oe oe fp oe Weber State College Comment, July 1987, page 8 es SSE idioms Make Idiots Of Language Learners by Dr. Jean Swanson H. Andra and playpen, in the house, in the yard. That same toddler soon extends the word to emotional states: in a sulk, in a mood, in love. What a surprise to learn that French does not extend the ‘‘in’’ idea Lucie M. hink for a second about the way we express thoughts and how they sound to a foreigner’s ear. When we learn a new language, an avalanche of words needs to be memorized, mimicked and put together in the right order so we can communicate, read and write in our new language. . But, what happens when you move to a country where they supposedly speak vour newly-acquired language? Yes, You hear the words, words you recognize, but they seem dislocated somehow. Take the word ‘‘pretty’’ for example. You can use it with dangerous, with hard, with nice, and with mad-although there are few who look pretty cute when pretty mad. ‘‘Cute’’ in French is synonymous with ‘‘mignon.’’ Imagine a_ Frenchman’s surprise to learn that a filet mignon is a cute steak. What a fauxpas. Not even its cost is cute. In French students learn that a car, a clock, a motor ‘‘marche’’ or walks. Students sneer, so the question is, what does a watch or acar do inthe U.S.? It runs. Of course we are in the U.S.A. where faster is the rule. Students love these discoveries. A plane lands and takes off, takes off what, its wings? (In French it ‘‘unglues itself’ from the ground.) Are you aware that you ask your friends to ‘drop you on the way?’’ I hope gently. You decide it is time to ‘‘change’’ the baby. Pray tell for what, or into what? And how do you stretch a dollar, and how can a pet be _ house-broken? Sounds like damages to fix. You may be in the dog house, but don’t let your wife catch vou in the cat house. There is such a fine line for the poor beyond the literal level of in the house. 7 French airplanes don’t take-off. They have to ‘‘unglue themselves from the ground.’’ These kinds of idiomatic expressions can cause no end of grief for the poor language learner, say two French instructors. language learner that it is very difficult not to fall into a trap. A French lady, very sensitive about the vulgar translation in French of ‘‘I am full’’ (only cows and other mammals can _ be ‘full’? before giving birth) thanked her hostess with ‘‘I am fed up, thanks.’’ American women also do not know for am done.”’ We ask, ‘‘Rare, medium or well?”’ Much of the difficulty in learning correct expressions in a second language results from the different ways languages build on hidden comparisons. Take, as an example, the use of the English preposition ‘‘in.’’ As toddlers English speakers learn that ‘*in’’? connotes placement within a surrounding physical entity: in the nine whole months if they are preg- nant. ‘‘L.-am-. expecting.’’ French women are sure. In class we ‘‘pass out’’ exams and memos without fainting. ‘‘Left-overs’”’ are to be eaten, but the words do not awaken any kind of appetite. (In. French they are ‘‘remains.’’) Speaking of foods, beans take a beating. ‘‘You don’t care beans about that,’’ and ‘‘I don’t know beans about this myself.’’ Constantly students announce ‘‘I am finished’’ which prompts the reply, ‘‘This was done at birth. You must say ‘I have finished.’’’ They fight, ‘‘Well, I fe Clocks in France time America takes a run, more while in leisurely walk. The French ‘‘belong”’ to a group, they are lovey or love-smitten, but never ‘*in’’ love. English speakers are also surprised at the extent to which French use the idea of possessing implied by the verb “to have.’’ The French are never hungry or thirsty; rather they ‘‘have’’ hunger, thirst, sleepiness, the right or wrong answer, warmth, cold and the years that add up to their age. French, likewise, does not distinguish between “to do’’ and ‘‘to make.’’ The French ‘‘make’’ a great many activities, even the weather makes hot or cold. French people learning English, understandably, have trouble splitting the ‘‘make’’ idea and wind up making the dishes and doing the bed. Every language contains a great number of common sayings and proverbs based on these hidden comparisons. They are used constantly, and knowing such sayings is one of the most important steps toward true fluency in speaking a language. A Frenchman who is especially fickle, for example, has ‘‘an artichoke heart.”’ The saying implies that he has a leaf of affection for every girl who crosses his path. A spendthrift in France is called a ‘‘leaky basket,’’ a gossip does not simply bend your ear, but ‘‘holds your leg.” One language’s way of perceiving and describing the world is as colorful and as valid as another’s. But learning several languages enables a person to view the world in a variety of ways and to compare the truths contained in each culture’s perception of reality. @ Dr. Andra is a professor of foreign language and Madam Swanson is an instructor specialist in the same department. History Not Always Stale some interesting things,’’ he said. America, by tradition, has always been a historically-oriented country, but in today’s world people are losing that base, and Dr. Roberts fears the result could mean more than simply not knowing about the Middle Ages. ‘“‘Those who forget - history are doomed to relive it,’’ said George Santayana. ‘“A country that forgets its history is an amnestic society that has lost all contact,’’ said Dr. Roberts. ‘‘It is without rudder and without bearing.”’ History has shown that nations that have no connection to the past tend to end in ruin, he noted. ‘*T would like to think that a country that can keep its commitments could survive as a major force. We need to be aware, though, that history helps us remember and understand those commitments,’’ Dr. Roberts said. The WSC historian blames materialism and television as two of the biggest deterrents to a general ‘‘A country forgets its history amnestic society has lost all contact. without rudder without bearing.”’ that is an that It is and Dr. Richard Roberts knowledge of yesterday because of the vast amounts of time they absorb. ‘‘We’re getting away from reading. People are now satisfied to look at a documentary or at the news and think they understand the issues. But those programs are quickly done, are biased and are made to catch the public’s eye,’ he said. To acquire a true understanding of world events scholars read a number of historical works for several different perspectives, and then come to their own conclusions. Dr. Roberts suggests the same for the novice. ‘*Historical fictions are popular and are interesting, but they are not indepth and often it’s difficult to tell what is history and what’s fiction,’’ he said. The main benefit of understanding history is not having to re-do what’s already been done. The historically literate knows of previous experiments ana doesn’t waste time repeating mistakes of the past, he said. ‘*Progress is building on what others have done, and if we start out fresh, with no knowledge of what’s already happened it’s like plowing the same ground all over again.’’@ it Seminole Indians, and Anchorage, Alaska was a railroad town. But if travel history is not appealing, Dr. Roberts suggests something a little closer to home--your home. ‘‘There is a lot of interest in family and local histories. Start with the present and work backwards. Begin with those things that are immediately relevant to you. You’ll most likely turn up Chal or many, the study of history whets an appetite for learning like dayold peanut butter on dried-out bread. But a Weber State professor said that history does not have to be stale. Just disguise the learning, said Dr. Richard. Roberts, chairman of the WSC history department, and no one will realize they are learning history until it’s too late. “If you’re going some place on a vacation prepare in advance and learn a little of the history of that place. Every place has a_ history,’’ Dr. Roberts said. ‘‘*A lot of people who travel don’t even know what they are seeing,’’ he added. A Franciscan monk, for example, stopped by a clear, spring well, and noted that the area of what is now Los Angeles looked suitable to support a large group of people. Chicago was originally a trading post, Vancouver a fort, Denver a gold-mining town, Las Vegas was founded, then abandoned by Mormons, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. was built during the war with the