One of my favorite things to do in the evening is share with my husband all the “interesting” phrases that my students say. The majority of my students are English Language Learners. (I teach at an international school in Casablanca, Morocco.) They are learning to speak a language that they rarely hear, in a country where English is not the language of the streets, and they have some “unique” phrasing that is part of their learning process. Here are a few of my favorite “heard in my classroom” phrases:
- Ms. Raki, I have blood! (Translation – I’m bleeding.)
- Can I go in the toilet? (I have fun explaining why we don’t go inside a toilet – 
)
- My paper is cut! (No scissors needed, cut generally means torn or ripped to my students.)
- Today is the happy birthday of my brother. (Translation – It’s my brother’s birthday today.)
- Take. (Said as they are handing you something. Translation – Here you go.)
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When I taught in Brazil I heard some things that made me giggle as well. "Do you have hunger?" translation "Are you hungry? still makes me LOL.
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