Words and Ideas

I bought this old textbook from 1960 for a quarter. I’m not sure what a helicopter has to do with the English language, but those two teenagers on the cover are obviously fascinated by it—taking a moment to stare at it before going to the post office to mail letters.

The illustrations are pretty nice.

I skimmed parts of the textbook and appreciated how simple it is to read.

The part of this textbook I find most interesting is how it incorporates the social aspects of language—like manners…and making friends. Here’s a how-to guide of being a pleasant human being while conversing.

And here are pointers on how to give and take criticism. [Pause.] I don’t think I was ever taught this in school…although to be honest, I think many people stand to learn a few of these tips.

Slightly Off

While at times disorientating and confusing, one of the things that never ceased to amaze me in Japan was the strange English that would be used on: T-shirts, stationary, menus, signs, food packaging, magazines, advertisements and well, on anything really. Whether misspelled, grammatically incorrect, nonsensical or just plain awkward, it was usually a welcome surprise to see English used in such odd and unexpected ways.