LauraM

There are many practical reasons for learning a language as others have mentioned -- e.g. moving to another country, being in a relationship with someone who speaks another language, business and professional reasons, etc. But there are other reasons as well. Some people may have a passion for languages and for learning languages which may, in part, stem from an innate ability. It may also stem from an interest in broadening their understanding of other cultures and societies. Regardless of the reason, I do believe that it's crucial to be strongly motivated as learning languages does require much focus, study and work. Along those same lines I think it's also crucial to have an understanding of why you want to learn the language as this will help in those moments when the going is tough...you'll reflect upon those reasons, and rekindle your passion and enthusiasm.

I remember growing up and being confused by some idioms which were visually quite striking, but at a time when I did not fully understand what figurative language was. "Raining cats and dogs" is one such idiom. It sounded dangerous to me -- that if I were outside I could get hit by a cat or dog falling from the sky! "A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" is another one that I thought was literally true.

I think that far and above gender differences, the most important determining factor is the motivation that individuals have. Innate ability is great, but it's only a starting point. People, regardless of gender, will excel according to the degree that they're motivated. Also important are the circumstances under which they are learning languages. People have different styles of learning, and may progress at different rates. As for whether one gender is more talkative than the other, I'm also not so sure that is crucial in language learning. Learning a language also means being able to comprehend as well as to write. People may be introspective or perhaps even shy, verbally, and yet they may excel in comprehension and writing skills.

The confusion between "your" and "you're" has unfortunately become more and more commonplace. This is a topic that has been discussed in greater depth here. http://linguaholic.com/english-grammar/your-vs-you%27re/ You may find some of the insights and responses of interest as many others share the frustration of seeing this error so frequently.

I agree. It's best to use language that is direct and to the point. I like your "three Cs" -- "Clear, Concise and Correct" -- that's exactly what outstanding writing should accomplish. Something else that writers do is to overload their writing with too many adjectives and adverbs. As in this example you cited: Absolutely. It's unclear what the writer intends to tell us. I must say I have never seen "supreme grail quest" used quite that way! But that's the point I'm making. With so many words stacked together, it's almost impossible to understand exactly what is taking place. One is simply left with a collection of words which don't serve to communicate much of anything.

He took the picture back from me, and gazed at it. "This is a picture of my daughter...five years ago. It's the only picture of her that I have." He paused and, then, in a voice I could barely hear, he said, "Yes, it's been that long since I last saw her."

That's a good point about longer sentences. A longer sentence might require the use of various clauses and thus you may face such grammatical issues issues as subject/verb agreement, etc. Shorter sentences -- assuming they are coherent -- would solve that problem. They might also help with readability. I suggest writing a first draft and then going back to see if and when you can revise some of the longer sentences and split them. It just takes practice to modify your style of writing, but it's an achievable goal in my view.

YOLO is just an acronym. It started out as such and remains as such. I agree it is overused and annoying, too, especially when used as an excuse for bad behavior which it often is. It's not a positive and life affirming statement. I agree swag, swagger and SWAG are overused, too. It's unfortunate when these kinds of catch phrases become so common. I think they tend to be corrupting as they serve as stand-ins for more expressive and reflective communication.

As a native speaker I have not typically thought of foreign speakers as "rude" under these circumstances. If anything, I have great empathy for them. It's difficult being in a country when you are unfamiliar with the language, culture and customs. If anything, I give them a pass as I realize they are probably feeling some anxiety or nervousness which can possibly be perceived as rudeness. As for direct questions, again, to me that wouldn't be an issue. If people are unfamiliar with the language, they're doing the best they can to communicate. To me, that's commendable as it does take courage to do so.

That's a very good point and I agree. There is a difference between the two. To generalize about native English speakers brings on several assumptions such as have been discussed here. Especially that native English speakers are not willing or interested in learning other languages and, conversely may think that people instead should be learning English. Several native English speakers on this thread have already shown themselves to be exceptions to such generalities. After all, that's why we're here; we have an interest in learning other languages.

Three of JD Salinger's unpublished stories have leaked online. They are as follows: "Birthday Boy" "Paula" "The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls" -- This one is of particular interest as it's a precursor to 'The Catcher in the Rye' They were previously held in two different library collections of JD Salinger's archives, at Princeton Univ. and at the Univ. of Texas and available only under lock and key to scholars. So it was possible to read these stories, but with some effort. However Salinger didn't want them published until 50 years after his death which would be 2060. But they are on the Internet now and much more accessible. You can find out more about how these stories leaked and get the link to download them if you wish here: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/18021/1/read-three-unpublished-jd-salinger-short-stories If you do read them let us know what you think of them.

They are similar verbs and I can understand the confusion. The verb "need" is more limited in meaning. It refers to something that is necessary or that one must have. As in: We need oxygen to breathe. We need food and water to stay alive. Of course there are "needs" that are not quite life and death matters and these kinds of "needs" may be from desire or habit. As in: I need to buy a new coat. (Although I might already have more coats than I know what to do with!) As for the verb "must" this is an obligation or a requirement, possibly even a legal requirement. As in: I must pass the exam to be admitted to the school. He must drive under the speed limit or he risks getting a ticket. We must inform the supervisor that we are leaving the office for lunch or we will get in trouble. I hope this is helpful.

