true. My school English isn´t so good to
perceive the pronunciation differences, but reading once more I`m able to catch the different meanings in column two.
Have a nice Sunday, Cathy. I`m longing for some sun…
Thanks Elisabeth – the sun is trying its best to come through the clouds… hope it makes it! 😀
I work with a few men from India. They find the American English language (and culture) a bit confusing,
Yes, it must be very hard at times for them. The differences between American and British English are not given enough attention!
Oh what fun Cathy. I enjoyed your examples especially the second batch. I certainly admire my Italian mother for getting to grips with the English language 🙂
😀 It can take years to really understand a language!
How funny! I think learning a foreign language is always tricky when you don´t have a good native speaker as a teacher. Otherwise you sometimes learn words or expressions that are probably never used by native speakers or are impolite.
I’ve seen some terrible misleading examples of English in school books… 😉
I now have the basis for my next English class 🙂 Thank you, great post
Glad you can use it – if you need any particular stuff for classes let me know! 😀