Memorable Mistakes

We often learn things well when we learn them through humour, and one essential of language learning is to be able to  laugh at yourself and to see the funny side of your limitations and mistakes. Whilst there is no doubt that formal correction can create a memory in the brain, this process is all the more effective if the ambiance of the lesson is conducive to enjoyment of the subject.  Here are a few  language error stories which illustrate the power of laughter for learning:

et/ette and similar French endings

When I went back to French, I often confused words which looked alike but had different endings. Three examples are navet/navette, chausson/chausset, tas/tasse and chiot/chiotte. The results were as follows:

We didn't take the ferry to go to England this time, we took the turnip! (navet = turnip, whereas navette = shuttle).

Could I have two apple socks please? (The French for apple turnover is apple slipper: chausson = slipper; chaussette = sock).

"What can I get you, sir?" "Oh, just a heap of tea, please!" (tas = heap, but tasse = cup).

This last example is almost unrepeatable because it involves a vulgar word for toilet. Let's try it without being too rude!

My wife was looking through some photos of a friend's pets, and on coming to some female puppies innocently said, "Elles sont belles ces chiottes!" In French "chiot" means puppy, but unlike chien/chienne (dog/bitch), there is no feminine version for girl pups. The nearest equivalent in English might be to say, "What a lovely bog!" instead of, "What a lovely dog!"

Needless to say, my wife's friend laughed until she cried! And neither of us has forgotten any of these words.

Obviously, you need to be able to pronounce some of these words to really get the joke, but the important thing is not to take yourself too seriously when learning a language. Have fun with your limitations and mistakes and don't get too frustrated with yourself. Even speaking your mother tongue with a French accent and mixing up the two languages can release your potential. 

When I was doing a lot of public speaking in French, I asked a retired teacher to note down my mistakes so that I could avoid them in future. I made this public knowledge,so that my audience could relax while listening to me, knowing that they didn't have to try to remember my mistakes, because someone else was taking care of them. 

To summarise, launch out and laugh a little; it really will help!