Francisco23

My my...I still love English. I have a great enthusiasm for speaking and learning the Spanish language, but thus far in being engulfed in it, I do not feel any kind of disconnect from my original native English tongue. :party:

Great response. I must commend you English is a complicated language, I believe. Thus, we have to know that there will be many exceptions to the general rules. Therefore, heed the advice of my good friend here and read "a lot".

Some times it does happening to me; I do get confused. But before I utter, I try to recall that the vowel sound of "o" comes right after the "h" in "hour" making the preceding word "an" and not "a" , and so I correct myself in my mind and then continue.

Wow, and I thought our Jamaican accent was unappealing. Thanks bro :grin: I like the British and Australian accent. I don't like when there accent is too thick though. I tend not to be able to follow clearly what they are saying.

Absolutely, they're more refined. I prefer to use the British spellings when I write, and it's not because I grew up being taught to do so (because I do read a lot of American English Novels). The British English is just more appealing to me.

Yes, I'm a native English speaker here as well. I'm here both to learn and impart whatever knowledge I have on the English language. I see myself more of helping than receiving help though; but that's what forums are for.

I guess your teacher wants to challenge your mind. But it's definitely ok to write your fictional novels or books in the past tense. Once you master the present tense writing though, you know that you have developed into a proficient writer.

I can definitely attest to that. Your reading speed will only naturally increase as you continue to read. I am a fast reader, and I find that if I do get in the mode of reading everyday (like I occasionally do), then my reading, typing, thinking, reasoning and verbal expression also speed up. I try to keep it moderate though when I'm talking (don't want to talk too fast).

I like these quotes. Here's another one: "The moment you stop striving to get better is the moment you get worst". Aint it true?

:amazed:Yup, I am guilty of this most times. It is not proper though; a transgression of the rules of the English language. I've transgressed so many times, it's only a matter of time before I get called up in judgement. I try not to use these conjunctions when writing professional articles though.

Online tutorials can evidently be helpful in teaching a student a new language. It is however based upon two main factors. The willingness of the student to learn and the proficiency/ability of the online teachers. You enroll in a tutorial because you want someone to teach you who will work at the pace at which you are able to learn, and who is able to correct you right on spot/at a timely manner. You need someone (in real-time) to assess your progress and test you. However, if you are more of the type to learn via watching videos. No problem. Work with your resources.

I agree with my friend here. The vowels "a" "e" "i" "o" "u" are always preceded (come before) by the word "an". Also, in English we must also bear in mind that there are some exceptions to the rule, and in some of such cases we have to work with what sounds proper. How do we know what sounds proper? We continue reading well-written novels and text books.

Nowadays exams are just the norm. I don't get nervous or anything of the sort, even if I am ill-prepared. But my mind does take me back to high school days when I would stay up all night, swatting or revising just to ensure that I kill all anxiety and enter the exam room with superiority and confidence. Those days are long gone now. Now, I just do what I can do with what ever information I know.No sweats.

You're not the only one pal. We are just creatures of this contemporary age of such modern expressions of the English Language. I use lol a lot too. Lmo is a good one. I also use dwl (dead with laugh). Sometimes you got to give them a smiley face so as to not appear repetitive.

I believe it's important to know what they are; to learn them yes. I won't say you should necessarily use them though. I remember when I was in high school that one year one of my fellow classmates asked me to shout out to a fellow student who was running up a stairway. I called him: "Big Rat". I didn't know that it was actually our teacher that was referred to as "Big Rat" until he came out and scolded me. Similarly, I don't want to be tricked into calling out a foreign language word that I don't know the meaning of.

I know exactly what you mean. The bottom line for me is that once you sound different from how i do, you are speaking with an accent. I think that's how most of us thinking. In fact, I wonder if we really know the meaning of the word accent. Don't we all speak in a unique way, with special pronounciations and expressions? Don't we all have an accent?

I would definitely want to lean Hebrew and Greek. I am gradually developing a passion for Jewish history and also for understanding the bible.

I most effective at reading the language (I have a photographic memory so seeing words only spark my memory. I also find writing and speakin it easy. My real problem is listening to it. It's so difficult to pick out the words one by one.

Congrats on that. You're only opening more doors of opportunity for yourself. Keep it up pal.

It's useless if your a hermtit or you don't plan to leave your current native geographic location or to interact with people from other countries. I lean a new language because I know it will help me in my travelling experiences.

Yes, it happens to me at times; but I try not to stay away from my native words and native environment very long. Continuing to watch national TV programs and reading books from back home does make a difference for me. Forgetting native words is quite natural though; even if we are not learning another language.

I have. I guess it's natural. But we can choose to remain terrified, or just ignore the nervousness and awkwardness. It's only natural. It only motivates me to improve on the accent so that next time around I will have more confidence conversing with these folks.

Best is subject in a case like this, and I would like to think that Spanish is the best. I've only tried learning a few languages, but Spanish seems to be the most attractive for me. I did well in Spanish during high school and excelled in Regional Examinations. So, that's just to prove how much I love learning it. It is the best.

Indeed I have; and i can attest to the fact that music does help one to learn a new language. For me, it helped me with learning the accent properly and with also improving on my speed in speaking the language.

I really dream of becoming a linguist, but thus far i only know three languages (including my native language). I always wonder about individuals who have learned up 8 or more languages; i wonder how on earth they do it. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how i can achieve this just as you have done, or just as how you know someone who has done it?