Jump to content
Linguaholic

LauraM

Members
  • Posts

    412
  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

Everything posted by LauraM

  1. I think a bad reason to learn a language would be if a person is forced or compelled to do so when they don't want to. Especially for a young child who is forced to learn a language perhaps to fulfill requirements at school or because of parents who are very domineering and controlling. This could possibly even happen later in life such as being in a relationship with someone who is very controlling and even abusive and absolutely insists that the person learn a language. That really is a bad reason -- learning against one's will. It can have such negative effects. But this is true of other activities if one is forced into them. That's what came to mind when I saw the title of this thread.
  2. The Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary publisher just announced they are adding 150 words to the next edition. There are some interesting ones! Here are just a few: * selfie * tweep * hashtag *crowdfunding *gamification There are lots more. A summary is here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/new-words/2014-update.htm Check it out and let us know your thoughts. Have you been using some of these words?
  3. English is spoken as a native language in so many countries -- including the UK, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand among others -- and so it's inevitable that there are some wide variances in the language and its usage. We find that vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling and even grammar have evolved differently not just country by country but even within regions. In the UK think of the sound of the accent of someone in Dublin and the accent of someone in London. Or in the U.S. a native New Yorker and a Texan. Quite different. That's part of what makes English so fascinating to me as a native speaker. I enjoy hearing the nuances of accents and vocabulary.
  4. This is a great category. There are lots of house-related idioms in English. Hit the ceiling -- means to become angry. "When he saw his mobile phone bill he hit the ceiling." To eat out of house and home -- means that someone eats a lot to the point that they are difficult to accommodate. "Our out-of-town guests spent the weekend with us and ate us out of house and home." To have have skeletons in the closet -- means to harbor unpleasant secrets. "He was in a gang when he was growing up and he has skeletons in the closet."
  5. I must admit that many spelling, grammar and language usage mistakes annoy me more than they amuse me. But that said, there are a couple that are inadvertently entertaining to me. For example, we often hear people say "very unique." I get a chuckle out of that because "unique" is an absolute. Something is unique or it is not unique; there are not degrees or levels of uniqueness! Yet I see that expression "very unique" fairly often. I also find it amusing when I see "misspelled" spelled incorrectly. I sometimes see it spelled as "mispelled."
  6. Well, these would be some very trying and challenging circumstances! In a situation like this one is extremely vulnerable and it's important to be able to tap into and to trust your instincts and your intuition. Again, very difficult. I must say, I am glad this is just a thought experiment as it is a pretty frightening scenario! I would have to really force myself to remain calm and to not panic. To take things one step at a time. Befriending people and finding some allies would be a huge step but an important one. Gestures and facial expressions can go a long way towards breaking down language barriers.
  7. Some excellent and thought provoking quotes here. Here are some of my favorites. "Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie "Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." -- Thomas Jefferson "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle
  8. This is such a fun topic! I really like puns and over the years have found that puns that are made up, spontaneously in the middle of conversations are especially fun. I don't always remember them, but at the time, they are great for a laugh. One of the classics that I've seen over the years: "A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion."
  9. I agree. Subtitles can be extremely helpful to get the fine points and nuances of speech that can go by so quickly especially the first time around. I think having something there to read also helps in focus and concentration. When I was studying Spanish intensely I found subtitles in movies also helped me to pick up some new vocabulary words that I would later look up to solidify the meanings and help me remember.
  10. I would say that it is also important to have a solid curriculum and to know what your intentions are if you're going to teach English. What approach will you take? What are your expectations? Your time frame? Also important: how motivated are the students to learn? One of the great things about teaching is that you yourself will also become a student. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn!
  11. Music idioms are great! Here are a few I thought of. For a song -- to get something inexpensively. As in: "She went to a thrift shop and got her whole wardrobe for a song. Whistling Dixie -- To be unrealistic in expectations. As in: "They say they plan to graduate from law school this year but they never study. They're just whistling Dixie." Pay the Piper -- To have to pay an unreasonably high price for something, but have no other option. This actually refers to the story of the Pied Piper.
  12. For me it was the sheer fascination of hearing a foreign language and then being curious to be able to understand it. As a native speaker in the U.S. I did get some early exposure to other languages; Spanish in particular as I would always hear and see native speakers in the area, as well as in media. Also, I still remember family trips to Quebec and hearing French for the first time. My dad could speak the language fairly well, and I would get a kick out of seeing him being able to converse, and that too inspired me to learn languages.
  13. I prefer the original for the subtitles and nuances that can't be adequately conveyed in another language. Even if it's a language that I'm not completely fluent in, at the very least I want to have the text side-by-side in a bilingual edition so that I can resort to English when needed, but still try my hardest to understand and appreciate the beauty of the original language. This is strong motivation for me to keep learning languages, too.
  14. I think this is an excellent approach. It's important to take action rather than to just think of how overwhelmed you are and that you don't have time to do something. You're absolutely right, 5 minutes is not a huge time commitment. I have used a similar strategy for a variety of tasks, including increasing vocabulary. It's all cumulative, and to have the discipline to get started is an accomplishment in and of itself. And once you get in the habit of setting aside the 5 minutes or so, it becomes easier and easier. Great ideas. Very motivating. Thanks for sharing them with us!
