`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (1)`

warning: content may offend

Trying to cross the Mexican border with virtually non-existent Spanish

This is phrase-book Spanish, "helped" out by an attempt to make English words sound Spanish

`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (2)`

warning: content may offend

Getting a "roomo" with "bathroomo" and breakfast at a sleazy Mexican motel

Illustrates the universal belief that when you try to learn a language you are bound to say horribly embarrassing things

The Blue Angel (Germany, 1927)

Professor Unrat, the prep-school English teacher, teaches the language with a combination of Shakespeare and a pencil in the teeth

The Professor combines several time-honored methods: 1) memorization of text passages; 2) text chosen from literary classics; 3) mechanical attention to phonetics. None of them works well, at least here.

Butch and the Kid learn "Spanish for Bank Robbers"

Illustrates the need to acquire communicative capability for "real-world" tasks, but phrase-book language learning has its limitations.

Danny Kaye skillfully mimics French, Italian and German

He fools his listeners with his excellent accent and intonation, while speaking gibberish. A "native" accent counts for nothing if there is real no communicative ability.

A dry-as-dust Latin lesson in a prep school

The drill about verb forms (conjugation) remains a favorite technique for teaching other languages, one that some students love and others love to hate. Current informed opinion regards it as a poor way to teach living languages. See the "Marty" clip for the long-term results.

Ernest Borgnine, suddenly no longer shy with women, proves how good he was as a high-school German student by reciting one of the standard abstract declensional patterns

Memorizing dehydrated declensional patterns, such as "der-die-das, des-der-des" (nominative and genitive cases of the definite article) is regarded by today's language-teaching professionals as pointless learning

Ian learns how to say "Happy Easter," then tries it out on his fiancée's father

Even though the girl's father scorns his attempt, acquiring language and culture together is a good feature of learning.

Ian thinks he is learning how to say "Thank you," but he's being tricked!

In the early stages of language proficiency, most communication is accomplished through single-word vocabulary and phrases memorized as units. Grammar capability comes only somewhat later.

Ian thinks he is learning what to say to get the party into high gear - and it works, but in an unexpected way

For all the embarrassment he suffers, Ian is a great language learner - fearless, good-spirited, culturally interested. In the end he has both his love and a new language.

Inspector Clouseau, disguised as Doktor Schultz, uses lousy phrasebook German to say Hello, how are you?"

The question "How are you?" (Wie geht's?), learned by some many German students, is inappropriate when meeting strangers.

Inspector Clouseau asks for a "rheum" in a German hotel, then looks up the word in his dictionary

Inspector Clouseau mangles English pronunciation as he tries to get a "rheum"

Señor Ed, the Spanish Talking Horse

warning: content may offend

A horribly mangled Spanish version of the Mr. Ed song, along with some chit-chat

A very young Robert Redford, playing an American pilot shot down in WWII, uses his German to win over his German captor, played by Alec Guiness (later Obe Wan-kin-obe in Star Wars).

Redford sings German pretty well. Guinness is a master of imitating Germans attempting to speak English. The German he produces elsewhere in the film is excellent.

An angry boyfriend interrupt's his beloved's large-enrollment language class, which then imitates what it hears as the two quarrel.

The teaching technique is a combination of grammar drill and phrase-book or audio-lingual teaching.

Title

Situation

Comments

`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (1)`

`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (2)`

Media Bank: Culture and Language
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Title	Situation	Comments
`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (1)` warning: content may offend	Trying to cross the Mexican border with virtually non-existent Spanish	This is phrase-book Spanish, "helped" out by an attempt to make English words sound Spanish
`Assault of the Killer Bimbos (2)` warning: content may offend	Getting a "roomo" with "bathroomo" and breakfast at a sleazy Mexican motel	Illustrates the universal belief that when you try to learn a language you are bound to say horribly embarrassing things
The Blue Angel (Germany, 1927)	Professor Unrat, the prep-school English teacher, teaches the language with a combination of Shakespeare and a pencil in the teeth	The Professor combines several time-honored methods: 1) memorization of text passages; 2) text chosen from literary classics; 3) mechanical attention to phonetics. None of them works well, at least here.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Butch and the Kid learn "Spanish for Bank Robbers"	Illustrates the need to acquire communicative capability for "real-world" tasks, but phrase-book language learning has its limitations.
The Court Jester	Danny Kaye skillfully mimics French, Italian and German	He fools his listeners with his excellent accent and intonation, while speaking gibberish. A "native" accent counts for nothing if there is real no communicative ability.
Dead Poets' Society	A dry-as-dust Latin lesson in a prep school	The drill about verb forms (conjugation) remains a favorite technique for teaching other languages, one that some students love and others love to hate. Current informed opinion regards it as a poor way to teach living languages. See the "Marty" clip for the long-term results.
Marty (1955) short version long version	Ernest Borgnine, suddenly no longer shy with women, proves how good he was as a high-school German student by reciting one of the standard abstract declensional patterns	Memorizing dehydrated declensional patterns, such as "der-die-das, des-der-des" (nominative and genitive cases of the definite article) is regarded by today's language-teaching professionals as pointless learning
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (1)	Ian learns how to say "Happy Easter," then tries it out on his fiancée's father	Even though the girl's father scorns his attempt, acquiring language and culture together is a good feature of learning.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2)	Ian thinks he is learning how to say "Thank you," but he's being tricked!	In the early stages of language proficiency, most communication is accomplished through single-word vocabulary and phrases memorized as units. Grammar capability comes only somewhat later.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (3)	Ian thinks he is learning what to say to get the party into high gear - and it works, but in an unexpected way	For all the embarrassment he suffers, Ian is a great language learner - fearless, good-spirited, culturally interested. In the end he has both his love and a new language.
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1)	Inspector Clouseau, disguised as Doktor Schultz, uses lousy phrasebook German to say Hello, how are you?"	The question "How are you?" (Wie geht's?), learned by some many German students, is inappropriate when meeting strangers.
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (2)	Inspector Clouseau asks for a "rheum" in a German hotel, then looks up the word in his dictionary
Return of the Pink Panther	Inspector Clouseau mangles English pronunciation as he tries to get a "rheum"
Señor Ed, the Spanish Talking Horse warning: content may offend	A horribly mangled Spanish version of the Mr. Ed song, along with some chit-chat
Situation Hopeless But Not Serious	A very young Robert Redford, playing an American pilot shot down in WWII, uses his German to win over his German captor, played by Alec Guiness (later Obe Wan-kin-obe in Star Wars).	Redford sings German pretty well. Guinness is a master of imitating Germans attempting to speak English. The German he produces elsewhere in the film is excellent.
What's New, Pussycat?	An angry boyfriend interrupt's his beloved's large-enrollment language class, which then imitates what it hears as the two quarrel.	The teaching technique is a combination of grammar drill and phrase-book or audio-lingual teaching.