LauraM

I find even as a native speaker of English that I enjoy learning about the historical significance and origins of idioms. I have an interest in history anyway, and so such study is particularly fascinating to me. And I agree that knowing the origins really helps in remembering them. Here is a great site for looking up the meanings, history and first use of idioms and other phrases and expressions in English: http://www.phrases.org.uk/index.html It's a fantastic resource.

I agree with others on this thread who have recommended a refresher course. Because you previously knew the language it would not be as difficult as starting over. I also suggest immersing yourself as much as possible here and now. Listen to French media -- Internet radio, videos on YouTube, movies, television, whatever it available. The Internet makes this much easier to find such sources. Interacting with people in person or online or via Skype would be great, too, especially if they are native speakers willing to help you out. You might be able to find such people through this forum in the French section. Also try reading the language. You could start with something simpler like online content -- news reports, social media, etc. -- just to get reacquainted with the written language, and then move on to more substantive content such as literature and nonfiction. I was fluent in Spanish years ago, and lost much of it. Because of the demands of my time I have not devoted a lot of time to relearning, but I find that even listening to Spanish and occasionally reading does wonders. So if you put effort and focus into relearning, there's a lot that is possible!

I think it might be best to offer that as optional with the caveat to students that it might be offensive to them. I wouldn't require it. I would leave it up to the individual. If there is a workbook, the profanity could be in a separate section -- again, with the appropriate warning. It could be kind of like music albums that are sold with a warning label or how in everyday life online we have the acronym NSFW "not safe for work." If it's online content, similarly, I would offer it with the warning. I do think that a study of profanity would be useful for the reasons you outlined; it could help people avoid accidentally saying something offensive due to a slight mispronunciation. Likewise, as others have said on this thread, I think it's a good idea to know if someone you are speaking with is insulting you! And generally, it will help you in following conversations and comprehending what is being said.

I agree with what you say about asking around to get help, especially if it's just a few words or phrases, that may be the solution. The advantage with forums such as this is that you will get a variety of responses, and collectively, participants may come up with a more accurate translation. As for getting the best translation, I think it depends also on what it is that you want translated and in what circumstances. If you have something that is more substantive in length and/or it's crucial to get as much accuracy as possible, I would seek out some sort of authority. As you mentioned, perhaps that person might be a teacher with whom you have personal contact. As for Google translator, I agree. It has its limitations but it can give a reasonable overview. Perhaps if you don't have any other options -- you're pressed for time, for instance and can't find someone to assist you immediately -- it may be helpful to compare different results from various free online translators, and to also look in a dictionary so that you yourself can actively engage in the process. If it's appropriate you might also want to Google particular phrases to see how they are being used online in various contexts. I find this helpful even with my own native language, English, to see how words and/or phrases are used.

Yes, that's a great example of how confusing the shortcuts can be for the recipient! I had to read that a second time to make complete sense of it. It seems quite unnecessary too, as it is not a long message even when spelled out without abbreviations. But that's the trend. Texting has its own lexicography, and I think for some people that's the appeal. It's like using a secret language.

I can understand your concern, especially being in a profession setting. I do think it's important to uphold standards of proper grammar and pronunciation in such circumstances. It can be beneficial to you as far as your career in general is concerned as well as in your current workplace. I don't see it as an issue of how others judge or don't judge. I think that the standards should be your own. If you want to have better grammar then it's a goal to work towards for your own sake. If not, then that too is for your own sake. We do know that people can be judgmental for all kinds of reasons and we really don't have control over what others think. But I know, it can cause worry and concern. I can relate as I strive to not get overly concerned about what others think. But it can be difficult to get to and maintain an internal integrity that's not based on concern about the judgement of others.

I used to use LOL and ROTFL a lot years ago when instant messaging first became popular. I think this was partly because of the sheer novelty of it back in the old days. I figured out on my own that I was overusing it to the point that when something really was LOL or ROTFL then what would I actually say? "LOL and this time I really mean it?!" So I cut way down on my use of LOL ... maybe to the opposite extreme, as if nothing is now LOL! : )

I can relate. Such words are known as "conversational crutches." They are the words we use when we're trying to formulate our thoughts as we speak. Words like "um," "uh," as well as "like" and "you know." I tend to say "uh" in everyday speech. I always try to not get into the "like" or the "you know" habit. It's tough because we hear it all the time, and it's the perfect "conversational crutch." I think as we speak we feel a need to fill up the silence while we're thinking. At least that's what happens to me and why I fight against slipping into these habits.

