But I most certainly do I don’t relish hearing myself talking like I’m retarded a semi-illiterate nincompoop. Children don’t have this problem, or confident people, who just push on through. Teachers and linguists perennially say that a key problem adults have when learning a new language is self-consciousness, a fear of the blunders. My teachers are used to such mangling and don’t even bat an eyelid, but staff in bars and restaurants in touristy areas, who inevitably have better English than my Italian, do tend to flinch and wince, giving a good idea of my standard Much work and someday you talk pretty.” (Hence the title of the book.) I’m aware that much of my Italian probably sounds like this. I particularly love the way he renders bad student French in English – “That be common for I, also, but be more strong, you. Several of them are concerned Sedaris’ move to France and his efforts to learn French. Been reading David Sedaris’s ‘Me Talk Pretty One Day’ (thanks Marta!), an astute, highly entertaining collection of essays/autobiographical short stories.
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