  15. I think "easy" is a relative term here. With English as with any language the degree to which a person is motivated to learn the language has much to do with it. I think that because many people may feel a strong motivation to learn the language they will do what it takes to master it. English as with any language has its challenges. Some of the grammar and spelling are difficult because they don't conform to specific rules, so it's a matter of buckling down and doing the work needed to learn the language.
  16. Here are a few I thought of: "To give up the ghost" -- To die. "Dead to the world" -- To be asleep, especially a deep sleep. "Dead ringer" -- something or someone extremely similar to another. "Scared to death" -- Extremely frightened.
  17. I am a longtime fan of classic Hollywood movies of the 1930s, '40s and '50s so some of my favorite movie quotes are from some of these classics. Betty Davis in "All About Eve" "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up." Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca" "Here's looking at you, kid."
  18. That's exciting to hear. I'm glad to know of your firsthand positive experiences with Esperanto. I never learned the language, but I remember as a child first hearing about it and I thought it was such a fantastic idea. It's a shame really that Esperanto has not taken hold in all these decades. But ultimately, it's not really about vast numbers of speakers. People have benefited from knowing and speaking the language with others and your experience is testament to that. I'd be curious to know if others here have learned Esperanto and have had positive experiences in connecting with others.
  19. Yes. that's a very good point. Sometimes insults may be compliments, there can be a fair amount of subjectivity. I too would also take "nerd" as a compliment. I think over time, the word has lost its stigma and it is more of a badge of honor. At the same time, I think the opposite is also true. We may call someone by a term that's descriptive or commonly used and based on a person's life history and experiences they may perceive it differently. For example, I had a friend who took "army brat" as an insult and would get very upset if anyone called him such. It was true that he was from a military family, but the experience of moving around constantly and never being able to have long-term friendships was painful to him and so when someone would call him an "army brat" it would bring up those memories. In an ideal world, of course, it would be best if we were not insulting each other!
  20. I admit I do have a few pet peeves and typically they are words and phrases that are overused or used incorrectly. I think "awesome" is overused to the point that it has lost its significance. And the constant use of it really dilutes the meaning. So then suddenly if something truly is "awesome" we have to come up with another word! I find that it can be annoying at times when slang expressions crop up and they get overused, and used to the point that subtly in meaning is lost. Case in point is this phrase "throwing shade" which suddenly everyone is using and which you see a lot in entertainment sites and blogs. It's as if now that we have this "throwing shade" term suddenly people are looking for excuses to use it. I think "selfie" is getting overused, too. And perhaps because it's used so much maybe people suddenly now feel more compelled to do selfies! Those are just a few examples. But absolutely, I totally understand being annoyed by words and phrases!
  21. Yes, I can relate to that feeling of wanting to quit. It can be difficult to carve out time to continue with studies and to keep persevering. Learning the rules of grammar and increasing vocabulary are tasks that require a lot of concentration and mental energy. It can be exhausting. I think it's best to schedule in time for study and practice. I also believe that being immerse in the language can help in those times when it's difficult to stay motivated. Listening to the music, watching a movie, even listening to the radio in that language can rekindle the original passion and enthusiasm. At least this is what has worked for me!
  22. I agree with what others are saying here. You can definitely forget a language you have learned if you don't keep using it actively. It's very similar to physical fitness. Truly a case of use it or lose it. If you don't stay immersed in the language to some degree you will lose vocabulary and other elements, including the fine points of grammar and conjugating verbs. It is a major investment in time and energy to learn a language, and well worth it to maintain it once you've learned it. The Internet makes it much easier these days. There are many ways to connect with others who speak the language or, if not else, just to read in the language and/or listen to it, via the Internet.
  23. "Divergent" is a novel by the first-time novelist Veronica Roth. It's been made into a movie which opens in theaters next month. The novel and the upcoming movie have drawn comparisons to "The Hunger Games." "Divergent" is the first of a trilogy so we can anticipate that if the movie is successful, we might see additional movies being made. Have you read "Divergent?" If so, what did you like about it? Would you recommend it to others? I'm curious to know. I haven't read it but I'm hearing so much about it partly because of the movie.
  24. That's quite a list. Not only do many of these words sound funny, but what I also like is that they are so descriptive. It's a shame they're not used more often. Out of that list here are some of my favorites: "Abibliophobia - The fear of running out of reading material." Yes, I think especially back in the pre-Internet and pre-Kindle days that would be a huge fear. You could find yourself somewhere and run out of books and magazines to read! "Batrachomyomachy - Making a mountain out of a molehill." This is a fun one, too. Who knew there was a word for this! "Goombah - An older friend who protects you." "Tatterdemalion - A child in rags." I think these are great, too. They sound like fairy tale characters. The whole list really is a gem. So many words and all are so vivid and descriptive. It really reminds us of how many unusual words there are in the English language, especially ones that fall out of use. I've been enjoying this thread. It's fun to see all the new responses. I've shared some of my favorites previously, but here's another one: Onomatopoeia I've always thought that "onomatopoeia" was a funny sounding word, and it's perfect for its meaning i.e. words that attempt to imitate sounds phonetically.
  25. Aishe, I hope it is going well for you, picking up some new books! This has been such an interesting thread. So many great ideas and strategies. You mentioned that you like plot driven books. Perhaps as an alternative, some historical fiction that is very in-depth and involving? I haven't read it for many years, but I was absolutely enthralled with 'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry. The book won a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize. I found the characters fascinating as well as the setting. There was so much veracity in the author's depiction of life in the Wild West. It wasn't overly romanticized and the struggles and challenges that the characters faced were quite absorbing. So perhaps something along those lines might be worthwhile.
×
×
  • Create New...