Pronunciation of "Zdravstvyuitye"

[Robert Chandler]

Thank you, Emily, for reintroducing a welcome note of humour into this
discussion!

Best Wishes,

R.




> Hello,
> 
> I feel compelled to differ on the point that ribald or off-color
> mnemonic devices are across the board 100% inappropriate.  It really
> should depend upon the student group and the teacher's discretion.  A
> class of high school students?  Probably best not to mention it.
> British sailors?  It may serve to lighten the mood and produce a
> chuckle.  Learning a language, in my opinion, is first and foremost
> fun.  We do not just use language for cultural edification but also
> for punning and joking with our fellow men (and women).
> 
> So to lighten up this discussion a little I thought I might forward
> along some "mnemonic-esque" devices that go the other way.  Perhaps
> some of you have seen these before as they were circulating around the
> internet a few years ago.  They're not exactly the same thing as the
> donkey device, but close enough to be illustrative of the fun one can
> have with wordplay.
> 
> Emily Saunders
> 
> P.S.  Having taught English to Russians (as I'm sure have many
> SEELANGSovtsy, I can personally vouch for the fact that any question
> beginning "Who is...?" tends to promote snickers -- at least initially
> and then they get over it.
> 
> P.P.S.  My apologies for a few off color words (or implied off color
> words) in the list below.  Getting rid of them would lose the joke.
> The last three may take some puzzling out...
> 
> ***
> 
> Genial Translations - Гениальные Переводы
> Can you hear me?  --- Ты можешь меня здесь?
> Manicure -- Деньги лечат
> I'm just asking. -- Я всего лишь король жоп.
> I have been there. -- У меня там фасоль
> God only knows --- Единственный нос бога
> We are the champions. -- Мы шампиньоны.
> You feel alright? -- Ты справа всех чувствуешь
> Bye bye baby, baby good bye. -- Купи купи ребенка,
> ребенок хорошая покупка
> To be or not to be -- Две пчелы или не две пчелы
> I fell in love. -- Я свалился в любовь.
> Just in case -- Только в портфеле
> Oh, dear -- Ах, олень.
> I saw my honey today. -- Я пилил мой мед сегодня.
> I'm going to make you mine. -- Я иду копать тебе
> шахту.
> May God be with you -- Майская хорошая пчелка с
> тобой.
> Good products -- Бог на стороне уток
> I've just seen your balance sheet -- Видел я ваш
> баланс...так себе баланс
> 
> 
> 
> On Mar 4, 2008, at 12:09 PM, Stephanie Sures wrote:
> 
>> Agreed. It's sloppy. And, dare I suggest...culturally insulting.
>> 
>> When I took my first Introductory Russian course over 5 years ago, we
>> learned words simply by reading and hearing our professor say them.
>> Drills,
>> exercises, role-plays with classmates - with the words exactly as
>> they were
>> written, practising until we could say them in our sleep. There's no
>> reason
>> to lower ourselves to debasing any language with mockery. To do
>> otherwise
>> denotes a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity. Isn't a love of
>> culture
>> partly why we study languages other than our own?
>> 
>> Consider how English speakers would feel if, in the course of
>> teaching ESL
>> to non-English speakers, a phrase in another language was rendered so
>> crudely. I don't think we would stand for it. Wouldn't we be
>> bothered by it?
>> 
>> Stephanie Sures
>> B.A., Russian; Honours Psychology student
>> University of Manitoba, Canada
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>   options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                     http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------