Denis Hard

As Alberta watched the Tiger race off she suddenly remembered the open window at the far end of the hallway. The memory of her cat which had plunged to death from the same window flashed in the back of her mind. . .

A few more: Not for the faint-hearted - not good for people who get frightened/unnerved easily. Chicken-hearted - cowardly. Eat your heart out - to grieve over some loss. Have best interest at heart - to make decisions based on someones interests. Young at heart - having a youthful spirit regardless of one's age.

I'd rather read lyrics instead of poems. Poets tend to go overboard with obscuring the message they want to get across. If I'm reading something, the more transparent it is, the better I'd like it. The good thing about most lyrics is that you don't have to bother trying to read between the lines. The meaning is quite obvious.

So would Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland qualify as a children's book a beginner could read, understand and enjoy? Or should one go for fairy tales which tend to be shorter and use simpler language in the stories. I'm just curious guys. There are so many people out there recommending the reading of books without taking into account the level of proficiency the learner has reached in as far as learning a new language is concerned.

When I am texting I don't bother trying to observe fancy grammar rules and such. The point is to get the message across in as few words as possible since I hate typing on the phones keypad. In such instances I take liberties. For example if I want to know whether someone is at home or not I simply type: "home?" Simple and direct.

One of the ways those learning English as a second language can learn how to use the language properly is by reading books written by writers who were English purist's. Someone like J.R.R Tolkien. Any more recommendations?

I have my doubts that this can be effective in learning a language fast owing to the fact that neither of the parties involved are well-versed in the vocabulary of the language you're learning. Unless you're an intermediate learner, having a virtual learning partner IMO, wouldn't be helpful.

I know of people who use words backwards so that anyone listening should not understand them. For me and a couple of my friends, change a person's name in such a way that even if we were talking about him/her he wouldn't have an inkling that s/he is the subject of a conversation. For example, there's an engineer who works in an office next to us whose name is Shadrack. We call him Shades.

Well then guys, instead of buying the software without testing it or them, first, I'll look around [at the recommendations] and others I might find using Google see if they have a trial/demo version and after using it buy the full version if I like how the software works. Nonetheless; I was hoping that they do more than just translate words.

I always misspell onomatopoeia [used a spell checker there!]. It's not difficult to memorize the spelling but the fact that it's not commonly used makes it tough to remember the spelling when you need to type the word.

I had an interest in film [was actually a student learning about film-making] and these phrases were didn't sound that foreign: It's got to do with the use of new techniques in art [any of the fields] arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted or in short, the set.

It would be more advisable to learn and master single words first because some phrases may have more than one meaning. Trying to learn all of them [the meanings] at a time could be difficult. So, once you learn the words, you can use conjunctions you've mastered to construct simple sentences then as you get better construct more complex sentences.

There are lots of apps these days that make learning a foreign language easier. My favorite app is "babbel." You get to learn new words and if you please, register an account and keep track of your learning progress.

From time to time, I've come across software which it's claimed, can help you learn a language faster. I don't how that works but before trying to find out I'd like to hear about their [the software's] efficacy. If you've used such software before, would you recommend it's usage for language learning?

I'm doubting if you can learn a new language by just reading a book whose words you don't even understand. I came across a book titled, "Spanish for Beginners" and after flipping through it, realized that taking a stab at learning a language that way would be a waste of time. You'd never even learn how to pronounce the words right. Have you ever tried to learn a new language using just some book?

A few more 'bird' idioms: Free as a bird - completely free. Bird's eye view - see from above. Birds in their little nests agree - those who live together should live peacefully side by side. Eat like a bird - to eat only very small amounts of food. Fine feathers make fine birds - if you dress well, people will be misled into believing you're some big shot.

It depends on how you define 'correct.' Language is used differently, in different settings. If I'm talking to friends then I'll use the style we use when we communicate on a day-to-day basis. Of course that doesn't mean mangling up grammar and stuff. I'd never do that.

I've tried to in the past through meticulous research to find some root word in one language which, though the spelling may have been altered a little is part of a word [or is an actual word] that has the same meaning in the different languages [i'm not talking about related languages like Germanic languages]. I never did find any such words but realized that word usage was similar. For example, the word snake, a euphemistic word for the male reproductive organ is used virtually all over the world to refer to the same thing. Can this be proof that people at one time spoke one language?

If France has got to the point where they're English-friendly then in the near-future English will be the one language everyone will have learned. My opinion is that technology and the entertainment industry have played a major role in [changing the attitude of non-English speaking people] forcing them to learn English and as more and more coding languages are created by English speaking people, those coders who can't speak English must learn it in order to stay competitive in their chosen careers.

Um. . .no. Maybe I do have an accent but it's implacable. I've lived in so many places where English spoken in different accents. I never got round to acquiring any but most people think I mumble a lot so maybe I do have an accent, only it's of a different kind. . .

I used to use this when in school. Once I learned a new word, I'd write it down. I then construct a few sentences using the word. Writing down a word [more than once] after you've learned it fixes it in the mind or at least, that's what I've discovered.

The only place I ever meet friends who I write to is on the net. In some communities, the use of acronyms such as LOL is obligatory. For example if I'm using an instant messaging service then quite obviously I'd have to use such acronyms because they save time. However, if I'm writing an e-mail to a friend [which is rare] then I don't use acronyms.

I started learning Spanish because in the near-future I'll be leaving amongst Spanish-speaking people. Fact therefore is, if I am to have any communication with anyone then I have to learn and master the language. What keeps me motivated to keep going is the thought that if I don't then I'll have to be very lonely.

I normally do but not in formal writing. If I'm writing fiction, then I have the right to write as I damn well please. However, if I'm writing a cover letter or something similar then quite obviously I'll write my sentences the way the grammar book demands. Elsewhere, man. . .oh, the freedom!

It depends on how you'd define slow or fast. I read fiction but I don't remember the last time I read every single word in any of the books. I hate descriptions of places, people, etc because I know most of the time they add nothing to the story. So when I get to such places I simply skim over them. Using such methods, I'm able to read a book in a very short time. In short therefore, it's hard to tell but on face value, I am a very fast reader. p.s I never read aloud.