Kids say the darndest things

[jeisensei]

So, I was in class today and we had 10 min. left over at the end of the class. I couldn't come up with anything on the spot so we went with criss-cross (which I hate with the passion of 100 summers in Tatebayashi ). One of the questions I asked was "What's this?" pointing to the picture of the Station of Liberty from the text book. One of the kids raises her hand and says "自由（じゆう）の女神（めがみ）!" I said that was correct in Japanese, but I was going for the English. Everyone was stumped so I said they could use their books. That same girl raises her hand and says "The State of the Library!"

I couldn't help but get a little chuckle at that (of course I went to her after class and explained why it was so funny and she laughed as well). But I was wondering if there were any times that stuck out in all of your memories where a student said something so funny that you just had to laugh.

[moolooman]

I gave my students a funny sentence to transcribe, which was "Obama took his dog for a walk".
One of my cerebrally challenged students looked up at me, and completely deadpan replied, "Obama, Yes we can".

[wingbanditHyrule's #1 Mascot]

I gave my students a funny sentence to transcribe, which was "Obama took his dog for a walk".
One of my cerebrally challenged students looked up at me, and completely deadpan replied, "Obama, Yes we can".

The deadpan part, hahaha!

There was one time where we were doing reading tests, and the teacher couldn't decide whether to start with the boys or the girls, so she asked me. I suggested that the boys go first since the girls went first last time, and one of my favorite students at the time yelled at the top of his lungs, "NOOO. YOU HABU ENDEDED MAI SOORU!" (translation: "You have ended my soul!" I assume, haha.) I laughed for a good 20 minutes.

[Kanashibari]

How about "kids write the darnedest things"?

Last year, my memory is still fresh about the job activity I did with second grade.
Apparently quite a few of the girls still couldn't differentiate "n" from "h", or "u" from "o", and so instead of writing down "I want to be a nurse" I got quite a few of "I want to be a horse".
Except for one girl, who wrote "I want to be Norse!!" next to a cute drawing of an armor-clad nurse.

[jeisensei]

I think a little part of each and every one of us wants to be Norse.

[GETAK]

... one girl... wrote "I want to be Norse!!" next to a cute drawing of an armor-clad nurse.

BADASS!!

[Paul]

Except for one girl, who wrote "I want to be Norse!!" next to a cute drawing of an armor-clad nurse.

Inquiring minds want to know, does she have potential to be like this woman?

[sum1wholikesengliped]

Except for one girl, who wrote "I want to be Norse!!" next to a cute drawing of an armor-clad nurse.

Inquiring minds want to know, does she have potential to be like this woman?

Yeah, she could be a war-norse

[Kanashibari]

With her cute little Japanese button nose and Kitty-chan pencil case, I doubt it

[jeisensei]

I like to do a little question and answer pratice at the begining of class for my lower level students. Today we did it written down and timed (they had 10 questions to answer and got points depending on how fast they could write down the answers). Any way, I am just looking over the answers now and one got my attention. The question was: What's the date today? and the answer was "I don't date."

[himitsu]

uuhh, maybe a hikikomori ^^

[Otaku]

The question was: What's the date today? and the answer was "I don't date."

LOL!

[jessen100]

they deserve bonus points. like 50.

[jeisensei]

Hah. It's a ten point worksheet so it would look weird if everyone else has a score between 0 and 10 but one kid got 60 points.

[Kanashibari]

He doesn't date, consider it a self-esteem booster.

[jeisensei]

When online translation goes wrong: One of my students was writing a speech on the March earthquake in Japan. In Japanese it is called 東北大震災 and she translated it is Tohoku University Earthquake. It is suppose to be seperated like this: 東北 / 大震災 meaning something like a giant earthquake in the Tohoku region, but she sperpated like this: 東北大 / 震災 meaning Tohoku university earthquake.

[Kanashibari]

Naoto Kan wants every Japanese university to teach how to build a HAARP.

[Zedicus]

Last winter, one of my third year boys walked in from the cold. He took one look at me in my scarf, jacket, and hat and said, "You look so hot."

I want to be understanding, but I just can't return his feelings.

[gsuiris]

Today, my students were trying to memorize a conversation. It starts off "Please help yourself."

Most of them kept dropping the help. I had at least 20 say "Please yourself" to me.

It's right up there with "Please me" when they want you to help them/give them something/whatever. I always reply "I'm sorry, but you are too young. Come back again in a few years and we will see."

[jeisensei]

Hah

Indeed.

[Zedicus]

Seriously. Who's responsible for this "Please me" business? I will find them and end them. Along with the person who taught them "hallo".

[moolooman]

I guess there's no pleasing you. (Goldfinger, 2001)

[jessen100]

Seriously. Who's responsible for this "Please me" business? I will find them and end them. Along with the person who taught them "hallo".

seriously.

i want to fight that person.

[himitsu]

Seriously. Who's responsible for this "Please me" business? I will find them and end them. Along with the person who taught them "hallo".

Hm, never heard "please me"... And about "hallo", I always tell them that`s German, not English. But I think it IS actually old English, have seen and heard it sometimes (I think in Terry Pratchet`s Discworld books, maybe LOTR too...).

[gsuiris]

Seriously. Who's responsible for this "Please me" business? I will find them and end them.

I think it is because they forget to put the verb in (please give me, please help me). My students often forget verbs (let's baseball, I Osaka last summer).

[himitsu]

Seriously. Who's responsible for this "Please me" business? I will find them and end them.

I think it is because they forget to put the verb in (please give me, please help me). My students often forget verbs (let's baseball, I Osaka last summer).

Yeah, I guess memorizing verbs must be difficult for Japanese, considering their verbs are in many cases do+noun..