Upcoming Field Trip!

Hello! The arrival of spring in Hawaii makes it a perfect time to head down to the beach. Our students will be going on a field trip in a couple of weeks to learn how to paddle canoes in the oceans of Maui. We will also have lots of delicious food to eat while we relax our worries away on the beach. We'll take lots of pictures, so be sure to check back soon!

For today's Pidgin lesson, let me introduce you to a word that you probably haven't heard before.

Bumbai (Bum-Bye) - 1. Later, after, at some other time. 2. A conditional clause with a nuance of "if you do something, then this will happen." However, the most common usage of this word is to express a later point in time (definition 1).

1. Jack: Eh, you get one test tomorrow ah? You better go study.
Frank: Nah no worries, I going study bumbai.

Jack: Hey, you have a test tomorrow right? You should go and study now.
Frank: Don't worry about it, I'm going to study later.

2. Jack: Ho it's raining! I going play in the rain.
Frank: Eh no do that...bumbai you going get sick.

Jack: Wow its raining! I'm going to go outside and play in the rain.
Frank. You shouldn't do that because you might get sick.

Got it? Great! See if your Pidgin knowledge is up to par by seeing if you can understand this next paragraph:

Howzit! Spring is da best time fo go to da beach. On our MLI field trip, our students going paddle canoes jus like Ancient times. And of course going get choke ono grinds too!

That's all for now! There is going to be more fun updates soon, so stay tuned!

Spring has Arrived

Spring is here! The warm weather makes it perfect for hiking or relaxing on the beach.

In addition to improving their English skills through our language classes here at the Maui Language Institute, our students also have the opportunity to learn about the Hawaiian culture through our Hawaiian studies class. We also have a couple of new classes this session. One of these classes is our creative and performing arts class. Students are learning how to do things like writing and reading their own poetry. Writing poetry is a great tool for improving your English because you must use creative and colorful language to do so.

We also have a class that helps you prepare for the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication). This class goes over important grammar points, helps you to identify common mistakes in grammar, and goes over practice tests.

We come to yet another installment of Pidgin 101! Let's keep today's lesson simple and sweet. The word I would like to talk about today is garans.

Garans - Guarantee, for sure, definitely
Ex.
1. Daniel: Ho, you when ace yo test?
George: Ho garans! Was so easy!

Daniel: Hey, did you ace your test?
George: Definitely! It was so easy!

That’s all for now folks! See you later!

Spring Semester Party!

It's hard to believe that another session has come to an end here at the Maui Language Institute. To end the semester with a bang, we had another one of our famous potluck parties. As usual, we were treated to an array of delicious food from all around the world. Some of our students also provided us with wonderful entertainment showcasing their amazing talents. Many of the students also got to try Twinkies for the first time. However, it was met with mixed reviews. But we all had a lot of fun and made lots of great memories.


We also had to say goodbye to a few students who completed our program. Whenever we have to say goodbye to someone special in our lives, I am reminded of a quote from the American author Richard Bach: "Don't be dismayed by goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."

Guess what time it is? That's right, it's time for a brand-new Pidgin English lesson! If you have been keeping up with each lesson, then you already know some useful words that you can use in your daily conversations.


In this blog, I would like to talk about my favorite subject...food! In Hawaii, the backbone of our local cuisine is something called "plate lunch." A plate lunch is a set meal that usually includes a main entrée (beef, pork, fish, etc.), two scoops of white rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. Nowadays, there are many different variations that can be found throughout restaurants in Hawaii. There are plate lunches with green salad instead of macaroni salad (for the health conscience), plate lunches with mashed potatoes, and even plate lunches with ethnic side dishes like kimchee (Korean fermented vegetables), sunomono (Japanese vinegared salads), and sushi.

A standard way to order food in English is to say something like "I would like a ______ please." Or "I'll take a/the ________ please." In Pidgin English, this phrase can be translated as "I like one _______." Let's take a look at a sample conversation using this phrase.

Employee at McDonalds: Hi, what can I get for you today?
Michael: Hi, I like one hamburger and one diet coke please.

Translation:
Employee at McDonald's: Hi, what can I get for you today?
Michael: Hi, I would like a hamburger and a diet coke please.

A little warning about using this phrase. The way you say this phrase and the tone you use is very important. If you are ordering something in a restaurant or are asking someone to give you something, this phrase should be said in a polite tone.

Here is one last word that many people already know, but it is definitely a good one to remember.

Mahalo or Mahalos - Thank you, Thanks!

Jack: Hey I just when bake some cookies, you like try some?
Nick: Oh yea, mahalos! Ho, some ono!

Translation:
Jack: Hey I just baked some cookies, you want to try some?
Nick: Hey thanks! Wow it's super delicious!

Well everyone, we have come to the end of another blog. But don't worry, we'll be back again soon with more updates. So until next time, take care and mahalo!

Whale Watching!

Hi everyone! We just got back from our first field trip of the year. On Friday, we went out with the Pacific Whale Foundation on one of their whale watching ecotours. We were able to see lots of
whales energetically jumping and frolicking throughout the Maui ocean. We even got to see a group of 4 or 5 whales swimming together. For those of us who decided to brave the

return trip by sitting near the front of the boat, we were treated to a very refreshing saltwater shower.

I bet everyone practiced and memorized all of the Pidgin English words in last week's blog right? We'll continue to add more words and grammar to each of our blogs so that you'll be speaking Pidgin English in no time.

Let's start off today's lesson by introducing some new words.

Howzit? - How are you? How's it going? Whats up?

Ex.
1. Hey, howzit!?
Hey! How are you?

