English Lessons from 1938

In our last week at the hospital I spent two afternoons giving English lessons to two housekeepers, a gardener and a security guard. They were advanced enough to be working on some of the more complicated parts of speech like pronouns. I have a new found respect for anyone learning English as a second language.... it is the most unnecessarily complicated language, particularly for native Khmer speakers whose language essentially has no grammar at all.

The lesson was relatively well laid out in their readers, so we started ahead. After learning pronouns, we read a little story about Mr. Wealthy and his cornet... followed by another story about Mrs. Priestly and her gay daughter. Did I mention their study book was from 1938? So I say "gay same same happy, joyful, same same" okay, they understand gay in the sense of the story. Now I try to explain to them how gay doesn't have the same meaning anymore and how "gay, same same man loves man". This didn't register quite so easily... so I continued the lessons and told their usual teacher that he needs to tell them in khmer that you can't call someone gay if they look happy one day.

In Cambodia, the ability to speak English open doors to so many opportunities for a better life. I had so much fun teaching them. They had such an earnest desire to learn, it made you really excited to see them excel. Before I left, I picked up a couple of books for beginner students so they could read real stories to practice. Hopefully next time I go back I'll see them working in the office :)