I vividly remember many situations where I felt really awkward. For example when I rang up to apply for a job and they asked me for my "phone number" to call me back. All I could hear was "file number" which I insisted I didn't have! Well, that was one job I wasn't meant to get!
On another occasion I was invited by an Australian family for "tea" around 6 pm at their home. This is usually the time we have a cup of tea after dinner in the country I come from. So I had dinner before I went to see them to find that they had a dinner meal prepared. I was too embarrassed to tell them I'd already eaten so I pushed down my second dinner in order to be polite and let my stomach suffer for it. I knew the hard way that 'tea' meant 'dinner' not a 'cup of tea' and that 6 pm is when people have their big meal in Australia.
Looking back, these were awkward moments at the time but I can laugh at them now. You will too!
- Have you had an embarrassing situation because of your English?
- What is the hardest thing to understand?
- What do you do when you don't quite understand and how does this make you feel?
- Do you agree that laughing at yourself is a good way to deal with embarrassment?
- Are there any idioms or expressions that you learnt the hard way?
Please share your thoughts here.
