Foreign-speaking foreigner make a mistake in the English language

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the humorous aspects of language mistakes made by non-native English speakers, particularly in the context of "Engrish" found in various products and advertisements. Participants share examples and express their amusement while also reflecting on the challenges faced by those learning English as a second or third language.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find humor in the mistakes made by non-native speakers, citing specific examples from the Engrish website.
  • Others express sympathy for non-native speakers, acknowledging the difficulty of learning English.
  • One participant notes that English is often used in Japanese advertising more as a design element than for effective communication, suggesting a lack of emphasis on grammatical accuracy.
  • There is a mention of similar practices in American culture, where nonsensical use of foreign characters is employed for aesthetic purposes.
  • Some participants share personal anecdotes related to language mistakes, contributing to the lighthearted tone of the discussion.
  • A later reply questions the correctness of a phrase used in the context of language mistakes, indicating a potential disagreement on language usage norms.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the humorous nature of language mistakes but express differing views on the appropriateness of making fun of these errors. There is also a lack of consensus on the implications of using English as a design element in non-English speaking countries.

Contextual Notes

Some statements reflect personal opinions and experiences, which may not represent broader linguistic or cultural norms. The discussion includes varying levels of understanding about the use of English in different contexts, as well as differing attitudes towards humor in language mistakes.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying language acquisition, cultural communication, or the social implications of language use in advertising.

Bladibla
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I think the website speaks for itself: http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=gentlemen.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2006-04-26"

Read the FAQ for any inqueries on its 'political correctness'
 
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Hilarious! I can't stop giggling whenever I see some silly foreign-speaking foreigner make a mistake in the English language. Cracks me up. Here's a great example:

Bladibla said:
inqueries

You've got to feel sorry for these poor people, whose native language is something other than English, so sad. Look how they struggle with their second or third language, this poor fellow thought "inquiry" was spelled like "query"! :smile: You can't blame him I suppose, I mean it is a terribly hard language to learn, for non-native speakers.

"Inqueries"! Hilarious! :biggrin:
 
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Look at this one:
http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=blood-condensed.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2006-04-20
 
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Rach3 said:
Hilarious! I can't stop giggling whenever I see some silly foreign-speaking foreigner make a mistake in the English language. Cracks me up. Here's a great example:
You've got to feel sorry for these poor people, whose native language is something other than English, so sad. Look how they struggle with their second or third language, this poor fellow thought "inquiry" was spelled like "query"! :smile: You can't blame him I suppose, I mean it is a terribly hard language to learn, for non-native speakers.

"Inqueries"! Hilarious! :biggrin:

+1 for satirical commentary

:smile: :smile:

Now sure, its not nice to make fun of someone just because their english isn't perfect (my chinese certainly isn't), but some of the pictures are funny, just as any failed attempt I make at speaking chinese is bound to sound ridiculous to anyone who actually speaks it. In the words of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs...http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=gods-favored-coffee.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2006-03-16" certainly opens itself up to political and social commentary.
 
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This site is awesome; I've frequented it for around seven years or so now. I especially like the Colonel Sanders figurine that they label "Uncle Sam."
 
Most of the Engrish found on Engrish.com is not an attempt to communicate - English is used as a design element in Japanese products and advertising to give them a modern look and feel (or just to "look cool"). There is often no attempt to try to get it right, nor do the vast majority of the Japanese population (= consumers) ever attempt to read the English design element in question (the girl wearing the "*something*" shirt for example, had no idea what it said until a foreigner pointed it out to her). There is therefore less emphasis on spell checking and grammatical accuracy (note: the same can be said for the addition of Japanese or Chinese characters to hats, shirts and tattoos found in the US or Europe).

Interesting. I'd been told this before(that english was used like that in Japan) but didn't think much of it.
 
Rach3 said:
Hilarious! I can't stop giggling whenever I see some silly foreign-speaking foreigner make a mistake in their use of the English language. Cracks me up.
:biggrin: :-p :wink:
 
English is used as a design element in Japanese products and advertising to give them a modern look and feel (or just to "look cool"). There is often no attempt to try to get it right, nor do the vast majority of the Japanese population (= consumers) ever attempt to read the English design element in question

It's probably not as common, but I know Americans will do the same thing with Japanese and Chinese characters. T-shirts, in particular, will frequently have nonsense characters put together to make it look like the wearer is cultured or elite.
 
One of my mates had a Paul Frank t-shirt with "I'm a stupid American" on the front in Japanese :biggrin:

He taught at a big college in the US :biggrin:
 
  • #10
J77 said:
:biggrin: :-p :wink:

Huh? It's idiomatic and correct. Cf. "I made a mistake in the mathematics".
 
  • #11
Honorablle menshons:
http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=engine-room.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2006-01-13"
 
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