Tales of the Academic Husband.
So, okay.
Today, the boy was teaching an English as a Second Language class full of International students--basically instead of being immigrants, they're kids who pay to come and learn in Canada for anywhere from a term to a year, to their entire high school program. Some of you may recall that I used to work as a secretary for this program before I got all knocked up. The kids are from all over the globe, and they come in with varying levels of English, and varying levels of understanding of Western culture. This can sometimes get interesting.
Today, he had them in their ESL support block, where they were doing independent stuff, research, and conversation. As long as it's all in English, that's exactly what they're supposed to be doing. And the Academic Husband, he hangs out in the class on his laptop (typing away for Nano, I should add), and answers questions/helps as needed.
So, the kids are spread out all over the room, and the boy who is a Russian Jew from Israel (I'm not really so sure how that one breaks down, but lets just keep going) was having a chat with the Chinese girls, the newest student in the class being a boy from Saudi Arabia who was beside them. And the kids are chatting, and then the Russian Jewish lad (from Israel) puts up his hand, and asks the boy "what is this 'lesbian' mean?"
You know. As you do.
So, okay. The boy, being the boy, goes up to the board, writes the correct spelling of 'lesbian' on the board, and explains it's derivation from the Isle of Lesbos, and explains that the assumption is that the ladies of said isle were intimate with each other. It is uncertain how much of what he was explaining was understood by the kids, partly because of the lack of English skills, and partly because a lot of them come from very restrictive homes/cultures/upbringing, but he gave it his best shot, and they went on with the class.
... until the three Korean boys over on the other side of the class asked him how to spell 'bestiality'. No, he did not know the context for the question. No, he did not want to ask. Instead, he rolls with it (as he does) and spells it out for them. At which point in his narration to me, the following conversation takes place:
Jay: And as you know--there is no "Beast" in "Bestiality".
The Academic Husband: Buh?
Jay: You know... *spells it out on my chat window for him to see it is spelled--b-e-s-t-i-a-l-i-t-y*
Academic Husband: Huh. It appears that I have educated them incorrectly.
Jay: So the next time you go to that school, you'll have to drop by the class and say 'okay, so kids, when we were talking about bestiality last week, I got something wrong....
Today, the boy was teaching an English as a Second Language class full of International students--basically instead of being immigrants, they're kids who pay to come and learn in Canada for anywhere from a term to a year, to their entire high school program. Some of you may recall that I used to work as a secretary for this program before I got all knocked up. The kids are from all over the globe, and they come in with varying levels of English, and varying levels of understanding of Western culture. This can sometimes get interesting.
Today, he had them in their ESL support block, where they were doing independent stuff, research, and conversation. As long as it's all in English, that's exactly what they're supposed to be doing. And the Academic Husband, he hangs out in the class on his laptop (typing away for Nano, I should add), and answers questions/helps as needed.
So, the kids are spread out all over the room, and the boy who is a Russian Jew from Israel (I'm not really so sure how that one breaks down, but lets just keep going) was having a chat with the Chinese girls, the newest student in the class being a boy from Saudi Arabia who was beside them. And the kids are chatting, and then the Russian Jewish lad (from Israel) puts up his hand, and asks the boy "what is this 'lesbian' mean?"
You know. As you do.
So, okay. The boy, being the boy, goes up to the board, writes the correct spelling of 'lesbian' on the board, and explains it's derivation from the Isle of Lesbos, and explains that the assumption is that the ladies of said isle were intimate with each other. It is uncertain how much of what he was explaining was understood by the kids, partly because of the lack of English skills, and partly because a lot of them come from very restrictive homes/cultures/upbringing, but he gave it his best shot, and they went on with the class.
... until the three Korean boys over on the other side of the class asked him how to spell 'bestiality'. No, he did not know the context for the question. No, he did not want to ask. Instead, he rolls with it (as he does) and spells it out for them. At which point in his narration to me, the following conversation takes place:
Jay: And as you know--there is no "Beast" in "Bestiality".
The Academic Husband: Buh?
Jay: You know... *spells it out on my chat window for him to see it is spelled--b-e-s-t-i-a-l-i-t-y*
Academic Husband: Huh. It appears that I have educated them incorrectly.
Jay: So the next time you go to that school, you'll have to drop by the class and say 'okay, so kids, when we were talking about bestiality last week, I got something wrong....