Denis Hard

When thinking, you're more concerned about getting the "perfect" word to use in a certain situation. That's why you find that your mind might by-pass the most obvious word in search of something else. When you're on the spot, it's an entirely different matter. The fact that you have to get information across without having much time to rehearse, the words, the mind will have to work faster, find the right words and have them in some sort of cue so that you just kind of pick them up as you go.

I don't know where all of you get your language learning tutorials online but I came across this today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ Owing to BBC's reputation, I want to believe that what they're offering could be of a higher quality than what you'd get in most of the other place especially questionable youtube videos. Currently they list about 40 languages you can learn on the site. So why not take a look? It's free after all! http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

I don't trust people who talk fast because from experience I've learned that they tell a lot of lies. They yell a lot. Gossip a lot. So for me, it's a matter more of principle to distrust and avoid such people but if necessity demands it, I don't mind listening to them.

Universal sign language would be. . . Some gestures that can interpreted to mean a particular thing anywhere in the world. If for example you don't speak the language but badly need something you could act out what you want. At worst your audience will mistake you for a idiot or you may pass across the message. The same thing applies with sign language. While they may learn some form of universal sign language, this can only be understood by those who know that language. So, these people with disabilities must learn to improvise. I guess that would account for why there are so many different sign languages.

Every medium that uses language can be helpful to a learner if you get to know the meanings of the foreign words you encounters so that the more you come across them, you get used to hearing or seeing the words and in the end, you simply know how to use them. However, for some video games that use swear words [and I know a few] I doubt those would be very helpful.

The only word that would grab my attention these days is "funny." I've been so depressed over the past few months that all I seek these days is something that would bring some brightness into my life so quite naturally I'm always on the hunt for things that will bring a smile to me. So I guess what grabs your attention would depend on the situation you are in. If for example you're looking for a job, the words that would grab your attention would be somewhat different from words that would attract the attention of someone who's, say, into conspiracy theories.

A few more: Hit below the belt - do something unfair to win. . . Give it your best shot - try your best to achieve/attain some goal. At this stage in the game - at a particular time. Ball is in your court - the responsibility to do something is yours.

I agree with Lindakay. Spellcheckers can embarrass you especially in a situation where you use a homonym that makes no sense in the context it's used. For example a words like they're and their which are not used interchangeably might go by unobserved by a spell-checker though the usage might be wrong. And in addition to that, the type of writing you're doing determines whether you'll use software that corrects your grammar and spelling [which can be very annoying if you're using old words that aren't used anymore]. I guess at the beginning they [spell checkers and such] are great but as you get to be more proficient in the language, you can get rid of them.

Much as software that purportedly correctly translates words, phrases, etc into some target language, the meanings can be lost because a machine can only literally translate word by word. For that reason therefore, serious organizations, people and so on who want books, articles, and other material translated always use linguists to do that for them. Knowing multiple [marketable languages] therefore can be good for your wallet.

These days, more than ever, a word can mean anything depending on the context it's used in. Most of those learning English or another language [that may use words in same vein] may find it very tricky. Let's take an example of the word bad. It's a word everyone is familiar with and it's used mostly in reference to pointing out some negativity in something, an inadequacy in something and so on [me speak bad engrish, he's a bad kid, etc]. So what of when someone refers to a really good actor sportsperson as bad? Example: JOHN: Do you think our guy will beat Phelps in the swimming competition. JILL: Nah. Phelps is bad. Any more examples guys of negative words which depending on the context they're used, have a positive meaning?

The guy is definitely telling a lie. Unless it's a language with a vocabulary of under 1,000 words, it's out of question. He should be honest about what you can learn in ten days. Maybe a few basic words. . .greetings and stuff?

There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe he plans to live somewhere the knowledge of English is not going to be helpful. If I were in his shoes and I wasn't going to benefit much from learning a language that doesn't interest me, I wouldn't put in any effort to improve myself.

There's no right or wrong way to practice writing. Ever heard of free-writing. You just put pen to paper. Any thoughts that come into your mind. . .you jot them down. The point of the exercise is to get into the rhythm of writing. The rule is, never read what you write.

I normally don't use slang because I hardly ever come into contact with people who are 'in-the-know.' It's embarrassing to admit this but if I have to use slang in my writing, I have to look up some of the words online! Guys, it's just. . .I live in the country.

Both are grammatically correct but it's customary for Americans to use take a bath/take a shower while Brits and all users of Brit English prefer have a bath/have a shower. Usage therefore depends on the dialect of English you're using at a particular time.

I'm a very religious person and each time I read articles online that detail how the bible was deliberately mistranslated I was [or I am, since I'm just starting out] compelled to study Hebrew so I can read the scriptures in the original language they were written in.

It's all very subjective. Take Mandarin as an example. Most people don't speak the language but because China is the world's greatest exporter [of cheap products] they simply have to learn other languages so they can write manuals and stuff. So, Mandarin definitely isn't that important to anyone who's not residing in a Chinese speaking country. My list [of top 3 languages] therefore would be somewhat different. 1. English. 2. Arabic. 3. Spanish.

I find that attempting to speak a foreign language 'will liven' things up and make the people more friendly because they can have some fun at your expense. That's why I always try to speak the local language [if I know a bit of it] because then you can be corrected and in the process improve how you speak. For me, well, it's fun to speak any language I am learning.

Text-broker accepts only Native English speakers. Currently they have two websites. Text-broker.com [for U.S writers] and Text-broker.uk [for all the other writers]. To qualify as a writer for Text-broker.com, you MUST be a U.S citizen. For Text-broker.uk, you HAVE TO BE a: a Brit, Canadian, Aussie, South African [with a Smith-sounding surname. . .if you get my drift], an Aussie or a Kiwi. So I guess that locks out most writers no matter how good they might [if English is their 2nd language.]

I guess the net can be distracting to many people. It's logical to assume that if you need to do some quick research, the page you land on after doing a Google search may not contain all the information you seek and quite naturally you'll get to click on more links. . .see? Most writers will actually end up doing more surfing than writing.

My favorite bilingual celeb has to be Shakira [the lady could sing!]. She actually speaks four languages: Spanish, English, Arabic and Italian. It's a pity she stopped singing the moment she got married to some Spanish footballer.

I've watched some foreign movies whose sub-titling left a lot to be desired because the translations didn't even make sense. Most English movies however, tend to be almost as accurate [in the rendering of sub-titles] as possible. For that reason therefore, an English student by reading the sub-titles and listening to the actors speak may actually improve their spoken language if they practice what they hear. Listening and reading alone won't help. You have to go the extra mile and try to speak like the actors do.

Maybe for business people, knowing more than one language can be advantageous because they can make more connections with others [via networking] and possibly in process create more business opportunities. On the other hand, If one is a farmer residing in the country, and s/he has no intention of moving from his locality then I don't think being bilingual would make them more successful than they want to be.

It's not often you'll come across something that breaks down all the complex stuff into something simple everyone can understand. Maybe you've come across this list some place online but I'll share it anyway. Here's a link to the article. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/19/zadie-smith-10-rules-of-writing/ I loved the sixth rule best:

Nothing fancy. Sometimes, for the sake of secrecy/privacy of what's being discussed, families, friends, cliques, gangs etc., create coded languages to enable them communicate without fearing that anyone eavesdropping will understand what they're saying. When I was younger, the group of boys I hang out with had their own coded language. Anyone who wasn't part of the group wouldn't understand a word they said. As a new member, unless one of them interpreted what had been said what they said was all Greek to me. It could be very annoying at times especially if you suspected they were talking about you. . . So guys, do any of you use or in the past used coded language to communicate with others?