A beer from the fridge, some evening sunshine, and a dip in the river... couldn't be better!
Besserwisser
6 years ago
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Zuritaliano - strano aber lustig
I always feel that taking public transport enables you to experience more real culture than traipsing around museums for hours on end with an audio guide stuck in your ears. I also love food shopping (as long as there are free nibbles to try, bargains and not too many people).
Now when I get on my number 78 bus (which on Sundays takes a detour up to the cemetery; I’m not living in the youngest, hippest of areas), I take of my IPod and try to gauge some conversation. Initially I did this because ear-wigging is a great way to improve your language skills. The language I heard, however, was not German. It wasn’t really Swiss German either. It is a curious mixture of Italian and Swiss German, spoken as seamlessly as is possible when merging one of the world’s most beautiful languages with one of the worlds, erm, phlegmy.
The discovery of this language has hence transformed my trips to the supermarket. My Italian is better (as in more correct) than my German (which I have picked up from hearing it rather than learning it, so my grammar is guesswork), so these hybrid citizens are doing half the work for me. It’s great!
I am pretty sure that this language has not been documented at all (you saw it here first!), but it really exists; there appears to be no real pattern, other than the fact the German ‘little’ words, such as tag-questions, yes-no words and question words. It is really fascinating to listen to. Italians would probably cry if they heard the morphed dialect of their melodic language, and the Swiss probably moan about it not being Swiss!
It feels a little like I have discovered a secret society speaking in a secret code…
Now when I get on my number 78 bus (which on Sundays takes a detour up to the cemetery; I’m not living in the youngest, hippest of areas), I take of my IPod and try to gauge some conversation. Initially I did this because ear-wigging is a great way to improve your language skills. The language I heard, however, was not German. It wasn’t really Swiss German either. It is a curious mixture of Italian and Swiss German, spoken as seamlessly as is possible when merging one of the world’s most beautiful languages with one of the worlds, erm, phlegmy.
The discovery of this language has hence transformed my trips to the supermarket. My Italian is better (as in more correct) than my German (which I have picked up from hearing it rather than learning it, so my grammar is guesswork), so these hybrid citizens are doing half the work for me. It’s great!
I am pretty sure that this language has not been documented at all (you saw it here first!), but it really exists; there appears to be no real pattern, other than the fact the German ‘little’ words, such as tag-questions, yes-no words and question words. It is really fascinating to listen to. Italians would probably cry if they heard the morphed dialect of their melodic language, and the Swiss probably moan about it not being Swiss!
It feels a little like I have discovered a secret society speaking in a secret code…
Monday, 6 July 2009
The Streets TEFL it up
TEFL-ing it up in a hideously embarrassing manner
Saw The Streets a week or so ago. That’s right, you know them; the guys who are actually from Birmingham but sing in Estuary English as if they are just writing songs when they’re not on set for Eastenders. They were performing at St Gallen Open Air, the probably better organised, more efficient version of Glastonbury. No less wet.
If you’re a fan of The Streets, I imagine you understand the lyrics. Otherwise it would sound like some stoned English man droning on about something you don’t understand. Mike Skinner failed to realise this while performing in front of the predominantly linguistically talented Swiss audience. Apart from the fact he almost had everyone doing a Nazi salute and shouting ‘ja’ (I think he was just too stupid to realise this was what he was doing and I honestly don’t think it was his intention), he spoke to the audience as if they were in beginner’s English class, beginner’s English class for the kids with special needs. Like no ears. Or no mouth. Those kind of special needs.
He wanted to find out if the crowd were happy that it had finally stopped pissing it down and that the sun had finally got its hat on and come out to play. Which was a bit of a stupid question to ask. So he shouts into his microphone (we all know shouting helps understanding in a foreign tongue), he makes a smile shape with his hands, he shouts “Are you H-A-P-P-Y (another smile gesture), now (pointing to floor with both hands; you know the drill) the rain (you know where this is going; rain hands) has stopped (cut the air to indicate stopping)? And, even more cringe-worthy was that he didn’t think they had understood the first time, so he repeated the question, TEFL-ing it up even more the second time.
It was truly hideously embarrassing. I thought it was just the old who were rubbish at communicating with foreigners; it appears that most Brits just don’t get it. He’s from Birmingham too, so he should be used to it! Brits who are allowed to leave the country to represent the UK in some way should be given a quick lesson on intercultural communication, and perhaps taught that just because you’re a foreigner, you’re not special needs!!!
Saw The Streets a week or so ago. That’s right, you know them; the guys who are actually from Birmingham but sing in Estuary English as if they are just writing songs when they’re not on set for Eastenders. They were performing at St Gallen Open Air, the probably better organised, more efficient version of Glastonbury. No less wet.
If you’re a fan of The Streets, I imagine you understand the lyrics. Otherwise it would sound like some stoned English man droning on about something you don’t understand. Mike Skinner failed to realise this while performing in front of the predominantly linguistically talented Swiss audience. Apart from the fact he almost had everyone doing a Nazi salute and shouting ‘ja’ (I think he was just too stupid to realise this was what he was doing and I honestly don’t think it was his intention), he spoke to the audience as if they were in beginner’s English class, beginner’s English class for the kids with special needs. Like no ears. Or no mouth. Those kind of special needs.
He wanted to find out if the crowd were happy that it had finally stopped pissing it down and that the sun had finally got its hat on and come out to play. Which was a bit of a stupid question to ask. So he shouts into his microphone (we all know shouting helps understanding in a foreign tongue), he makes a smile shape with his hands, he shouts “Are you H-A-P-P-Y (another smile gesture), now (pointing to floor with both hands; you know the drill) the rain (you know where this is going; rain hands) has stopped (cut the air to indicate stopping)? And, even more cringe-worthy was that he didn’t think they had understood the first time, so he repeated the question, TEFL-ing it up even more the second time.
It was truly hideously embarrassing. I thought it was just the old who were rubbish at communicating with foreigners; it appears that most Brits just don’t get it. He’s from Birmingham too, so he should be used to it! Brits who are allowed to leave the country to represent the UK in some way should be given a quick lesson on intercultural communication, and perhaps taught that just because you’re a foreigner, you’re not special needs!!!
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