jodiann12

Yes, if I'm in a professional environment it is important that I speak a certain kind of way. It's important that I not only look professional, but speak professionally as well. If I'm doing a presentation too, especially in front of a large audience then, of course, how I speak is important. My grammar, pronunciation, and enunciation have to be right. If I'm in a more informal setting, no I don't care about how I speak because I'm in a more relaxed environment.

I don't think I over use it at all. I only use it when it's absolutely necessary, when someone shares a very hilarious joke; but I try to keep abbreviations to a minimum even when I'm texting or using instant messaging. I'm a writer so I enjoy writing and typing.

My favorite funny Spanish idioms are: "La carne de burro no es transparent." Literal meaning is "the flesh of the donkey is not transparent.The English equivalent to this one is "you make a better door than a window." LOL I thought that one was hilarious! Another one is "comer frijoles y repetir pollo." This literally means "to eat beans and belch chicken." The English equivalent to this one is "his bark is mightier than his bite."

Some weird Spanish sayings that I have found are: "Con el dinero baila el perro." This literally means with money the dog will dance. It's more profound meaning is "With money, anything is possible." "Dando y dando, pajarito volando." This literally means: "Giving and giving, the bird is flying." This proverb is similar to the English proverb which says: "Scratch my back, I will scratch yours." (This one really makes no sense to me) "A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va acabar" This one means: "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow the world will end."

La principal causa de la melancolia es el ocio; no hay mejor remedio que la actividad. This means the main cause of melancholy is idleness; there's no better remedy than activity. I am in total agreement with this quote because I have noticed that when my mind is not pre-occupied with doing something, it's easy for me to get depressed and sad.

I also love to use Oxford Dictionary, especially the unabridged version. The student version is also great, too use too, and, of course easier to carry around than the unabridged version.

I love poetry, and I'm a poet myself. One of my favorite poets is William Wordsworth. I also love Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. Some Caribbean poets that I love are Derek Walcott and Lorna Goodison. My favorite African-American poets are Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.

I have heard so much about this language learning platform. I took a look at it some time ago, and I also like the whole layout. Yes, it does allow language learning to be very enjoyable. I would like to try it some time as soon as I get the chance to do so.

I agree that when a person uses the word "like" repeatedly in one sentence is very annoying. Sometimes I find it torturous to listen to people like that. I have try hard not to be rude and ignore them while they're speaking. That's just so annoying.

I also studied Shakespeare all throughout my high school career. The Shakespearean plays which I have read included: Hamlet, Richard III, Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth. I studied Shakespeare as an English major too in my undergraduate years. Some of the plays which I have studied included: Richard II, Troilus and Cressida, The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing. I also re-read and re-studied Macbeth, Hamlet, and Midsummer Night's Dream. While studying Shakespeare, I learn to admire his use of metaphors and images. I also love how keenly aware he was of the complexities of human nature. He was a very brilliant and perceptive man.

I like the fact Alphonso that you said that you liked the Jamaican English accent. As a Jamaican, I would like to thank you for that Alphonso. I have found out that they are many people in the world who consider our accent to be very beautiful. It's funny that years ago, even the Jamaicans themselves saw their accent as something that was negative since they could not sound like their British colonizers, but I'm glad that things are changing now.

I love the Southern American English accent. It has a very pleasing and musical quality about it. The standard British accent is very elegant too.

I agree entirely with this quote. As a former English Literature major, I noticed that literature reflects society and is used to show the disorder within its order, or its flaws and shortcomings. Literature can motivate society to change or improve the society, or at least question the status quo. It can also belittle, mock, or ridicule the so-called heroes in society, while making ordinary people larger than life as mentioned in this quote. Literature allows to be more aware of the world around and to have an inquiring mind, which would necessarily accept social norms and to push the envelope if it is needed.

The sentences were a bit too long and wordy for my liking, but I understand that the era in which Poe wrote, that type of writing style was prevalent. I got a chance to skim over the annotated bibliography, and noted a statement which indicated the "tense interaction between symbols, images, and words." I thought that phrase perfectly summed up what Poe was attempting to do in "The Oval Portrait." Poe is attempting to capture the vivid and powerful communicative medium like a portrait but fails to do so. This reflects the painter attempting to capture the soul and essence of his subject, his wife, through his paintings but struggles to do her justice as he paints her portrait. When he's almost successful, she immediately dies.

Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese are examples of romantic languages. They are all derived from Latin, so some of the words may sound or look the same in writing; but, of course, each language has its different set of rules.

I agree with tulosai. It all depends on how many foreign languages you already speak, how much you practice the language, and how much time you're willing to devote to it. Rosetta Stone may work for some, and it may not for others. Probably going to class might be helpful, and then practicing that language in an environment where there are mainly native speakers.

I was also wondering if I should use Rosetta Stone, too because based on my understanding Rosetta Stone teaches you how to think like the native speaker of the language which you're studying. It causes you to learn vocabulary and concepts using images. I found that very interesting, which was why I wanted to try it. I also did Spanish in high school and at college, and I can read and write in the language well, but I find difficulty speaking and listening to it. So, I wanted to brush up on that.

Yes, most definitely! It's the second most spoken language in the United States, and there are many countries in the Western Hemisphere which speak the language. If you plan to travel to or do business in those countries, it would definitely help to learn the language.

I love this quote! As a writer correct grammar is very important to me. Not only is a poorly written article with grammar and typographical errors a pain to read, but it also causes you, the writer, to lose your credibility in the eyes of the reader. It comes across as if you don't know what you're talking about.

LOL! It's insane that a word is that long. :grin: I don't know how to pronounce it. A very strange English word is Gobbledygook, which means nonsense. Another word which I also found weird is filibuster, which means to refuse to give up the floor in a debate to prevent a vote. The word doesn't sound like what it should mean. When I first heard it when I was younger, I thought it had something to do with blisters. :grin:

I have found out about duolingo sometime ago while doing my freelance writing. I want to be able to use this site as soon as I get my scheduling straightened out. It sounds like a very good site to learn new languages; and any person who have talked about this site has given it great reviews.

I am the same way Czarownica. I have always felt more comfortable reading and writing rather than speaking and listening to a foreign language. That's also the case in regards to my native tongue, English. I am also very shy and have anxieties about messing up too.

I totally agree with this quote. It's not enough to learn a foreign language in school. You need to be placed in an environment where you are forced to use the language. You might learn some concepts in a class, but those won't stick with you unless you practice it.

This table is not a surprise to me. British people are fake! They never say what they mean and they never mean what they say! I always watch their body language whenever they are saying something. When you look at their facial expression, and even hear their tone, you know for sure that they don't actually mean what they are saying.