Linguistic Interference and the Comparison of the English in Immersion and in Classroom

Linguistic Interference

The 23rd of October, we finished the papier-mâché that we started a week before. In the middle of doing my mask, I started a conversation with the new volunteer, named Grace. Then, she asked me how we made the papier-mâché.

Me: We used water and arena.

Grace: Did you just talk in your language?

Me: Oh! I mean flour.

This is not the only time I use the word arena instead of flour. For some reason, I always and always use this word to say flour.

The English in Internship and in Classroom

In classroom, I observed that we focus more in understanding the grammar but being in a language immersion, grammar is not necessary, as long as people around you understand what you are saying whether it is in good grammar or not, the conversation goes on. This does not mean I will not improve my English, because the more chances I have to practice the language I am learning, the easier I will progress. I also learn new vocabulary with talking to someone and sometimes it is easy to remember a new vocabulary we just heard or learned from a funny context.

New words, Expressions or Structures

Our activity yesterday was pumpkin carving, I have been in Montreal for a while but I never had the chance to do it, but yesterday I had the chance to experience it. Everyone was so busy to figure out how they will carve the pumpkin but thanks to our host internship she explained how we will carve it.  In the middle of the explanation, one of the senior said "what we are going to use as a smock?" and Sonia responded to her by saying "we can use brown paper as bib so we don’t dirty our clothes".

 Listening to this conversation made me wonder what are the words smock and bib. After our activity, I went to ask Sonia about it and she explained it to me and Arina, what these two words are, by giving us some examples. For the word smock she said that it is often worn to protect the clothes, just like an apron. While the word bib, she said, is what the babies wear around their neck before feeding them. These two new words that I learned will help me be more  specific for describing stuff instead of just using the word apron every time.

                                                                                          

My Interactions in English and Culture

The interactions I’ve had in English and what I learned from them

From my arrival in the social club our host internship was about to go out to buy some milk. Before leaving, she asked me to look out for everything while she was out. All of a sudden, a new volunteer went in and asked for our host internship. In the same time, the seniors were doing their yoga class and I completely forgot that we are not allowed to make a lot of noise during their yoga class.

New Volunteer: Hi! Are you Sonia?

Me: You are looking for Sonia?

New Volunteer: Yes!

Me: Are you a new volunteer? She is not here on the moment, but she’ll be back soon.

New Volunteer: Ok! Ok!

Yoga Instructor: Could you please ladies go inside please because we are doing the yoga here.

New Volunteer: Oh, Sorry! Sorry! (She said it while bowing to the yoga instructor.)

I learned that no matter how polite you will say a phrase but with annoyed impression. People will react naturally on what negative impression you have. To conclude, body impression is easy to understand than a phrase intonation.

 Anglophone and Other Culture­­­

 As I wrote on my second blog most of the members of the social club have different nationality. From this small cultural group, I notice that majority of them are always on time and they greet each other by addressing their first name. They show their politeness by admiring other clothes or accessories which is very different from francophone culture; French addresses each other, using Madame or Monsieur.

            Wednesday is probably my best day of the week because of the social club. It is not only informative but also fun. One of the seniors, who always make jokes, does different funny gestures that make us laugh all the time.

From my observation, if there is disagreement, they settle it right away by talking and hearing each other sides and asking opinions from the other members. The joyous part is after the conversation, they sing together as a sign of settlement.

New Words, Expressions or Structures

I was listening to a conversation from the seniors when one of them said, “What in the name of God”, honestly I did not hear the whole sentence because I have trouble understanding her. This expression is not really new for me, I already heard it long time ago but because I never use this expression in a context, I completely forgot about it.

Our host internship gave her comment after the small information and clarification speech that the seniors had. In her second sentence, she said that “I read from a magazine that to bottle up your emotion is not good”.

The moment I heard it, I understand it right away because of the word “not good” which means control and refrain from showing; of emotions, desires. I went to internet and verify it and I found out also that this phrase was not only simple phrase instead it is an idiom.

This expression and idiom that I learned will be useful to express myself in a higher level of English.