Great topic! Typically the prefix "in" means "not." In other words, it will convey the opposite meaning such as in your examples. But there are some exceptions, as you noted. "inflammable" actually means something that can be set on fire easily. As for words that do follow the rule, of creating the opposite meaning we have for instance: "Dependent" vs "independent" "Flexible" vs "inflexible" "Mutable" vs "immutable" "Tolerant" vs "intolerant" And there are many more.

"Have had" is the perfect tense of the verb "have." The meaning conveyed with "have had" is something that once happened continually no longer happens. In other words, "have had" implies an ongoing situation from the past. I'm not sure I have seen or heard a sentence like that. If you add "at that time" it's a specific time period rather than an ongoing situation, so that seems to me to be an incorrect usage of the perfect tense. It seems to me that there is already enough emphasis in just saying "I had a pen at that time in my pocket."

Yes, that was also my experience growing up in the U.S. In the public schools I attended, we had English classes of some kind in grades 1-12; elementary school, middle school and high school. In the lower grades, the emphasis was on learning grammar and spelling, and to a lesser extent writing. In middle school we branched into study of literature and composition. High school, it was more advanced, leaning towards literature it its various genres. There were also advanced composition classes; essay writing and expository writing for instance. Foreign language study was elective. It's a shame that it was not mandatory. But that's not typical in the U.S., at least not in public schools.

Anaphora is a rhetorical device. It is the repetition of an opening phrase in successive sentences. You may have seen this before. It can be a very powerful technique both in public speaking and in the written word to build emotional tension and/or set a mood. Here' are a couple of famous examples from literature: "It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place." From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. " From "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens Can you think of some examples of anaphora? Some original sentences in which you use this device? Or do you have any favorite passages from literature or speeches that you would like to share as examples?

Yes, I think it's extremely important to know about profane language. Regardless of whether or not you choose to use it, you will otherwise have gaps in your comprehension of both spoken and written language if you're not aware of these words and don't know the meaning. It could lead to awkward social situations. You might very well get an entirely different impression of a conversation if you are lacking the knowledge of certain words. If I didn't know these words in a foreign language and I were visiting a country where the language was spoken, I would feel uneasy. And they have become commonplace even in written language although they are sometimes modified with asterisks when spelled out.

You have to use the language consistently or you will lose the fluency. I think it's very similar to maintaining an exercise and fitness program to stay in shape. Or a musician practicing daily. To stay immersed to some degree, I think listening to TV and radio, watching movies are all helpful. From a cognitive perspective, writing and speaking are more demanding and so it's good to practice both. Corresponding by email with someone if you are not in a location where you hear the language would be helpful. Similarly, conversations locally or via Skype to keep verbal fluency. Thanks to the Internet, I think it's much easier to stay fluent as we do have all these options!

There are some differences between all of these words. Some of those differences are subtle. "Can" is the present tense of the verb, meaning that you have the ability to do something. As in "I can talk to her." "Could" is past tense of "can." As in "Yesterday I could talk to her." But "could" is also used to express doubt or uncertainty. Meaning that you have the ability, but that you might or might not do something. As in: "I could talk to her but I'm reluctant to do so." ---------------- "Will" is the future tense of any verb. As in "Tomorrow I will travel by train" or "I will read that book next week." "Would" is the past tense of "will." It is also a conditional, meaning it is used to express imagined consequences of an action. As in "If I went outside today without my jacket I would get too cold." Or "If I left my laptop unattended at the train station it would get stolen." ------------------- "Shall" is future tense but is rarely used in American English; it has been replaced by "will" to indicate future. "Tomorrow I shall have a meeting with them." But it's more typical to say "Tomorrow I will have a meeting with them." But "shall" is still used in British English." "Shall" can also be an expression of politeness, as in "Shall I get you another cup of tea?" You might occasionally used in American English in this manner. -------------------------- "Should" implies obligation. "Today I should have a meeting with them." It can also be used for future tense as in "Tomorrow I should have a meeting with them." Past tense is "should have." As in "Yesterday I should have had a meeting with them."

