g2narat

I would consider myself bilingual. My native language is Filipino but I'm also fluent in English. I used to be fluent in French but not anymore. I should really practice my French but to be honest, I just check out the French forum to lurk as I'm really not confident to practice it again. Hopefully just by reading the posts there I'll gather enough courage to post there myself.

Thank you so much for this! I never did understand the use of the semicolon before, to be honest. It was just one of those weird keys I never dared touch.  I hope I can practice using this soon!

I was expecting some meme-bashing here. I'm glad that's not the case! I also think memes is a creative way of communicating. It's like an inside joke that people on the internet get. In a way, it bonds people together because they find a common ground. Something relatable and non-offensive (well, most of the time) that will give you a chuckle at the same time.

Oh I think this doesn't have to turn into a debate on what is the proper English. I think any native speakers are less conscious of their own grammar and spelling simply because they've had more practice and don't think about it. It's not confined to the native English speakers. I think it applies to everyone because we get complacent with routine. Also, the opposite applies, so when someone has just learned a new language, he/she is more conscious of possible mistakes so they try harder. This is just my take on this topic.

I can't imagine doing this either. It sounds so inconvenient. Even if you did have a dictionary app, it would still take time for you to pull out your phone and look up the word. I'm still trying to learn Visayan but what has helped me so far is to write down words I don't understand. I always keep a piece of paper and pen with me and I can write down the words after a conversation. That way, I can look up the word at home at my own pace.

I definitely agree with the "words that matter" list. As for that other list, well, I might be getting old but I only recognized one of those words. I only know what sparrow face is thanks to a friend who posted a hilarious picture of it on Facebook. But, even if I find sparrow face hilarious, I don't think it should be recognized as one word. I mean, why not just use the usual two words? Sparrow and face are both legitimate words, why do we have to combine them for the sake of a silly trend?

Wow, the replies here are very reassuring. I thought I was being a bit dim for having a difficult time with just a different dialect.  Another thing I've noted that was already mentioned in one of the replies is how some words may be similar but may have very different meanings. So what happens is you think you're already starting to understand the conversation then suddenly a word gets thrown in that you thought you understood. Turns out that word has a whole different meaning.  :confused:

Heavens, no! How could I possibly keep track of how large my vocabulary is? Oh and I'm guilty of being too complacent with my English vocabulary nowadays because I've been concentrating on relearning French and learning Visayan. This is a bad idea though, and I should probably review once in a while as I've noted that I'm more prone to look up English words now compared to before. I used to be able to read lots of heavy novels without having to pick up a dictionary (or using google) but now I've noticed that I have to look up meaning to words that I'm pretty sure I knew before. So keeping track of your vocabulary is probably a good idea even if the language isn't new to you.

That's like saying that being able to communicate is not important. This shouldn't really be a debate on which language is more important or which is more popular. What should matter to people is that we understand what we are saying to each other. It's not about the English language per se, but if English is the common language of two people, wouldn't it be silly for them to each speak a different language?  :angel:

Oh, that doesn't work for me. I'm trying to re-learn French (I used to be fluent but lack of practice changed that) and music hasn't helped. Whenever I listen to French music I'm unable to follow the lyrics. I found that movies are more helpful. But if you're a beginner, I would suggest using subtitles first.

I can relate to this. I also make a conscious effort to write short sentences. It can be difficult at times especially when the thoughts are flowing continuously. What I try to do now is check whether I can change my commas into periods and whether I can delete "and"s or "but"s in favor of shorter sentences. It's worth the extra effort in my opinion. 

I use shortcuts because I am too lazy to type it all out. I do make sure to adjust my language according to whom I'm sending a message though. For example, if it's work related, I try to minimize the shortcuts. If it's to someone who's a bit older, I don't use any shortcuts as they might not understand the message and it would take longer to explain the whole message rather than just spelling it correctly in the first place. However, if it's just to friends and peers, then that message will be filled with LOLs and smileys. 

