Today, I introduced a new question to my kindergarten class: What do you like to do? This was meant to be a nice little review of the verbs they learned earlier this week (cook and study).
The students were to answer with a simple, I like to... cook. OR I like to... study.
But as teachers commonly encounter, somethings don't always go as planned...
So after teaching them these new phrases, I randomly went around the room asking students to stand and answer the question. They tried to stifle their excitement by sitting up straight, but their hands waved wildly and their bodies wiggled with anticipation.
I called on the first student. "James, what do you like to do?" I asked with as much enthusiasm as a television salesman.
"I like to... cook!" he shouted with passion.
I peeled a red sticker from off the sheet and placed it on his forehead. Kindergartners go CRAZY for stickers. Beaming with achievement, he took his seat, glancing proudly at his peers that had yet to be called upon. A few more students stood and answered with such accuracy it would make a teacher blush. Then, I called on Sophia.
"Sophia, what do you like to do?"
Confidently, she rose from her chair, looked me straight in the eye, and with a smile said, "I like cock!"
The Chinese teacher in the classroom who acts as my interpreter never flinched, but noticed my hesitation. Oh my, I thought, how do I possibly convey the meaning of "cock" to her in the middle of class? You can't blame me for trying. I felt it was important that she knew the students should not say it because of the negative connotation it carries, but I just wasn't successful.
"Megan," she told me, "We are taught to pronounce cook as cuck. Is this not right?"
Finally, I told her, "Juline, cock is a chicken. It does not make sense to say, I like to chicken." This she understood, and explained to the class.
Mission accomplished. Tomorrow, I will yet again tackle another day of English!
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