Words Shape Our Lives
Words talk, people listen. Here is an example:
An adult immigrant who has learned ESL on a socially-based environment for 10 years in Toronto once said with bewilderment:
I do my job good but my boss he no like me.
Something to consider:
1. Employers usually care about productivity
In this case:
The boss does not like the employee who does a good job. Does this mean the boss did not care about productivity?
2. Employees who can do a good job are not stupid
In this case:
The adult immigrant’s poor language use and his bewilderment show
a) as if he were the opposite
b) as if he were reduced to a “child”
Question:
How hard can it be for an adult who can do a good job to make this sentence correct?
Should we say:
Yes Qui Can, or
No, We Can’t?
