Readers, I owe you an apology. You likely know what I'm talking about if you've read my earlier posts, but let me be explicit. My blog post titled "Lumela, metsoalle" contains a GLARING ERROR. Metsoalle is very clearly the plural form of friends, yet I somehow thought it appropriate to use the singular form of the word lumela. The correct phrase would be: Lumelang, Metsoalle. I'm sorry.
But it's a been a great while since I last posted, and you are no doubt wondering what I am up to other than embarrassing my family, friends, and the United States of America with my baby talk Sesotho.
Well, it so happens that not only do I not know Sesotho very well, I also am not all that good at English. I discovered this on our visit to one of Lesotho's flagship private schools a few weeks ago. I briefly sat in on a Standard 6 (standard = grade) English lesson and found myself sitting in the back of the class, trying to figure out what was going on. The day's lesson was on occupations. On the board was written:
- Caddie: a golfer's helper
- Fishmonger: one who sells fish
- Fruiterer: one who sells fruit
- Milliner: maker and seller of woman's hats
I was familiar with the first three, had never heard of the fourth, and was hunched over my notebook, praying that I would not be asked to define for the class the word "stevedore." I imagined the teacher calling on me: "Yes, our visitor, perhaps you can tell us what this one means." I would shake my head, and the teacher would, incredulously, ask: "A stevedore? You know, one who loads and unloads ships? Where did you say you got your English degree again?"
All things considered, it was a nice reminder that while I am here to teach English and learn Sesotho, we all have a bit more we can learn.
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