Kevin's English Diary

I'm correcting the English journals tonight--hour 2 and I come across this. Can anyone clue me in to what this boy thinks "sexual" means??? He's in the 4th or 5th grade!

tuesday,July sixth,2004 practice Today, Our class student have practice of math test. I very very so so very don''t like math, because the math is very boring and a pain. I want kill math maker. Yesterday, we have practice,too. "Stoped the practice of math test,please" I said to my teacher. but my teacher said "I''m boring,but all student don''t study of math test. So I have a practice all to student. I think ''I want have a good sexual. But I don''t like practice. Please,I want have a good sexual. God bless me.''^_^

Update: Joel emailed and explained about the word confusion. In Korean, the same word means "sexual," "grade/score," and "holy place." The dangers of using a dictionary!! Usually the problem is more along the lines of using the wrong form of the word, like "I am boring" instead of "I am bored." Other times, the students use words so obscure or old-fashioned that I have to look them up in the English dictionary to know what they're talking about. Often the kids use words that seem way beyond their age. (What 2nd grader says, "This is delicious"? Of course not--they say "This is yummy" or "This is good.") I encourage the kids to use the words they already know when writing their English Diaries, and not to use the dictionary too much. However, some kids persist in writing the diary first in Korean, then translating it into completely incomprehensible English. When I get a really good example of that, I'll post it.