This "The horror of Horace" might be one of the best things I have read the last couple of weeks, no months actually. It is a sarcastically written piece in the debate back in Sweden of when children should start to learn English in school. Currently I think it is 9 years of age, I was 10 years old when I first started saying "hello, my name is ..." and "it's raining cats and dogs outside" and the question is now if the children should be even younger. (Note; school starts when you're 6 years old... and it's been suggested that children should start English at the same time as Swedish. The people opposing this states that most research indicates that it is best for a child to know their native language well before learning a new one... whichever category you may be in, I am in the "not at the same time as Swedish corner" since I think the article is pretty much spot on how many people actually come off as to me.... when it comes to English and word knowledge etc.)
The whole thing can be summarized fairly well in the title: Many Swedes say that we Swedes are not so good in English as we self believe. But they who say so are not so good in English themselves,
It would be up until I was visiting the UK as a teenager when I found out exactly how hard it is to get certain things right. And today, in my everyday life as "living in the English speaking country as I do", I still have horrendous problems. Three things stand out (to me at least, I probably have more problems than those, but those are the most obvious ones). Prepositions, like "in room temperature" or "at room temperature".
Then there are the "proverbs/sayings", ordspråk in Swedish - the thing that is called "wordspeech" in the article (somewhere here was when I started laughing when I read the thing). "Water on a duck" (it's a goose where I come from) or "better safe than sorry" (nothing like that at all) or "the gaggle of geese" and a "school of fish" (the last isn't really the same, but sort of and there are geese...).
And the last one, the adverbs.... when it is well and when it is good? When can I say poorly and when is it poor. Sometimes I do remember the rules and how they were told, but most of the times I just go with what ever feels right. (And we all know where that may lead us? Into the article or lots and lots of "so" (så), which is so (sic!) nice in Swedish... not as much in English.)
I wonder though, if it is as funny in English as it is when you can see the Swedish behind it? Does it look only like a person not knowing English at all has written something crazy and wierd? Or does it have some charm to it? If you dear native English speakers could give me a hint if it is funny for others than this Swede or if it is just another example of peculiar humour..... ;)
...and if someone can tell me the proper proverb/saying for "it shall be bent in time, what crooked shall be" as mentioned in the article, I will be VERY happy. Maybe something with "sooner rather than later?" but it doesn't quite capture the actual thing...
5 comments:
That is hilarious. (SURELY it's Swedish translated through the internet not an actual Swede writing English? It's almost too good!).
I'm English speaking but I do work with some Swedish collaborators and have spent a couple of multi-week periods in Sweden, enough that "jag tala lite Svenska" and to get familiar with some of the Swedish-constructions that come through into their (usually excellent) English. English must be a horror of a language to learn BUT it makes SENSE even when it's seriously ungrammatical and fragmented, thank heavens.
I think an early start on languages is great, but I also think that Swedish kids get that - English on TV or radio is subtitled or played with following translation, English pop music is played, English phrases are used in adverts - there's plenty of exposure (I was amused so much that my lab mates during my visit chatted in Swedish but swore in English when something went wrong!)
Jane> :) I do think it is an actual person, although I am sure it is written extra poorly for sarcastic effect. It's very simple to write it like that though, just translating the words as they are and then you hope that the English speaking person understands...
I remember when my whole class talked about "going to the gymnasium" when it really should be "going to high school", one of those false friends.
Oh, got side tracked. Anyway, you know a bit of the Swedish and can see the words behind it?! but since you agree with me tht it's fun I'll hope that everyone looooves it :D
I'm almost always impressed by non-native English speakers' command of the language. I agree students should learn their own language first, but maybe there is data somewhere to back that up. I know locally there are a lot of charter schools that start kindergarten students off with Spanish immersion. English is taught like just another subject, with all subjects being in Spanish. Given how many people complain about poor reading and writing skills in Americans I wonder if this is really a good idea, but maybe it will have no effect. I can't imagine trying to learn English as a second language, it does not seem half as intuitive as any of the other languages I have studied. But then there is also a distinct advantage in that so many people speak English, and especially in America there are so many people speaking it as a second language, that extreme butchery(is that a word?) of the language is still well understood. So I'd say there's no need for foreign countries to learn English sooner as I'd like to think if it's going to become "the international language" it should also be a tolerant language that doesn't expect non-native speakers to get it down perfectly. In fact I sometimes enjoy when someone's turn of phrase is so unlike how a native speaker would phrase it, it can really make things interesting.
Heh! That was funny. Very well done. I wonder if the "bent in time" proverb is a joke too?
Prepositions are indeed a nightmare for non-native speakers, in English anyway. I have one French-Canadian colleague who speaks and writes almost perfect English... except for the prepositions!
FrauTech: I think English is fairly simple for swedes, as in you can move the words around in a sentence somewhat (you can do that a lot in Swedish), I mena compared to German... then again, I might not remember learning English as much as I remember the other languages I have tried to master.
The argument that you "can get by with a poor English" is true although it is very annoying to be like a 5 year old andnot being able to tell exactly what you mean but rather something almost there.....
Cath: the "Bent in time" proverb is used in Swedish. "It has to be bent in time to become crooked later on" and I have NO idea on what to "translate it" to. If you have any on "it's better to start early so they learn right" or something like that?!
I officially hate prepositions ;)
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