Usually when we utter the phrase 'oh my God,' we are as conscious of the literal meanings of those individual words as we are conscious of the feeling we intend to convey by using the expression. One properly and naturally emphasizes the 'God' part, i.e., "oh my GOD."
My students, semantically carefree as they are with English, emphasize equally each word in the phrase to comic effect. Actually, I lie. They noticeably emphasize the 'OH' part.
OH my God.
OOHHHHH my God.
This is hilarious to me.
It leaps from their conversations without warning, much like when you are watching Univision and the round man from Sabado Gigante crisply utters 'Charmin Ultra' or 'Quaker Oats' amidst a hypersonic barrage of television Spanish. In flawless English no less. It grabs your attention.
So, if I am saying that the students are unaware of the actual meaning of what they are saying, then what could it be that they think they are expressing? Perhaps it is some form of distress. However, it can't be anything serious. Such matters are reserved for Japanese. Instead 'OH my God' is heard during more lighthearted times, such as during my icebreaking games.
We are passing a ball around, saying each others' names as we throw it. The whole thing is being timed, so we are trying to finish the circuit as quickly as possible. One student beams the ball at another: the receiver makes a valiant effort to catch it, leaping off a chair. Alas, it is to no avail.
A voice somewhere says "Oh my God."
The students are giving self-introductions. I am nervous as they are because I don't want to make the students nervous. Japanese students operate in the following fashion, which I will illustrate by example. If one of the first students says "My name is Ryuhei. I like basketball. I play piano. Nice to meet you," you will find that nearly 45% of your class reveals that they too like basketball and play piano. However, a student occasionally forgets the self-intro format and accidentally begins with 'Nice to meet you.'
OH my God.
Shortly before class begins, I find my students playing a sort of makeshift stickball game in the classroom. A student strikes out. A student hits the Wiffle ball out of the room. I act as umpire and make some questionable calls.
OH my God.
Next time I will explain the intricacies of the term very woman.
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