Yeah. Explain that to my 4-year-old and 6-year-old. It's a wonder any of us who speak English learned to speak and write properly. (Clearly many did not, but still amazing that anyone did.)
Our language can be rather rough To learn & some say, "That is enough!" They never get to master it And some pupils cannot give a shit.... Thank Goodness I learnt when I was young.... Else I might never have mastered my mother tongue!
For 10 years I taught 5th grade to second language learners -- Spanish being their first language -- and when anyone of them wailed such a question in frustration and despair, I would always reply, "Oh! There's a very good explanation for that!"
The kid would then wail, "What is it?!"
And I would say, "Donkey rhymes with shonkey, but monkey rhymes with funky porque ingles es loco!"
Yeah. Explain that to my 4-year-old and 6-year-old. It's a wonder any of us who speak English learned to speak and write properly. (Clearly many did not, but still amazing that anyone did.)
ReplyDeleteHow anyone learns to spell is a mystery to me!
ReplyDeleteCheers
Crazy language isn't it????
ReplyDeletePS My Peter ToRot posts are happening all next week.
Our language can be rather rough
ReplyDeleteTo learn & some say, "That is enough!"
They never get to master it
And some pupils cannot give a shit....
Thank Goodness I learnt when I was young....
Else I might never have mastered my mother tongue!
For 10 years I taught 5th grade to second language learners -- Spanish being their first language -- and when anyone of them wailed such a question in frustration and despair, I would always reply, "Oh! There's a very good explanation for that!"
ReplyDeleteThe kid would then wail, "What is it?!"
And I would say, "Donkey rhymes with shonkey, but monkey rhymes with funky porque ingles es loco!"
Oh my, I so love Quilly's response! My mom taught ESL and I'm sure her students said the same thing.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
In America, David, donkey and monkey DO rhyme! Ha! :)
ReplyDeleteVery funny post, and I laughed to at quilly's response!
ReplyDeletelovelovelovelovelovelove.
ReplyDeleteshel silverstein?
jack prelutsky?
theodore geisel?
my faves all.