Svenska Lessons: Week One

Imagine a roomful of people who have at least 9 languages in between them. Now, less than a fourth of them have a smidgen of basic skills. How do you teach this group a new language knowing that there is no unifying language to help them learn new words?

A week into the Swedish course and I've understood a bit more Swedish than I did from watching TV or trying to listen to conversations. While the class still has a heavy cloud of confusion and shyness hanging over us every single day, we're starting to break from our hesitations and fear of speaking in public whilst mangling a language. It's a bit comforting to be in a room with people who share the same mixture of emotions every time a teacher asks you a question you probably half understand.

One of my classmates is Qing Qing, a Chinese girl who loves to laugh and has a bit of a problem with the letter R and L. Grouped with her, a fellow Pinay, and another girl from Iraq, we've been struggling to get our Å's, Ä's, and Ö's right. For Qing Qing, saying the letter R has proven to be one of the most difficult parts of this week's lessons.

Lulubelle's group: Ehrrrrrrr....
Qing Wing: Elllllllllll....
(and the scene goes one)

Another problem that she had was the difference of the Roman calendar and the Chinese lunar calendar.

Lärare (teacher): Vilken månad är du född? (Which month were you born?)
Qing Qing: Jag är född i may. (I was born in May.)
Lärare: Nej.
Qing Qing: Nej?!
Lärare holds up class record
Lärare: Du är född i october. (You were born in October.)

Even though everyone in the class laughed. Qing Qing knew that we weren't laughing at her exactly. It was just nice to know mistakes will be met with good-natured laughter instead of one that scoffs and mocks the other person.

**

We went on a field trip on Wednesday. On the bus, our Thai classmates asked another Asian girl from the school if she was also from Thailand. The girl said she was from the Philippines so our classmates pointed to me and the other Pinay and said we were also from there. This girl then gives us the evil eye, rolls her eyes, and deliberately avoids us kababayans the rest of the trip.

Wow.