English as a Second Language

So there's this new scene design grad student at Temple. Me Joo. She's Korean. She's never done scene design before, but she's a completely amazing artist. She came to the US in April. She spoke no English. She entered grad school in August. This is way more courage than I have.
She's also never done carpentry before, and has had to learn everything in the shop. She's really quick. I suspect that if her English was better it would be more obvious that she's really, really smart.
So we have a lot of fun in the shop teaching Me Joo new words as they come up in conversation.
An incomplete list of words I have taught/seen taught to Me Joo:
Cheesy
Bugger
Substantial (As in, "Our complaints were substantial." Try teaching that to someone who doesn't know the word "substance.")
Transparent (As in, "His motives are transparent.")
Honky ("Me Joo, never use this with someone you don't know.")
Enamel
Animal
Plane (As in flat surface)
Plane (As in tool for making a flat surface flatter)
and, in one memorable afternoon,
Snickers (the candy bar)
Sneakers (the shoes)
to snicker
to sneak
ass (can be applied to donkey or butt)
donkey (can be applied to ass, but not butt)

This is a lot more fun than it sounds like. I'm definitely looking forward to next semester with Me Joo in the shop.

posted by K @ 12/19/2005 01:23:00 PM