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Alcohol just gets rid of your inhibitions which makes it easier to get stuff out with confidence. Sentences come out more naturally etc. There is, of course, a point when alcohol no longer is helpful though... :party:

I usually dream in my native tongue, English. The longer I live in Latin America, however, I've noticed that Spanish infiltrated into my dreams. I guess I can't be surprised

I kind of have an identity crisis because I'm Dutch but I can barely speak Dutch. It's what happens when you grow up everywhere BUT the Netherlands. In fact, the little Dutch I can speak comes out really funny because I pronounce things like a Spanish speaker. When I'm in the Netherlands, everyone assumes I'm a Turkish immigrant Since I'm SUPPOSED to speak Dutch, but I DON'T, it's sometimes difficult for me to speak up and try.

The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch, but there are also provincial/regional dialects like Frisian and Limburgish. It's not an official language, but almost everyone in the Netherlands can speak an intermediate level of English.

I remember my mother always saying witty proverbs to us when we'd do something wrong, or when we'd hear of something that happened. For instance, one that she would always use was, "mucha confianza mato a todos los Palominos!" That's probably not the best example because los Palominos refers to our family name, but I'm wondering if anyone else out there know of some witty proverbs they'd like to share.

I have a lot of trouble using the subjunctive and often find myself rephrasing the entire sentence because I can't conjugate one verb! It's so frustrating. Are there any tools that can help me focus on fixing that? Thanks!

shot(s): toma(s) scene: escenario frame:cuadro to frame: encuadrar depth of field: profundidad de campo Attached is a useful PDF if you have questions about other terms!

Repetition, repetition, repetition. That's why full immersion works for language acquisition. When you are fully immersed in another culture, you have no other option but to use what you know, over and over again. With time, more knowledge gets added, but it's the simple fact that you are practicing so much, repeating the same errors and correcting them, using the same vocabulary, that allows you to learn at a much faster rate. If you're unable to fully immerse, you must try to replicate that where you are, as much as possible. Use the new vocabulary repeatedly and eventually it will stick.

I always mess up with exercise and exaggerate. Always! There is something so unintuitive about the way those words are spelled. (E.g. I had to spellcheck for exaggerate...ah!) :bored:

I think English is a particularly difficult language to learn because of all the irregular verbs and because of some pronunciation. For many ESL students, the "th" sound is impossible to make so it's often pronounced "d". What makes it an easy language to learn is that there are resources EVERYWHERE to improve your skills and many people speak it so it's easy to find a conversation partner.

Nope, never. I prefer writing "haha" or "hahahahahaha", but LOL seems so lame! :speechless:

I always use English slang terms, unless I'm in a formal situation. I think it's a great way to break the ice and make people feel comfortable, I use it a lot in a comical way, to make people laugh, but that is kind of my personality. One tip, though: don't use any derogatory slang words (racist, sexist etc). Some slang words I like to throw around include: Fo sho! (for sure) Sup, dawg (what's up, dog?) Aiight (alright) Yo momma! (your mom)

I love this quote by June Jordan from her "Poem for South African Women": ...we are the ones we have been waiting for President Obama has used this quote in some of his speeches to empower his listeners to make change happen in their own lives and in the world we live. Here is the entire poem: “And who will join this standing up and the ones who stood without sweet company will sing and sing back into the mountains and if necessary even under the sea: we are the ones we have been waiting for.” ― June Jordan