Great topic. I agree completely. I have also enjoyed a lot of nonfiction over the years. Especially history and biography/autobiography which are my favorites. Here are just a few that left a strong impression on me: 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb' by Richard Rhodes 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe 'Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America' by Barbara Ehrenreich There are others, but these come to mind at the moment.

Continuing our series on various idioms in English based on subjects, how about the weather? Like it or not the weather impacts all of us. So not surprisingly over the years, there have been many idioms and expressions in the English language that relate in some way to the weather. Here are a few for starters: "Under the weather" -- You say you are "under the weather" if not feeling well or if feeling ill. "Make hay while the sun shines" -- to be productive under favorable circumstances. To be "on cloud nine" means to be very happy or excited. To "throw caution to the wind" means to take risks or to act regardless of danger. Please add to the list.

All of these sentences use the subjunctive mood. It's used to convey some kind of emotion rather than a fact; a wish, a desire, etc. The use of "I wish" is the clue here and thus makes it quite easy to identify. But these days, not everyone uses it and so you will sometimes see it written incorrectly. For instance' "I wish I was rich" instead of "I wish I were rich" which is the correct form. But in all cases, it would be "were" as that is the correct form of the verb "to be" in the subjunctive mood. I wish I were rich. I wish it were done. I wish life were easy. I wish he were mine.

I agree, this is a great topic. There are so many heart idioms and metaphors in the English language. Here are a few I thought of: "Take heart" -- to have courage, to take comfort or to persevere, depending on the context. "Eat your heart out" -- to be jealous of or to envy someone else. To "have one's heart set on" -- be determined about something. "Heart skips a beat" -- to be startled or taken by surprise. "Heart goes out" to someone -- to have empathy, sympathy and/or understanding of someone's difficulties. "Heart isn't in it" -- to lack the drive, passion or interest in something.

I keep abbreviations to a minimum. I approach texting the same way I approach email. I spell out the words and use correct grammar and spelling. With a QWERTY keyboard and autocomplete, it's not difficult to do. I prefer to do this both for clarity -- after all I do want to be understood! -- and also because I don't want to get into poor habits in spelling or grammar.

It's a great idiom, I think. It is so vivid, and as such really captures the meaning, which is to do something precisely or with precision. That's exactly what "hitting a nail on the head" means in the literal sense; if you're hammering nails and you miss, you wind up with a useless nail. So you have to go back and make sure it's hammered correctly.

I think the reason we may have foreign phrases in the English language is because sometimes the foreign phrase has nuances of meaning that can't be captured fully in English. And thus, people, in recognizing that don't attempt to translate the word or phrase but use it as is. Here are a few of my favorite foreign phrases that I think would exemplify that. French: joie de vivre déjà vu liaison milieu Italian: fiasco diva German: Zeitgeist Blitzkrieg You can say them in English but it takes so many more words to try to explain the meaning.

Oxford Dictionaries just announced that their 2013 "Word of the Year" is "selfie." They note that the frequency of the use of the word has risen steadily since 2012, and especially so this year. Interestingly, the word dates back to 2002. They documented the first use of the term online was on a forum back then, 11 years ago. It's just been recently that we've seen the word everywhere and, no doubt used it. And, no doubt, taken selfies, too! The full article is here. It's a good read. http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/11/word-of-the-year-2013-winner/ What do you think of their choice? Do you think "selfie" deserves to be "word of the year?" If not what word would you pick?

I can relate. The few times that I use "alas" in speech or written word is for comedic effect. Used that way, I find it can be amusing, especially putting the two together, "Alas and alack!" It's a bit old fashioned and outdated if one were to use these words with full seriousness. But I also understand and agree with the larger point on avoiding pretentious language. That can backfire and be counterproductive. When communicating, the last thing we want to do is to use language that unduly calls attention to itself rather than to the concepts, thoughts and feelings we are attempting to convey.

I agree with you. I think it's intrusive and inappropriate to correct someone's grammar. As I see it, that's crossing a boundary and ultimately it's disrespectful. That said, I do understand the temptation, as poor grammar can be grating. I think the only exception would be if it's a close friend or someone who has made it clear that they want to be corrected, for their own benefit and edification.

We have found in previous threads that there are lots of idioms in English that use animals, birds, and fish. It seems fitting that we shouldn't neglect the insect world. English also has lots of idioms with various species of insects. Here are a few for starters: "Busy as a bee" -- when one is industrious and gets a lot accomplished. "Fly in the ointment" -- something that ruins or spoils the fun. To have "butterflies in your stomach" means to be very nervous about something. Can you think of some idioms with insects? Please add to our list.

The idioms that seem funniest to me are highly visual ones which, when imagined are almost cartoonish. For example, "wild goose chase," when you think of it literally is very silly. It means a futile endeavor or pursuit. Another one is "barking up the wrong tree" which again, literally, is referring to hunting dogs who are literally barking at the quarry that has climbed a tree to escape. But as an idiom, it refers to a mistake or an incorrect assumption.

I do use correct spelling and grammar even in informal setting. I think it's important to not fall into bad habits which otherwise can become unconscious and thus suddenly surface at a time when correct grammar is an absolute must. This is what I learned growing up, being raised by two teachers who made sure I spoke correctly at home. They were corrective, but in a positive and gentle way. I don't correct other people's grammar unless we have an agreement that it's okay to do so. It's tempting, yes, of course, but I don't want to be intrusive in that way.