Onomatopoeia in English: Dog: woof, woof or bow-wow Cock: cock-a-doodle-doo or crow Frog: croak or ribbit Goat: baa or bleat Cat: meow Cow: moo Here are a few more: Turkey: gobble Goose: honk Horse: neigh Bird: chirp, tweet

I have found movies without the subtitles helpful. For me it was part of the immersion process when I was learning Spanish. I also listened to a lot of radio, as background sound, and also watched some television. Movies would draw me in, as I would be captivated by the images and the unfolding narrative. Hearing words and sentences in context helped me to understand them, and I would sometimes jot words down to look them up later on. It's a great language learning process, I think, but yet at the same time does not feel rigorous or intensive. It plays upon our curiosity to learn more and know more, and to want to know, just what are they talking about!

Thanks for sharing this with us! I really like the works of Edgar Allen Poe and this story -- which I had not read before -- reminds me of how much I enjoy his prose style. It just begs to be read aloud, as it is so theatrical, in the best sense; creating mystery and suspense. This one is new to me. The language is so rich and sensuous that you just keep reading and reading and when it ends, it's chilling as it's so abrupt. And, as the annotations show, there are so many ways to interpret it. I think it reveals the high price that artists pay. They are not understood in society and often are treated as outcasts. Sometimes they themselves do not understand why and how they are driven. This is an extreme case, of course, showing the power of art, and how it is so all consuming and yes, also destructive.

Thanks very much for sharing this video. I think the tips are great and so is the presentation. Having an animated bear and giraffe conversing is very attention getting! Yes, these tips for memorizing words incorporate some principles of mnemonics, of using vivid imagery, connected with emotion, to forge memories that are much more indelible that they would otherwise be. I have used some of these techniques in daily life to remember items on a lists, for instance. I can see how powerfully they would work with learning words in a new language. I was doing something similar on my own when learning Spanish, but I was not nearly as focused and precise as they recommend here.

Even in this day and age, I think that capitalization is important as it adds clarity. It helps to differentiate one sentence from the next, which makes for easier reading. I also think it's still important for the names of proper nouns as well as for the pronoun "I." That said, I do know what you mean about the extra effort it takes. I'm typing this on a keyboard and to I have to keep hitting the shift key. It would be easier if I didn't, but I think I'm just so accustomed to it that it's become second nature. It could very well be that as years go by, the custom of capitalization may diminish although I hope that doesn't happen. Either that or, we will have keyboards and touch screens that do all of the auto-correcting that we need; even more so than what we have now.

That's a fascinating study. Thanks for sharing that with us. How wonderful that it is "mother" that has such an appeal to what obviously had to have been a diverse sampling of people, both geographically and culturally. I agree, it's a beautiful word! This reminds me of an earlier discussion we had here on the forum in which we remarked about the similarity of the word for "mama" -- as well as "papa" -- worldwide. You can see that thread here: http://linguaholic.com/general-discussion/world-languages-the-words-%27mama-and-papa%27/msg1531/#msg1531

Daedalus, thanks so much. That's a great find! It makes a lot of sense as there is music within a language; the phraseology and the cadence of the words, just the natural flow of language. I tend to listen to music more often than not. I prefer it over silence and most especially over the ambient traffic sounds. I find the right kind of music -- and it varies depending upon what I'm focused on -- can help me concentrate better. When I was immersing myself to learn Spanish, for instant, I had the music going quite often and I found it helped me in an intangible way to absorb the language. I'm sure it could work that way for any language.

Yes, "another one bites the dust" has a lot of meanings along these lines, just as you both have described. It's also the title of a classic song by the rock band Queen. I'm enjoying this idioms topic very much. Another one that's quite colorful is "an arm and a leg" meaning something that costs a lot, in money or other sacrifice. Also to "wear your heart on your sleeve," meaning that you express your emotions freely and openly.

Thank you both for sharing these book titles and authors! This is fantastic as these methods will be helpful for any language including our respective native languages. I agree with the general consensus on this thread, practice is important. Daily practice preferably. Even reading articles online is helpful. It helps build confidence and it will reduce the concern and anxiety, through sheer repetition and familiarity.

Yes, good point. The word oxymoron itself is an oxymoron! Those are all great examples. We do use "plain" quite a bit in that way; "plain thrilling" and "plain awful" and the list goes on. Likewise, that those are great examples, too. Oxymorons are so common, and it's only when we really examine them that we realize they are contradictory. Here are a few more that strike me as amusing when you really think about them. They all come across as excuses or evasions of some sort. "Additional reduction" "Accidentally on purpose" "Definite maybe"