I enjoy listening to Germans speaking English. They sound much gentler than when they speak in German. Although right now I am obsessed with the Australian accent. Thanks to a youtuber named Natalie Tran. Although she's of Vietnamese decent, her Australian accent is just adorable!  :love:

This question is for those who have experience with countries who have different dialects. I ask this because I'm from the Philippines and speak Tagalog but just recently moved to Mindanao where they have a different dialect. They speak Visayan/Cebuano here, and to me it still feels like learning a whole new language, even though a lot of words are the same. What do you think?

Hi! G2narat here, I think I can still be considered a newbie even if this isn't my first post,right? I got too excited posting here that I forgot to even introduce myself. Ah, where are my manners? Anyway, allow me to rectify this situation with this post. I'm from the Philippines, though I spent a big part of my childhood in France. I returned to the Philippines  at age 10. I just moved from Manila to Mindanao so I am now learning the local dialect which is Visayan. 

Immersion leaves you no choice but to really learn the language. You mostly learn slang though and you'll most probably learn some incorrect grammar. Formal learning is nice but it's hard to learn everything you would need to know in a practical setting just from classes. So, I would have to agree with most posts here that you would really need both to have an ideal learning of a language.

I agree with the posts saying that everyone has an accent. I think that's what makes a language more interesting. When I hear someone talk in an accent I don't recognize it makes me very curious. I would sometimes go out of my way to talk to that person just so I can ask where they come from. 

Non-native English speakers, such as myself, find it easier to start with basic books. If someone gave me a Shakespearean play to read when I was still starting to learn English, I would've thrown that to their face and given up on English. I actually started by reading Dr.Seuss series (yes, seriously!), then read things like Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck before moving on to heavier stuff. I actually consider The Little Prince my favorite English book even if it's written by a French author and even though it's a children's book.

Computer generated translations will always have a flaw in my opinion. They don't get to the gist of what you want to say, but instead give you a literal translation. However, if you do know the language you are speaking and are just having a hard time remembering the words, I agree that Google Translate can be useful for those times. If not, just make sure you have a human translator to help you out.

Hippopotamus. But it matters who says it. For some reason I find hippopotamus hilarious when it's pronounced by my fellow Filipinos (myself included). It sounds just like any other ordinary word when I hear Americans say it though. Oh, and also when it's said in British, that cracks me up too. Isn't that weird?

I think the easiest way to learn is talking. It stimulates your brain to think faster compared to reading or writing where you can just take your time. When you're conversing with someone, you have to reply right away. And when you're listening to someone, you have to pay attention compared to reading or writing where your mind can wonder. So since conversing verbally requires more focus, it seems to me that it's also the fastest and easiest way to learn.

People used to tell me all the time to speak in French because it sounds so romantic. To me, French just sounded nasal and I thought Italian sounded more romantic. Another romantic sounding language to me is Spanish. I think it might be because of the rolling r's.

Yes. I think the German language sounds aggressive. I don't speak a word of German and when I hear people conversing in German I feel as though they're fighting. When my cousin and his girlfriend talk in German I often feel awkward because it's as though I'm with a couple who's always fighting, they've both assured me though that that's just the way they sound.

Children do learn languages more easily. It's good to start them young and as long as you keep on conversing with them using both the first and second language, they'll learn both languages in no time. I learned French as a toddler, unfortunately, since we lived in France at the time, I didn't get to practice my native language. When we returned to the Philippines, I had forgotten the Filipino language and had to start all over again. Most children here are taught English and they learn to speak it well so it seems that teaching two languages early is quite effective.

For Filipino (my native language) and English, I usually think in the language I am using at the time. For example, if I were talking to a fellow Filipino, then I think in Filipino, when I am talking in English or writing online, I am thinking in English. For me, English is not a language that needs to be translated in my head, it comes to me naturally. It used to be that way for the French language too, but since I haven't used that language regularly in a long time, whenever I'm asked to speak in French, I find that I need time to translate my thoughts.