An elephant's trunk and a monkey's tail

What’s the difference between an elephant trunk and a monkey’s tale?

If you want to know the difference between an elephant trunk and a monkey’s tale, you’ll have to read through to the end of this blog post.  Enjoy!!!

Sorry, faithful blog readers, but for a while here, you will get our reflections on language learning.  We started intensive Swedish classes 2 weeks ago (intensive means daily classes for 2-1/2 hours each day for the next 3-1/2 weeks).  We’re enjoying the journey, and wanted to share what language learning looks like when you’re 57 and 60 years old!  It’s at a moment like this that we are very thankful that we already can speak German and Flemish (Belgian dialect of the Dutch language).  Both of these languages are closely related to Swedish…didn’t know that when we found ourselves being drawn to Sweden, but truly thankful for that life experience that we bring with us and how it’s helping us learn the new language of our new homeland.

One of the big ways that Swedish language learning is different in 2017 than from 1987 (the year I went to Belgium to study French in preparation for missionary service in Africa), is using the internet.  Google translate had already become a good friend when we were in Belgium and needed to get a point across with someone who didn’t speak English or Flemish.  But Google translate, and the Swedish keyboard, have been our constant companions since arriving here 6+ weeks ago.  The pocket dictionary of our early language learning years has been replaced by our smart phones…..minor inconvenience is that you have to keep them recharged, so I do still carry a small Swedish English pocket dictionary in my backpack (old school, I guess!)

Now, because of the internet age that we live in, one does have to learn computer and internet language.  So, enter Friday’s lesson, which was all about en papperskorg (trash box), bifoga (attachment), spara (to save….that one is easy, since it’s the exact same word from Flemish), en mus (mouse ~ bet you could guess that one even if you’ve never studied a foreign language before!)  Oh, and kraschat…..try saying that word, you’ll be able to figure it out for yourself. (crashed!)

But our favorite word of the lesson was…..”ett snabel a”. Now when Simon (he’s our teacher) drew what a “snabel a” was, the Dutch student in our class chimed in and said “In Dutch, we call it a een aapenstaartje”.  (Barb’s disclaimer:  I never learned any vocabulary related to the computer when we studied Flemish/Dutch in Belgium ). At this point, everyone is getting a good laugh, because in reality, it does look more like a aapenstaartje than a snabel a.

And now, the clue to the riddle…..

Ett snabel a is Swedish for an elephant trunk A.

Een aap staartje is Dutch for a monkey’s tale.

Can you guess the computer symbol?
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