For those of you who are native English speakers, this word can easily be remembered because it sounds very similar to the greeting, "how's it going?" The only difference is that when you say "howzit?" you don't need to add the word "going" for the listener to understand you.

John: Eh, howzit!
Mike: Howzit!
John: I stay hungry, you like go grind?
Mike: Shoots!

Translation:
John: Hey! Whats up?
Mike: Whats up?
John: I'm pretty hungry. Do you want to get something to eat?
Mike: Sure, sounds good!

I'll end this blog here, but don't worry! We'll be back with more updates and Pidgin English lessons soon. Till next time!

Aloha!

MLI Hawaiian Studies Potluck!

Aloha! Just this past week our Hawaiian studies class had a potluck filled with lots of ono "delicious" fare from all over the world. They had everything from Vietnamese spring rolls, to Hawaiian musubis to Turkish hot cheese buns. We also had to say goodbye to two of our students who completed our program. We wish them the best of luck for and we hope that we can meet again one day!



One of the things that makes Hawaii so great is its diversity of people and cultures. If you ever come to Hawaii, you may notice that many of the people here speak in a different dialect of English. This dialect is called Pidgin English, or Hawaii Creole English. Pidgin English has been influenced by the many different cultures and languages that are in Hawaii. Some of these languages include Hawaiian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Japanese, Filipino, and Korean.


Want to learn some Pidgin? Let's start off with some basic words and that are commonly used in Hawaii.

Grinds (noun) - Food or a meal. Grinds - (adjective) Something delicious.
Ex.
1. Where's the grinds?
Where is the food?
2. This sandwich is grinds!
This sandwich is delicious!

Here is something interesting about this word in Pidgin English. If you change grinds into a non-plural word (grind instead of grinds), it becomes a verb.

Grind (verb) - To eat
Ex.
1. You wanna go grind?
Do you want to eat (something)?


Pau (rhymes with cow) - Finished, done
Ex.
1. You pau your homework?
Are you finished with your homework?

2. You pau eat? or You pau grind?
Are you finished eating?


That's all for now folks! Have fun with these words and stay tuned for more updates!

Welcome Back Everyone!

Hi everyone! I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season. May this new year bring you tremendous amounts of love, joy, and incredible memories. To all of the students returning to MLI, welcome back! For those of you who are just joining us, we look forward to getting to know you.

This past year, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Japan for a year. Although living in a country where the culture and language were completely different from mine presented a unique challenge, it filled me with excitement and made me grow as a person. It has been one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. My study abroad adventure reminded me of a quote by the Italian movie director Federico Fellini who said, "A different language is a different vision of life."

Let me end today with an interesting insight about languages. According to Ethnologue, (15th edition -www.ethnologue.com there are 6,912 living languages in the world today. In his book _English Syntax: From Word to Discourse, author Lynn M. Berk writes that English is one of only seven languages in which the main verb is required to have a subject. (Gillian [1987], cited in Lambrechet, 1994, p.191).

Till next time,
Dallen

Christmas Party

Aloha everyone! Check out some of the pictures from our Christmas party. Everyone enjoyed delicious food, fun activities, and great entertainment. For all of those boys and girls who were good this year, Santa made a special appearance to hand out Christmas presents.

Here at the Maui Language Institute, we have students from all over the world. We have students from Japan, Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Thailand.

Here are some of the ways people around the world celebrate Christmas (Santa's Net and Wikipedia).

In Japan, even though only about 1% of the population is Christian, Christmas is widely celebrated. You can find many places decorated with Christmas lights and huge Christmas trees. Hotei-osho, an amiable deity who is often represented in the form of a Buddhist priest, acts as Japan's version of Santa Claus.

Brazil has many Christmas customs that come from the Portuguese heritage. Papai Noel or Father Noel is Brazil's version of Santa Claus. You can see fireworks and Christmas lights adoring the night skies of the major cities in Brazil. January 6th is the day the people of Brazil call Three Kings Day. It is believed to be the day that the three wise men visited Jesus to bring him gifts. Their festivities of folk dancing and singing continues on until this day.

In Argentina, many people go to church with their family and have a family get together afterwards. At midnight, they have a toast and the adults dance while younger people go out to watch fireworks. Some of the foods that might be prepared are turkey, pork, mince pies, Christmas breads and puddings. There are also sweet drinks like cider, beer, and juices to be enjoyed while waiting for the Christmas toast.

South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize Christmas as a national holiday. While about 50% of the population is Christian, both Christians and non-Christians participate in some holiday customs like gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and decorating trees in their homes. It seems that many children have embraced Santa Claus, whom they call Santa Haraboji (Grandfather Santa). Radio stations play Christmas music as well as television stations airing Christmas movies and cartoons popular in Western countries.

In Vietnam, Christmas is one of the four most important festivals of the year. Devout Christians attend a midnight mass and then return to their homes for a Christmas supper. For most people, the traditional food is chicken soup. Turkey and Christmas pudding are served in the more affluent homes. The children there believe in Santa Claus, and leave their shoes in front of their door on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day, they awake to find Christmas presents as well as their shoes filled with treats.

Mongolia does not celebrate Christmas as a national holiday, as the Christian population there is very low. Although there are places where Christmas decorations are displayed.

Even though the majority of people are Buddhist in Thailand, you can find Christmas decorations and apparel sold in many of the stores there. You can also see Christmas trees and decorations displayed at various area throughout the country. You may even see children signing Christmas carols and people dressed up as Santa Claus.

Here's one last piece of trivia about Christmas. Santa Claus goes by many different names, one of which is Kris Kringle. This name actually evolved through an error. Although we use the name Kris Kringle to refer to Santa Claus, it actually comes from the German word "Christkindlein" which means "Christ Child."