AExAVF

I have always been a fan of J-music, with artists ranging from Gackt, T.M. Revolution, UVERworld, SCANDAL, and L'Arc-en-Ciel to Tomoyasu Hotei, Isao Sasaki, and Ichiro Mizuki. That said, I still think I am very far from learning the Japanese language. While listening to songs will add to my learning, I cannot say that I have mastered the language. If at all, it has enriched my knowledge in Japanese vocabulary, but not to other parts of the language such as grammar.

Whether taking an examination in English or any other subject, I have to admit that I am a bit nervous. I still think to myself that I am not prepared or that I am still halfway through my review. I would know that I prepared well if I can answer the questions right away, and I feel that I am confident of my answers. The data and answers flow through my brain like running water. On the other hand, if I did not prepare well, my mind would be scrambling for answers. If I finish the exam ahead of time, I will try to review every answer before turning in my exams.

I'm familiar with the phrases yoroshiku onegaishimasu, hajime mashite, and kochirakoso, but I have just begun to scratch the surface. There are a lot more ways by which to introduce yourself in Japanese. Many thanks for this post!

I have a lot of favorite movie quotes, and here are some of them. Snakes on a Plane Eddie Kim: Then again, I was raised by a single mom and... (beats the prosecutor to a pulp with a baseball bat) Neville Flynn: Do as I say, and you'll live. First Blood John Rambo: In town you're the law, out here it's me. The Protector (1985) Billy Wong: Give me the f***ing keys.* *This is the only known Jackie Chan movie where he uses a swear word. The Karate Kid trilogy John Kreese: Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? Cobra Kai: No, Sensei! John Kreese: Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? Cobra Kai: No, Sensei! John Kreese: Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? Cobra Kai: No, Sensei! Terry Silver: Now the real pain begins, Danny boy.

I don't mind using Philippine English when talking to fellow Filipinos as well as foreigners who are familiar with Philippine English. However, when we visit other countries, we have to be circumspect in the use of our own English, especially in English-speaking countries like the US, Canada, and UK. I have a relative, my maternal uncle, who is now a citizen of Canada, and he speaks Canadian English very well. Though he is familiar with Philippine English whenever he visits the Philippines, he leaves it here whenever he departs for Canada.

When it comes to casual or informal conversations, I always stick to being simple. Short and simple words will work if you want to get your message across. However, when it comes to the academic community as well as intellectuals, you will have to exert additional effort than just relying on short and simple words. Sometimes I cannot help but use certain words for the purpose of amplifying the message that I want to get across. Some professors in college will give you extra points for doing just that. Quoting passages and adding your own commentaries will bolster your performance in school.

I am currently studying Japanese and Korean. I find Chinese to be quite difficult. While my maternal grandfather, now deceased, knows how to speak Chinese, I never liked learning his language at all. For the Japanese language, I'm trying to learn about katakana, while I am constantly being taught how to count in Korean.

When I started out as a freelance writer, I was asked to write a 100-word sample by the prospective employer. The topic was about "touch therapy" and I tried hard. Unfortunately, the employer said that I had grammar issues and I can't really blame him. What may be bad grammar for some persons will turn out to be good grammar for others. It's all a matter of personal preference and subjectivity. Sometimes, I tend to play a balancing act between good grammar and original content. A person's grammar may be perfect but only because he actually plagiarized, and as a result he is more likely to be penalized. On the other hand, another person's grammar may not be good but has originality in his work. I have written a couple of articles for EzineArticles if only to improve my grammar, as well as reading up on review materials for the English language. When people give constructive riticism, they will help you improve. Their output will help sharpen your skills.

That's an interesting history about your flag. To tell you the truth, I am a taekwondo practitioner, and I am very much interested in learning more about your cultural heritage and how it relates to the practice of TKD. The term taegeuk refers to the yin-yang symbolism in your flag, and to TKD practitioners (I practice WTF taekwondo), it means a set of forms.

Reap the whirlwind/storm - preparing to face the impending consequences. Loosing its heavy thunder - unleashing its full might or maximizing potential. In short, don't hold back and give it all your best shot. Don't settle for anything less. Cold as ice - a person who is heartless and has no emotions. These are some idioms I can think of at the moment.

Terms such as minasaker, which is derived from the word massacre, sinalvage from salvage (or the term used by tabloid writers to mean assassination), or one term I heard which is sumurender, from the word surrender but coupled with Tagalog verb forms have made Taglish quite the popular language used by lower-class citizens. Most well-off and upper-class citizens will speak in plain English, Tagalog, or Taglish, but the latter not as frequently compared to citizens who live below the poverty line. But it is without a doubt that Taglish is becoming the norm for citizens regardless of educational attainment. Aside from tabloids, soap operas and local telenovelas also contribute to the kind of language being spoken. However, when it comes to strictly formal situations such as work or the academic community, I will either speak in plain Tagalog or English depending on the instructions given. In my case, I write my papers mainly in English as I feel awkward using Tagalog.

