So let me tell you about something that annoys me in language classes.
Language skills are a good example of Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital, or “non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means.” Many people assume that fluency in another language is indicative of high intelligence, much like being good at math is basically synonymous with genius. Knowing another language certainly helps you get into better colleges and, as I’ve been told, is an asset on the job market.
These days, however, colleges have students learn a foreign language as part of the core requirements, so it’s not that impressive anymore. Even “traditional” western languages like French and Spanish seem passé next to “hip,” difficult languages like Japanese and Arabic. Studying a language isn’t enough anymore. There has to be something else to increase your amount of cultural capital.
In every language class I’ve taken, there is that one student who wrongly assumes that knowing some slang magically equates to thousands and thousands of language-dollars. By immediately displaying this “cultural capital,” the student basically says, “Look at how great I am! I know stuff that isn’t in the textbook–I’m more like a real native speaker than the rest of you dolts.”
More often than not, this display of self-congratulation is prefaced by saying, “I have a [boy]friend who is [from the country where the target language is spoken]. He told me that no one says [whatever stilted expression you just learned]. He and his friends always use [some slang expression]. Sometimes, this is followed-up by a humble-brag, like “I was just wondering what the difference is.”
This bothers me for two reasons:
First, people take language classes to learn the target language. Logically, this means that they will not sound like a native speaker right away–if ever. Stiff, formal greetings will usually serve them well when meeting native speakers. “Hello” is far, far more useful in a non-native speaker’s English vocabulary than “Sup?” It is also very likely that the student’s accent will forever mark him/her as a non-native speaker, so native speakers will make an allowance for somewhat awkward expressions and will even expect them. For example, can you imagine someone with a thick Chinese accent saying, “Hey, man! What is going on?” without contractions and with heavy accentuation of each syllable? Yeah, fail.
Second, WOW! Whoop dee-freakin’-doo! I am so impressed that you know a real, live native speaker…in the flesh! Oh, wait, I’m not. Whenever someone brings up his/her native speaker friend or significant other in introductory language classes, I just think to myself, “Why don’t you just study with your friend then and leave us alone?” I really don’t give a crap about my classmate’s exposure to a real native speaker, and since the rest of the class doesn’t have access to this resource, it’s a huge waste of time to mention it over and over and over again. This is not private one-on-one tutoring with the class instructor, so just shut your mouth and learn the regular expressions like everyone else.
This rant was perhaps prompted by an obnoxious undergrad (“that student”) in my class who thinks s/he is the best language-learner of all time. Since I am greatly motivated by spite, I plan to be the dark-horse and break his/her spirit around mid-semester.
Fiancé-friend and I have discussed this numerous times, but maybe we live in our own cynical world. Does/did this annoy you in language classes?
Those students are THE WORST.
Not only in language classes nor using slangs. There are many bloggers in my country who write their posts in English and try so hard to use “high English” words in order to make their blogs sounded impressive although their English grammar is still bad.
YES! I HATE THOSE STUDENTS!!!
I find it really frustrating when people pull stunts like that in language classes because more often than not it’s just a huge tangent about something useless so ultimately the whole outburst ends up being super disruptive to what we were trying to learn. I really struggle when trying to learn foreign languages so this kind of behavior usually means that instead of being able to ask a question about what we’ve just learned, this diversion takes the class in a different direction and then we never get back to what I wanted to ask about. So then I’m left feeling as confused and frustrated as when I entered the classroom.
I’ve never understood the desire to show off like that. Even my questions, which are usually super mundane and the rest of the class has figured it out ages ago, I tend to keep for office hours or something so that I don’t end up being the person holding others back, etc.
But yea, frustrating!
While the student may be annoying, exposure to the language through friends, family or significant others is probably what got them interested in taking the class and learning more. Yes, they should sit back and absorb for a few weeks before asking questions about comparing specific slang with formal language.
I almost feel bad for the students who know native speakers because class is probably going to kick their ass. My mom and her siblings were born and raised in Germany. German was spoken in my household as a way to keep the kids from knowing what the adults were discussing. When I finally got to to stay with my great grandmother for a summer in Germany I met some kids my age and they taught me what I needed to know to get around the city by myself and communicate with them. Sometimes I didn’t even know what the literal translation exactly was, but I knew saying XYZ helped me get ABC.
Three months later I started college and decided to pursue German instead of the Spanish I’d studied in high school with the goal of becoming fluent. Lord knows I introduced myself that first day in German and told everyone probably 15 times that I’m first gen American on my mom’s side. It all ended up biting me in the ass beause those 4 required language courses killed my GPA and my spirit. Formal German was hard AND when I would try to study with a native speaker we wouldn’t get anywhere because they would just tell me “oh you don’t need to say it like THAT, say it like THIS.” Well “THIS” would cause me to fail oral quizzes and piss off my prof. I didn’t know anyone in class well (prob because I introduced myself like an asshole), so I was stuck reciting German to myself alone in my dorm room.
For a lot of students knowing a native speaker closely IS a big deal to them. It’s what excites them about the language. The annoying person in your class sounds like they could be any annoying kid in any class — showing up and acting like they already know the material. Luckily you’re awesome at languages and this will probably be way more difficult for them than it will be for you and you’ll have the last laugh.
Exactly. I’m pretty sure this person is a freshman or is severely lacking in the social skills department. Every period brings a new display of misunderstanding classroom dynamics. I’ll eventually cut him/her some slack.
Whatever Mica you’re obviously just jealous because you don’t have any way to personally know someone who speaks another language. Oh wait…
When I took German a few years ago we definitely had a heritage speaker who thought his shit don’t stank and I know that he probably got a C or a D in the class. Cocky punk. You will naturally shine through with your ability to learn languages, wish I was taking it with you so we could be the obnoxious grad students to temper the level of obnoxious undergrad!
I have one every semester who seems to know French better than me…
It usually revolves around their pampered entitled ass saying something like “when I was 6 and my French au paire lived with us, she told me that no one really says that anymore.”
Ugh, ditto what Ryan said. THE.WORST. Why can’t they just be obnoxious quietly to themselves?