‘Say Cheese!’ in different languages: Uncovering a broader niche in the language teaching industry

The other day during my usual (though shamefully lengthy) scroll on Facebook, I came across a post on one of the language learning groups I am following. Someone posed a question on how to 'say cheese' in different languages, with a specific inquiry on what is said across different countries to 'force' smiles of those whose photos are being taken.

I really appreciate questions like this. They are a simple, adorable reminder of how humans everywhere come to develop similar traditions - those that characterise small happy things in life regardless of race and origin. There was a flood of replies and reading each of them really made my day. I jotted down some of them in my personal notes:

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Brazilian Portuguese: 'X' pronounced 'shis'.

Many other countries in Central and South America: 'Whiskey'

Italian: 'Say Cheese' (directly in English form)

South Africa: 'Cheese'

Mandarin Chinese: 西瓜甜不甜?（pronounced 'xīguā tián bù tián', meaning 'is watermelon sweet' )? -甜! (pronounced tián, meaning 'sweet')

Chilean Spanish: 'Empanada' (a type of dish)

Polish: 'Dżem' (pronounced 'jam', meaning 'jam')

French: 'Ouistiti' (pronounced 'whis-titi', meaning marmosets, a type of small monkey)

Korean: 'Kimchi'

Romanian: 'Brânză' (meaning 'cheese' also)

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Whether people 'pay homage' to cheese, whiskey, jam, empanadas, watermelons,or kimchi during their happy, casual photoshoots, all of these unsurprisingly end with phonetics that bring about 'teethy' smiles, 'open-mouth' big smiles, or elegant, 'teethless' smiles. What made me feel intrigued was that *most* of them were about food (but that's a theme for another day).

While pronouncing all of these under my breath and trying to make myself smile, I was inspired to think about a wider niche in the language teaching industry. Oftentimes, information such as how to 'say cheese' in a target language, while extremely useful for fostering intercultural friendships, are not formally included in teaching materials (though at most, sure, teachers might casually talk about them when asked). In a deeply-rooted educational tradition where textbooks typically start with greetings, shopping topics, and grammar tables, 'loose' knowledge like this is not often considered, perhaps due to how it is not essential vocabulary crucial for everyday functioning, nor is it the first thing that comes into mind when educators design their lesson plans. But frequency or function alone should not completely dictate whether a certain type of linguistic knowledge deserves a standing in materials design.

In any case, as I see it, there is a need for a small revolution in the language teaching industry. Apart from the traditionally 'valuable' topics, there could be an integration of lines that open paths for more intercultural connection and cultural thinking. Lines that remind us of humanness across races. Even two lines a lesson would go a long way. Because the little things about the diversity of culture and sounds in a quotidiane, modern sense are the exact essence of what makes language learning so therapeutic and eye-opening.