10theMCee

Very interesting choices. Mine would be LITERALLY. I like how this word challenges me to pronounce it properly! It has also helped me encourage a lot of my students before. My Korean students for example, would usually say it is a little hard to deliver orally because of 'r' and 'l'.

Being able to speak English aside from my mother tongue has helped me a lot in landing on several job opportunities. Also, I have had chances to help others in times of need because of this. My being able to speak English has enabled me to assist several tourists before as they were visiting my hometown. It was a great experience aside from the fact that I had made foreign friends afterwards.

I think you have had the chance to read a lot of tips about how to learn another language easier. I would like to suggest that you try not overloading yourself with the technicalities of the second language. Stressing yourself much over syntax and semantics early on could set you back. It would be best that you immerse yourself in an environment that encourages learning the language at the start of your journey but not in any way that would pressure you.

Texting and chatting have paved the way for these shortcuts. I think they are convenient to use especially when you have limited number of characters to type for your novel-long expressions. As a teacher though, I am saddened every time I see individuals who totally change the spelling of a certain word, adding more letters and symbols than necessary. In the Philippines, this is very common and I would even receive messages starting with an apostrophe or comma. I don't understand why they have to do this in the first place, considering we are supposed to be maximizing the characters! And what is with the apostrophe at the beginning of the sentence? In this case, the rules of grammar are neglected and not prioritized. Add to that the confusion and misunderstanding the recipient of the message experiences whenever they get such SMS!

I also believe that learning another language is not actually a necessity but it is more of a trend nowadays. As implied earlier in this thread, it would be such a pity not to even attempt studying one. In this modern day and age, interaction and interdependence among different countries and nationalities occur in the most unexpected moments and remote locations. As an individual seeking improvement or may it be as a form of entertainment, studying another language could offer a lot of benefits at the same time.

The use of good or even perfect grammar is very important. Any message, in whichever form it is sent or stated, will not be fully understood if there is an error with syntax. This goes for all languages. One thing I have noticed though, about second language learners, is that they are more keen when it comes to grammar. My Asian students, for example, are always conscious about the way they form their sentences and deliver them. My native speaker friends, however, have a tendency to commit some mistakes and take if for granted in a funny way.

When I was trying to learn more about proper English pronunciation, I had a hard time pronouncing 'sixth' because of th. Please take note that I am not a native speaker. In my years of experience teaching Asian students, the words literally, intercontinental, and village proved to be bothersome. I agree with the others saying that one's origin is of consideration. The issue of enunciation is always affected because of the mother tongue of the learner. The differences of the two languages, the first and the second one, always surface in all aspects of language learning but it is usually most obvious in oral delivery.

What do you think is the most common misconception of second language learners regarding the study of the English language?

I am a teacher by profession and have enjoyed all opportunities to do this. One of my best experiences was to teach English to foreign students. For the most part, I had difficulty interacting with several individuals all at once who were of different nationalities. But thanks to listening to university professors and my passion for sharing knowledge, I was able to achieve my goals as well as my students' afterwards.

The most accepted spellings would be jeez and geez. Many works and authors have spelled them this manner. So definitely, not 'geeze' nor 'jeeze'. I totally agree with kitkat. Many people like using this expression without realizing its true meaning and origin.

It depends upon the kind of online tutorials you are referring to. I have had experience teaching English using the phone, Skype, and also in a classroom setting. The kind of teaching I did over the phone and thru Skype provided interaction between the teacher and the learner. If you are referring to passive learning thru video tutorials, I can say that they can be effective, if it caters to your learning style. But then, unlike having an instructor or consultant during your study time, you will not receive immediate and guided evaluation. My students who used this medium ranged from 5 years old to the elderly--as in up to 65 years old. Though we have limited time to study, almost all the students provided positive feedback and showed dramatic improvement since their language needs were assessed before, during, and after our sessions.