Unlikely Links to Language Learning
I always ask myself one question while consuming media: Could I use this in class?
Recently, I found myself answering in the affirmative while watching The Gentlemen’s Gazette, a men’s fashion channel on YouTube. The founder and host, Sven Raphael Schneider, was presenting a standout video:
“Classic, Not Costumey: How To Wear Vintage Goods with Style”
Here Schneider provides seven pieces of advice that will help you avoid looking either perennially early or late for Halloween.
Aside from helping one avoid a fashion faux pas, these tips are also useful for English language learners.
1. Don’t wear a costume
Pretending to be a 19th century British aristocrat is going to look and sound ridiculous no matter the medium. Similarly, doing everything you can to deny your actual background is off-putting.
Back when I was in college, a classmate introduced herself as “Anbar” but immediately added “You can call me Amber.” The professor took some umbrage and wondered aloud why she wanted to be addressed in “‘murican.”
Today, I often meet Russian students who insist their names are “Jane” instead of “Evgeniya” or “Mike” instead of “Mikhail.” These efforts to “blend in” appear condescending and immediately add a layer of artifice to the interaction.
2. Be aware of the details
A moderately proficient student asked me once:
Why can’t I just say ‘this is dog’? If we see dog here, It’s obvious.
Students who are flummoxed by articles and prepositions often resort to simply not using them at all. This is a mistake both in grammar and in strategy: no matter how sophisticated your ideas are, you will, fairly or not, sound stupid to those who are proficient in English if you disregard these essential parts of the language.
Putting in the effort to understand how English operates distinctly from your L1 is non-negotiable.
3. Combine vintage and modern pieces
One student who finished her in-class task early asked me what “On fleek” meant. I was taken aback and before answering, I asked her where she’d heard it.
“I follow an account called Corgis on Fleek,” she said.
Keeping up with slang and neologisms that won’t go away is a must for students who are primarily interested in speaking with younger users of English, even more so if they are extremely or even moderately online.
Unfortunately, many students try to fit square idioms into modern conversation. In St. Petersburg, Russia, it’s always “raining cats and dogs,” and homework hasn’t been done because the student is a “couch potato” or “lazy bones.” While it’s important to know these phrases, your fluency and ease in interacting with others will be better served by learning more modern language.
4. Know about the “cumulative costume effect” of accessories
This tip is a nice companion to the previous one. Dropping too many exclusively online terms or digging deep for esoteric idioms won’t make you sound fluent: it will make you sound like a dork.
This strategy is actually recommended by some language instructors. I met an aspiring IELTS test taker once who described her weekends thusly:
In Russia we are often working like a dog, so we want to let off steam at the weekend. Russian women, who are often dressed to kill, like to let their hair down while painting the town red.
Yeesh.
5. Keep the dress code in mind
This tip is a mainstay in classrooms and for good reason. Register, or the level of formality used, matters. Whether the genre is letter/email writing, performing well in an interview, or simply joining a conversation while out, it’s key to contribute language that’s not out of place.
Some learners confuse “formal” for “correct” and “informal” for “uneducated/low class.” This mixup suggests a larger cultural problem both from the learner’s L1 background and how language is taught more generally. Instructors and learners need to establish a humanistic foundation for learning a foreign language.
6. Practice inspiration, not duplication
America is famously divided over what to call a sweet, carbonated drink. I always teach “soda,” “pop,” and “Coke” to students, explaining how these are mutually intelligible to Americans of all stripes, but that you’re free to choose whether you want to adopt the coastal, midwestern, or Southern option for yourself.
However, trying to 100% imitate another speaker is a recipe for disaster. Even great actors don’t do this — they take inspiration and use their creativity to establish a character.
7. Be confident “If you can’t wear it confidently…”
People aren’t speaking with you just to judge you harshly. We use language in order to share our thoughts and feelings, to build and sustain relationships, and to create new things in the world.
Approaching language acquisition and use with sincerity and a bit of humility will go a long way towards making you both an effective and likable interlocutor.
That’s a look that’s always in style.
