Banister

I am not an English native but to date I think I have grasped any concept within this language. I don’t want to mean it was my easiest to learn but somehow it wasn’t as hard. The basic reason why I found this language easy is the fact that it is always everywhere, no gender, has simple grammar besides being everywhere and having.

I don’t have any logical plan yet but I have heard my parents confer concerning my joining to Spanish and Japanese classes. I haven’t confirmed it yet but I as well have my own substitute plans. I am planning to try as much as I can to watch all the major games in the FIFA worldcup besides enlarging my stage room to fit as many people as it can pay off for my expenditures.

I always believe in this language quote by Jodi Picoult…“In the English language there are orphans and widows, but there is no word for the parents who loses a child.” In fact some words are basically windows and orphans of sentence completions but really I have never come across any parent for those words that are not accompanied in any context. 

Hey there Bernard, welcome to linguaholic. What's the national language of Kenya? Is it English? If it is I think you'll be teaching me because I am Portuguese.  :grin:

I hope to see you around. 

Thanks for the welcome... You're somehow not lucky our national language is particularly not English but Kiswa...So I think since you are older here you may be in a better position to teach me the way.

Once speaking a foreign language I always feel calm and pleased that I am trying to do something innovative. Speaking or writing on a foreign language gives me the will to have enough delight to get into the world of exploring languages. That being said I don't mean I feel a different person when speaking a new language.

The first thing I will do is to like Linguaholic once I log in to my facebook account. I see this as a great step to improving the way people know and use the English language. I have had lots of friends in Facebook who don't Understand the best approach to speak and write good English. And as I help them like this page I believe they would benefit greatly.

I commonly come across this idiom "live and let live”. To many it seems strange and confusing as I have always heard most people say that it means to stay alive as long as you can but in real sense the idiom means to do what one wishes and let others do the same.

The phrase has catch up my attention at the right time. My girlfriend just left me a few days a  ago and for every friend I met with they were encouraging me with this phrase. I think The phrase "there is plenty of fish in the sea is what I need to hear you guys try to encourage me with.

Here are my favorite heart idioms;

Feeling despondent and unhappy: heart sinks

Once you face a sudden excitement or fear, you can say that your heat missed a beat.

If you lack compassion and pity people can say that you have a stone heart.

Change horse in midstream: to make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity.

Eat like a horse: eat a lot

Every dog has its own day: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves

Hit the bull’s eye: reach the main point

Three idiomatic expressions stand out in my memory. Here goes,

"Strike while the iron is hot"  - Take advantage of a suitable opportunity

It seems we are swimming on the same boat here. I have loved and used this idiom for nearly all of my life. The idiom is quite encouraging and I always make sure whenever I hear of this idiom I Get into business trying to track offers to take advantage of.

If talking of American English, canceled is the correct word to use but when it comes to other English varieties outside US like British, Canada and Australian cancelled is the best spelled word. And believe that the reason why our teacher told us that it’s cancelled instead of canceled.

Here on our state their are wide number of beautiful buildings that can catch the eye of every person but as for the town where I am recently living there is this tower which is the largest in the entire country and East Africa. I love the extensiveness of the tower besides its beautiful makeups and creations.

I don't dream very often, and most of my dreams don't even have people speaking so it's hard to say.

Spanish is my first language but the last dream I had in English was like 2 months ago.

Haha I was wondering what I could say but you have mentioned it all. Like you I don't dream often and whenever I dream I don't think there are any conversations going which means I cannot really say what language is being used.

It is quite unfortunate to mention that I find my second language (English) easier to speak and write than my first language (Kisw). I haven’t understood the reason but most probably it is just because since a child I have studied in schools where everything goes on English. The exams, conversations with both teachers and students besides the fact that English was the only language permitted in such schools are English.

I always wonder where some words such as whereto and whatsup went. I always remember how my brother could use the word whatsup for more than ten times a day. But nowadays I don’t even hear him mention of this word. I don’t really know why people used the word whereto but it was a popular word during our time.

My favorite idioms are

Actions speak louder than words. I love this idiom mostly because I tend to see many people who boast to have done things which are actually not visible. I as well love the idiom to add fuel to the fire. The idiom warns people who try to use some evil approaches in order to solve problems.

I can’t forget my mom’s everyday idiom “A Bird in the Hand Is worth Two in the Bush’. For me I didn’t understand what she meant until a time I asked her and she said that  having something worth in hand is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

I have found the word amateur misspelled by nearly everyone or place it is used.  The word itself ends with a French suffix eur which is usually an equivalent of English suffix er meaning we always tend to misspell this word.  Am I wrong guys to say the word is misspelled?

I have heard lots of people misuse compelled as a word. Many of them always think that it means that someone had the willingness to do something but it is not always the case since it most valid meaning is unwillingness, being forced to do something unwillingly.

I am Bernard from Kenya quite happy that I will end up improving my English speaking and Grammar via this forum. Who's ready to welcome me?

I remember a time in High school when our English teacher had asked a question and nobody seemed to know it then from nowhere I come with the answer the teacher congratulated me by first mentioning that I had hat the nail on the head. I struggled to ask him what he meant but I feared the laughter that could come from my mates if I asked such a question. Then after sometime I went myself to the teacher and asked him personally. I couldn’t imagine of its meaning. It really amazed me.

Each time anyone tells me to use my loaf I always laugh a lot since it makes me know that I amused them in some way thus need to correct myself.  When pigs fly is another comic idiom as for me since whenever I hear anyone mentioning it I always understand that what I am trying to do would never come into reality or use.

For me I have heard and used various idioms that relate to insects the most common being.

A Flea in One's Ear."

This indicates that somebody has had, or will receive a cruel rebuke.

I mostly use a fly in the Ointment when meaning something small and frustrating is ruining the whole thing.

At times when have happy and cheerful is usually use the idiom as merry as a cricket.

In addition I also use Don't Bug Me when I don’t want to be hassled, bothered or annoyed by another persons action.

I agree with most of you here. The benefits of good grammar are evident in all our daily life. In all fields of living good grammar is seen to contribute a portion. For instance good grammar improves the success of businesses in such away that the quality of emails and texts a business sends to their clients determines whether they would be give a positive or negative feedback.  In addition the way you talk determines how people would say about you. Besides all that as someone said during interviews your grammar can determine your fate.