Misunderstandings...

....due to the language barrier, can be downright hysterical to me.

Allow me share.

Before you read, I need to tell you that the younger my students are, the less English they know. Their vocabulary is growing, but these are the phrases they've got down pat (or think they do): "yes", "no thank you", "fine thank you", "excuse me", and "please may I have a drink". When I talk to certain students and they don't know the correct response, sometimes they just spew out one of the previous mentioned phrases, in hopes that it is correct (I mean, I understand why they do this. I do the same thing when I try speaking Russian!) Obviously when they hear a phrase over and over, they begin to remember and repeat it. So my favorites that they can say are "be careful", "be quiet", "listen to Miss Gina", "speak English" and "stop picking your nose". 

(....ok I might be joking about that last one....)

SO, here we go--

Miss Gina: Hello Germon! How are you?

(Germon looks to Nikon for help on this response, Nikon whispers answer to Germon)

Nikon (1st grader): I am sank you! I am sank you!

.....If I were Germon I would not be planning on copying test answers from Nikon anytime soon...

When I talk to Nikon, often his response is "Me no speak big English. Me speak small English, Miss GiNA".  This is just his friendly reminder to me that he is Russian, and does not understand much English. As if I forgot or something...

Miss Gina: Nikon! This box almost fell on me!

Nikon: No, me speak small English. 

Miss Gina: Would you have saved me if the box fell on me?

Nikon: Uhhhh,  no sank you. 

....glad these kids have got my back...

Miss Gina: Venya! How did you get cake crumbs in your hair? 

Venya (1st grader): Ahhhhhhh, Miss GiNA! 

(Venya, thinking that I told him to put cake on his head...proceeds to do so...)

For some some reason while speaking with a 1st grader who has high knowledge of English compared to her comrades, the word "peas" came up in our conversation. Peas as in the little green round vegetable. 

Miss Gina: Olivia, do you know what "peas" are?

Olivia: Yes! I know this!

Miss Gina: What are "peas"

Olivia: Peas..like can I have big peas, can I have small peas. Can I have peas of cake!

.....get it?

Venya: Shtoh compote? (...or something like that. Basically asking me in Russian what flavor was a drink at lunch).

....I honestly had no clue what flavor it was. 

Miss Gina: I do not know the flavor! Smell it, smell it. 

Venya: Melon? This melon? 

Spelling names on the board with 1st graders for fun. Look how mine was spelled by a child:

....close enough! 

3rd Grade

Miss Gina: Raise your hand if you...(before I finished my question...all hands shot up in the air)......eat mud. 

The five kids who understood (or thought they understood) what I said quickly threw their hands down. 

Yana: (to Alena...whose hand was still in the air) Alena! No...she say raise hand if you are MAN!

Sasha (3rd grader): Hello, Miss Gina!!

Miss Gina: Hi Sasha! How are you?

Sasha: I am fine, thank you!

Miss Gina: Are you having a good day?

Sasha: Yes, and you?

Miss Gina: Yes, I am having a good day! What has been your favorite part of today so far?

Sasha: uhhh, ok...I am thinking, 1 minute.......OK, Sunday!!

Miss Gina: Sunday has been your favorite part of today?

Sasha: (with a big smile of accomplishment in the English language) Yes, yes, Sunday! 

Here a couple misunderstandings with the child I give private English lessons to:

Gina: These are my earmuffs. Feel them, they are soft!

Anton: This is a soft?

Gina: (while reading a book) Look at this duck! He is funny!

Anton: (pointing to duck) This is a funny?

OK, now it is time to make fun of myself:

Trying to order a latte in Russian:

Gina: Mozhna latte pajaoolsta. (May I have a latte please)

Cashier: blah blah blah some questions in Russian blah blah blah blah.

Gina: Da, da. (yes, yes)

Cashier: blah blah more questions in Russian seems to be saying do I want this, or this...blah blah blah. 

Gina: Da....uhhh the first one you said...

Cashiers: blah blah repeats one thing she had just said in Russian blah blah

Gina: Da, harasho! (yes, fine!)

....my order cost more money than I thought it should...and my latte came with a cherry pie. What a pleasant surprise. 

Those are just some of the recent misunderstanding I can think of at the moment! 

-Gina

P.S. I'm going to Berlin on Thursday for several days....so stay tuned for a post on that trip! 

AND here is Moscow at 9:30am:

...who turned the lights out!