My hovercraft is full of eels

While browsing through the bargain books at Bureau en Gros, I happened across an English phrasebook for French businessmen. Native speakers aren’t necessarily exempt from learning some vital English phrases, so I glanced through it.

To break the ice with co-workers, the phrasebook suggested this question: “Do you enjoy sport?”

Now, while there’s nothing technically wrong with the phrase—it meets all the syntactic rules for a meaningful English sentence—there’s something about it that doesn’t exactly scream “Fluent Speaker!” For one, the question seems to demand if the co-worker enjoys the concept of sport in an abstract sense. And even if it were re-phrased to something like “do you like sports?”, the question is far too general for a good icebreaker. I mean, I understand why phrasebooks would recommend questions affording only “yes” or “no” answers, but surely they could have suggested something more specific. I mean, asking someone if they enjoy sport is like asking them if they like weather.

Anyway, since I’m learning a second language myself, I became a little concerned. What if my sources for learning French are just as bad? Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that making mistakes is part of practicing a new language. In fact, not long ago, in an attempt at cordiality, I held a door open for an old lady with a cane and, instead of uttering a polite “Allez-y” (“Go ahead”), slipped up and said “Allons-y” (“Let’s go!”). I’m not sure if that carries the same connotation in English, which would suggest “Hurry up!”, but still… language mistakes are embarrassing.

Of course, I would never use a phrasebook to help me seriously learn a language. (John Cleese demonstrated the dangers quite nicely some time ago.) But even watching The Simpsons in French could be teaching me a comical accent or unusual phrasings.

I’m, uh, taking a full time French course this Spring. Think it’ll be too late?