Learning Through Rap Lyrics

I have a conversation group in the university's medical campus. It's a separate campus, about twenty minutes away and in the city center, and the students overall are more proficient. They're doctors, and not only that, but many of them are widely respected and internationally known. So exchanges like this throw me.

Erjan, the handsome, white haired head of psychology, asked me today, "What does 'what'cha say' mean?"

ME: Where did you hear that?
ERJAN: On a music video.
HUSSIEN: Jonas Brothers?
ERJAN: No, Jason Derulo.

I then explained that it was a contraction of "What did you say," and that under no circumstances were they supposed to use it.

Each day a different group of doctors come to the class, or at least are supposed to. Everyone has their assigned days, but the students who speak English well will come everyday. This has led to some problems. Like today. Today, Tuesday, was supposed to be the day that Ejemi came. Ejemi is the foremost pediatric neurosurgeon in eastern Turkey. However, he's not coming anymore because of his last class.

Two Tuesdays ago, Ejemi was frustrated because the proficient English speakers, those who came multiple days, were dominating the conversation. He was so frustrated that he announced he was boycotting the class - he wasn't going to leave, but he sure as heck wasn't going to talk. Only he announced this in Turkish, and no one bothered to translate it.

I noticed that Ejemi wasn't speaking, so I decided to help. I directed a very simple question at him, smiled and waited for an answer. He smiled back, but it wasn't pleasant - he was like a mischievous first grade bully who you know just played a prank on you but you'll have to wait to find out. It was a good ten seconds before someone leaned over and said, "Ejemi isn't speaking today." But he was still staring at me.

However, my all time favorite cultural mis-translation happened outside the classroom with my friend Murat, when we were visiting Akdamar Island. We were having tea and talking about Akon when he asked, "What does it mean, 'Smack that'?" He then started repeating the lyrics to give me some context. I stopped him after, "Till you get sore."