Have you ever had people laugh when you tried to speak their language. I have.
What makes others laugh at me?
The South Korean flag.
I want to a lot of trouble to find the Korean words for thank you. However, when I say thank you in Korean on leaving a restaurant, three members of staff burst out laughing. The same in the next restaurant. And the next. What has gone wrong?
Koreans laughed in a restaurant when I tried to say thank you in Korean, which is staccato. I was unaware that my sing-song British accent was what amused them.
I thought I had accidentally said a swear word. I returned from Korea haunted by the fear.
Eventually I had tea with a Japanese friend in Singapore. I askedI
"Do you speak Korean?"
"No. Yes. Only few words."
"I said thank you in Korean and that made them laugh. Do you know why?"
"Ah yes. Japanese is (the) same. Staccato - every syllable - (the) same intonation. You speak like singing."
"Sing-song?"
"You don't mind I tell you."
"Not at all. I am very pleased to know the answer. Very relieved. I thought I had accidentally said a rude word."
What makes me laugh?
The Welsh accent.
Marilyn Monroe said, 'If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything. "
I am not sure about that. It didn't work when a man was having a lovely laughing conversation with me on the phone. Then he started trying to chat me up in a Welsh accent.
I love the Welsh accent. It's friendly. It's funny. It makes me laugh with delight. Perfect for being friendly with a stranger and telling jokes.
But it didn't fit the seriousness of an anxious romantic proposal. A man trying to impress me.
Humorous Accents I can make Asians laugh when I put on different accents in English including the Scottish and Welsh accents.
For years I have been trying to make people laugh, without success. At last I have found the answer. When people laugh at you, use that in a humorous speech.
Practise Intonation The moral for travellers using other languages to be polite is:
Don't just learn the phrase from a book.
Repeat it to anybody, the hotel receptionist, the waiter, so you get the accent right before you start saying it to strangers.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
What makes others laugh at me?
The South Korean flag.
I want to a lot of trouble to find the Korean words for thank you. However, when I say thank you in Korean on leaving a restaurant, three members of staff burst out laughing. The same in the next restaurant. And the next. What has gone wrong?
Koreans laughed in a restaurant when I tried to say thank you in Korean, which is staccato. I was unaware that my sing-song British accent was what amused them.
I thought I had accidentally said a swear word. I returned from Korea haunted by the fear.
Eventually I had tea with a Japanese friend in Singapore. I askedI
"Do you speak Korean?"
"No. Yes. Only few words."
"I said thank you in Korean and that made them laugh. Do you know why?"
"Ah yes. Japanese is (the) same. Staccato - every syllable - (the) same intonation. You speak like singing."
"Sing-song?"
"You don't mind I tell you."
"Not at all. I am very pleased to know the answer. Very relieved. I thought I had accidentally said a rude word."
What makes me laugh?
The Welsh Flag
The Welsh accent.
Marilyn Monroe. Photo public domain in Wikipedia.
I am not sure about that. It didn't work when a man was having a lovely laughing conversation with me on the phone. Then he started trying to chat me up in a Welsh accent.
I love the Welsh accent. It's friendly. It's funny. It makes me laugh with delight. Perfect for being friendly with a stranger and telling jokes.
But it didn't fit the seriousness of an anxious romantic proposal. A man trying to impress me.
Humorous Accents I can make Asians laugh when I put on different accents in English including the Scottish and Welsh accents.
For years I have been trying to make people laugh, without success. At last I have found the answer. When people laugh at you, use that in a humorous speech.
Practise Intonation The moral for travellers using other languages to be polite is:
Don't just learn the phrase from a book.
Repeat it to anybody, the hotel receptionist, the waiter, so you get the accent right before you start saying it to strangers.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
No comments:
Post a Comment