From the mouths of babes

Once our students achieve a certain level of English proficiency, they begin to keep a diary. It's a pretty simple affair, really- a once a week assignment in which they write about something they know or like- what they did on the weekend, their family, favorite foods or activities, etc. I grade them every week, and I expected them to be mildly entertaining, showing life from a kid's perspective, or containing "Engrish", which can also be amusing. What I didn't expect, however, was the insight I would gain into the students' lives and what actually goes on behind the closed doors of their homes. Here are some of the better ones I've come across lately:

Tess, Age 7
“My Favorite Food”
my favorite food is rise and ham. my mom’s favorite food is kemche. I like kemche too my dad’s favorite food is meat I don’t like meat I thought my mom is very beautiful beautiful woman. but dad said mom is very ugly woman. my friend’s favorite food is kemche and candy. my favorit food is candy and ice-ceam flog’s favorite food is bugs. But I can’t eat bugs.

Sally, Age 7
“Describe yourself”
I have a nose and two eyes and two ears and one mouth. I have a face I have a black hair and straight hair My father said you are pretty! My mother have two ears and two eyes. My father have two glasses My parents are pretty My uncle and aunt has two glasses and they are ugly

Sally, Age 7
“My toys”
I have a many many toy what is it. They are a doll and jump rope, ball, in line skates. It is a my toys. my favorite toy is jump rope, ball.

Matthew, Age 7
“Describe yourself”
My pants are blue. My t-shirt is green. My belt is brown. My glasses are orange. My skin is a little black. My hair is straight. My hands are small. My feet are small, too. I love myself.

Jinny, Age 7
“My family”
My family is 5 people. father, mother, me, Hoya, grandmom. I love my family. my father is make houses and, school. my mother is house mother. I going to DDD school is student. Hoya is go DDD to. my grandmother is house grandmom. end.

Jinny, Age 7
“My toys”
My toy is many, many. I like doll, tedy bear. Because doll is Pretty. I love toys. I like pulzze too! [end]

George, Age 11
On Friday I went to go a church I see a white peoples. The white woman says /~!@#$%^&*() I say lodvuy /~!@#$%^&*()/. I am crazy.

Ally II, Age 11
My hermit crab is cute I like her but her is don’t like me I am sad That is my friend first Friend
Hermit crab is like a darksike Its are doesn’t like we because It tinkk we eat hermit crab Wow I don’t tink so~ ha ha ha

Vince, Age 11
STPTEMBER 5th Sunday 2004
"A maternal grandmother in the house"
Mother and I go to matermal grandmother’s house. I am be bored to death. Because matermal grandmother’s house is not in the toy in house.