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TalnSG (Offline)
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03-28-2011, 07:35 PM

Normally when a person is writing in English and it is clearly not their native tongue, I refrain from any criticism. As long as the message is conveyed, I do not correct a person unless they ask for assistance. Learning a language and maintaining it in a environment where it is not the primary mode of communication is difficult, regardless of what the language is. There are posts here that are quite well written for anyone for whom English is a second language.

However, when those same posts proclaim how easy it is to learn English there is no excuse for serious grammatical and vocabulary errors. If the language is so easy, why are there so many mistakes?


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songolekor (Offline)
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03-29-2011, 05:25 AM

@TalnSG absolutely right, i'm agree with you. .
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03-29-2011, 05:59 AM

For a Japanese speaker coming from a language that is highly structured and has very few grammatical exceptions to rules, English must seem like an illogical mess of a language. Imagine having to deal with loads of irregular verbs, non-phonetic spelling and phrasal verbs if you'd never seen them before.


Less is more...

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dogsbody70 (Offline)
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03-29-2011, 10:52 AM

my japanese friend who is studying English here in uk works very hard indeed,

has loads of homework--but after three years of studying here, her listening skills are poor. also she has problems passing the exams. I blame that on the system of setting out the tests. I have seen her text books and I would have difficulties to pass those exams.

I dislike the system of teaching, very much. There is not enough dictation or reading aloud.

However there is nothing I can do about it except I feel the system should be re-examined.

No doubt teachers of EFL will defend the system they are trained to teach but personally I dislike it.

I am concerned also that if she cannot pass her Exams that she will not have time off to take a holiday here. She tells me it is the rules of the UK Border Agency that prevents her taking holidays if she cannot pass her tests.


English language may seem relatively easy for some---but definitely not all.


PS please realise that my broken arm makes typing tricky, hence non--capitals etc.

Last edited by dogsbody70 : 03-29-2011 at 10:54 AM.
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Ryzorian (Offline)
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03-31-2011, 04:31 AM

I hate english, and I'm American. Stupid lanquage keeps changeing itself, nothing ever seems to make sense. Words are all spelled differently but sound the same, and don't get me started on adverbs...adjetives and and who knows what all else.

Hell, look at my horrid sentence structure and grammer skills. Spelling isn't too hot either. That's the craziest part, my english is barely beyound 7th grade when it comes to writeing, but my vocabalry and reading comprehention are master's level.
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dogsbody70 (Offline)
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03-31-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryzorian View Post
I hate english, and I'm American. Stupid lanquage keeps changeing itself, nothing ever seems to make sense. Words are all spelled differently but sound the same, and don't get me started on adverbs...adjetives and and who knows what all else.

Hell, look at my horrid sentence structure and grammer skills. Spelling isn't too hot either. That's the craziest part, my english is barely beyound 7th grade when it comes to writeing, but my vocabalry and reading comprehention are master's level.
all languages constantly change don't they? its years since I was at school--but I have always read a lot and looked up any new word.

I wonder if many of the younger generation will have good English writing skills as many do not read books at all. the modern shorthand via texting also is a way of developing new words and phrases that might be difficult for some of we oldies----------meaning my generation.


however I enjoy English- maybe because I am of that Nationality
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03-31-2011, 11:54 AM

New additions to the Oxford dictionary: "LOL" and "OMG" and a few others.

Just a small quote for younger people who believe this abbreviations were invented recently:
"our first quotation for OMG is from a personal letter from 1917; the letters LOL had a previous life, starting in 1960, denoting an elderly woman (or ‘little old lady’; see LOL n./1); and the entry for FYI [FYI phr., adj., and n.], for example, shows it originated in the language of memoranda in 1941"

Latest update : Oxford English Dictionary


Reverse psychology, "dear Watson", reverse psychology.
"Manganese? Is that manga language?" - lol?
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Atredies (Offline)
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04-03-2011, 11:17 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryzorian View Post
I hate english, and I'm American. Stupid lanquage keeps changeing itself, nothing ever seems to make sense.
english does not change itself every day. i agree that english is nonsense to a certain degree.

my english grandpa grew up speaking english but despite this he occasionally speaks french on the phone to me. that is my great-grandpa was a french belgian who met my english great-grandma. my great-grandpa apparently never spoke english fluently until his death though he was jealous but proud that his son, my grandpa, speaks english very well. my grandpa thus always wonders whether english is a difficult language or not.

i too have another personal experience. i went to beijing summers ago and i saw many chinese university students often complaining how english is grammatically more difficult than mandarin. i find the mandarin grammar ridiculously easy. i also see people who speak english natively are dead afraid of tones. ok enough of this. i have to admit this truth overall. chinese grammar-wise is easier than english.

so i find myself in a difficult position very recently. i start to consider english an unusually difficult language for the majority of the world population.

should we replace english with another language for the vast world communication? perhaps esperanto by ludwig zamenhof?
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LilyZ (Offline)
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04-03-2011, 11:28 AM

It's not that difficult. You learn it very fast, especially by watching English programmes/series with subtitles!


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Atredies (Offline)
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04-12-2011, 02:27 PM

we can argue about this through an unconventionally different light.

people should never be discouraged from their own poor english grammar in this internationally connected world where there are more people who speak english as their second language. bad english grammar helps spread english across the globe. image is the main drive of the modern world from economics to culture. so it is more natural to see the image of the language so-called words is more important than grammar.

sometimes the best way to respect english on a global stage is to have an anti-academian argument towards the grammatical aspect of english.

never be too discouraged from grammar, boys.
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