I studied in a Catholic school at one time, and cursive writing is a course that we must learn. However, I put premium nowadays on legible handwriting, and if a person cannot understand cursive handwriting, I discard it and switch to my own writing - one which is readable to the person reading my work. Though I can still do cursive writing, such as affixing my signature, I write mostly in print. But given the fast pace of technology, text messaging, and advanced forms of communication, cursive writing has been left behind and most teachers nowadays will not care as to whether your penmanship is good or not. They are more interested in the content of your work.

One of the most common errors among native English speakers as well as learners is the vowels "ie/ei" when used in certain words such as receive, siege, deceive, beige, perceive, achieve, etc. I watched a local comedy show a long time ago where they made fun of the words "recieving area" in a signboard when it should actually mean as "receiving area." While it may be funny, these harmless errors are actually contributing to the slow but steady deterioration of the English language. I always make it a point to at least correct any spelling errors first and foremost, and worry about grammar and correct usage afterwards. How about you guys? Did you encounter similar problems with these words?

There are some idioms which are related to medicine as well as medical terminologies, such as: Swallow the bitter pill - accepting the consequences of something even if not entirely desirable. Taking a chill pill - relax or calm down, have a clear mind. I've heard of this idiom in a video game. Any more idioms you can think of?

Got some greens? - it means having enough money for a certain transaction. This is actually a reference to the US dollar, although it can also mean other currencies as well. Are you a yellow dog? - it means a coward or someone who is afraid of something. What's making you blue? - it means what is troubling the person. I really like threads such as these as they will help you learn about the language.

I'm an avid listener to J-Pop music, but to be more precise, I enjoy listening to opening and ending theme songs of my favorite anime and tokusatsu (Japanese special effects) shows, as well as from certain video games. As of right now, I'm currently listening to the song Russian Roulette by J-rock guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei. Tomoyasu Hotei - Russian Roulette

"Well, give the man a hand!" This is giving a round of applause to the person by clapping as a form of appreciation for his excellent performance. In a slightly off-topic sense, I first heard about this line in the original RoboCop film where Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) tortured Murphy (Peter Weller) by shooting his right hand and horribly wounding him.

Meeting your Waterloo - you will have to face your greatest weakness. Crossing the Rubicon - you have reached the point of no return and the only way to go is forward. Pyrrhic victory - although you have apparently won, you have actually lost.

English has always been a part of our cultural heritage. Most of the texts I have been reading are in the English language, and I actually feel awkward when trying to read a text in the native tongue. In addition, the English language has been used not only in schools but in all forms of official business. Filipino is used only for subjects related to the native language, but outside of the Filipino language, I actually feel uncomfortable using Filipino in subjects such as mathematics and natural sciences. I'm more open to using Filipino in social science subjects, especially Philippine history.

Although I have a fairly decent command of the English language, I still am very far from perfecting the English language. At the moment, I am currently reviewing for the government service examinations and English is one of the languages I have to master. Insofar as spelling, vocabulary, and correct usage is concerned, I haven't had any problems at all, but grammar is something I am trying to perfect. Sometimes I have problems with consistent verb tenses as well as certain modifiers. That is why I am currently writing for purposes of honing my English skills, checking and rechecking my work.

"Registration" is the correct word, as the letter "e" is an unnecessary surplusage. It's more or less similar to other words where the vowel is omitted, such as "judg(e)ment" and "acknowledg(e)ment." However, "judg(e)ment" and "acknowledg(e)ment" used to be good words until the letter "e" has been omitted, and therefore the words "judgment" and "acknowledgment" are currently recognized. "Registration" has always been the correct choice with respect to syllables - \re-gis-ter-a-tion\ has five, while \re-gis-tra-tion\ has four.

Chargeware (credit card charge + software) Riskware (risk + software) Adware (advertisements + software) A couple of portmanteau words have sprouted in the world of technology and computers. And here is a list of more portmanteau words, some of which have already been mentioned in this thread. http://www.dailywritingtips.com/25-favorite-portmanteau-words/

It is quite confusing in my case as to whether to use "cancelled" or "canceled" since both forms are apparently correct. Actually, the same thing applies when using the verb forms of "level" and "label" as well as the verb "grovel" but not with the word "rebel" as it is no doubt that the past tense is "rebelled." For purposes of consistency though, I always prefer two L's instead of just one.

Some of the first English idioms I learned came from movies - in fact, these idioms are the titles of the movies. Cases in point are First Blood and The Living Daylights. In First Blood, Rambo mentions "They drew first blood, not me" which refers to the time Rambo was being abused by the local sheriff's posse and forced to fight back. In The Living Daylights, James Bond says that he "scared the living daylights out of her," a reference to the alleged assassin whose attempt to take out a defector was thwarted by Bond in the beginning of the film.

I never knew that "octopodes" is the correct plural form of octopus, as the latter term has Greek origins. However, people are not about to accept "octopodes" right away as the plural, as they have been used to the current plural forms "octopuses" or "octopi" when describing eight-legged marine molluscs. No matter how incorrect may be the pluralization, the customary usage points to "octopuses" as the more frequently used plural form.