`Real' English Spoken Here -- Immigrants Learn Slang In Course

-- BELLEVUE

``I get a kick out of being a couch potato and hanging out in front of the boob tube,'' volunteer tutor Bart Hartzell tells the class.

``Who knows what this means?''

Thirty-five puzzled faces stare back.

Iranian immigrant Susan Akbari gives it a shot. ``Somebody who is very lazy.''

``Right,'' Hartzell says. ``And boob tube?''

Akbari shrugs.

``Television,'' Hartzell says.

Most of the faces smile.

Recent immigrants from up to 19 countries attend the twice-weekly sessions, called ``Talk Time,'' from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to noon Fridays.

Bellevue Community College provides the free community program for new English speakers who want to practice conversation in an informal setting outside a classroom.

The sessions, begun in 1988, are staffed by 43 volunteer tutors who range from college professors to retirees and housewives.

Each week, the tutors introduce new topics: slang, telephone etiquette, job interviews, cultural customs, said coordinator Evalyn Monson.

Half of the 120 participants are Japanese, and the majority are from Asian countries, Monson said. Recent Russian and Yugoslav immigrants also attend the sessions, she said.

``Many of the Asian students who come have been learning to read and write English in their countries, but have not been taught to speak,'' Monson said. ``They feel very uncomfortable speaking to Americans.''

After a few minutes of explanation, the students sit in groups of three or four with a tutor and talk about the topic. Many of the slang words on the list have long since slipped out of common usage.

Take ``horse'' slang. Phrases such as ``horse of a different color,'' or ``from the horse's mouth,'' are infrequently used. But when they do pop up, they can confuse a new English speaker.

``You're just beating a dead horse?'' Angela Hsu, one-year Taiwanese immigrant, reads with a quizzical expression.

``It means it's a wasted effort,'' says tutor Frank Fraser.

Classmate Toshiko Fujinoki recognized the meaning of ``beating around the bush.'' Fujinoki, who arrived from Japan four months ago, said there is a similar phrase in Japanese.

``In English class, we sit down and hear what the teacher says,'' Fujinoki said. ``Sometimes, it is boring. Here, we have a chance to speak English.''

For information or to volunteer as a tutor, call 641-2490 weekdays before noon.