xTinx

I had to learn a bit of latin for my law subjects back in college. Nowadays, learning Latin isn't so useful to me. My work, the environment I'm in and the people surrounding me are all for English. You catch a wift of latin once in a blue moon but such occasions are rare. Many of those who commented here mentioned the Catholic Church and how it's still using latin to hear masses. That's a point in contention, though, because majority of Catholic churches hear mass in both English and the native language or dialect. Latin is used by basilicas, the Vatican and traditional church organizations whenever they celebrate an important event in the liturgical year. But that's basically about it.

That is true. If you're not a native English speaker, it's easy to confuse homophones/homonyms or words with similar sounds. Word to the wise: when in doubt, get a dictionary or thesaurus and double check the meaning of the word you intend to use before putting it in a sentence or paragraph.

There's a great deal of language exchange between Japan and the Philippines. Besides a staunch trade relationship, the two countries are forging a strong cultural relationship. Many Japanese come to the Philippines to learn English while Japan regularly exports animes, Jdoramas and movies to our country. I guess that's where the ease of learning comes from. On one hand, I've seen a great number of otakus in various parts of the world and they're able to pick up Japanese words a lot faster than most Filipinos. It's not so much on where the person is located but more on personal preference.

As long as the minority population can speak English, I don't think the U.S. suffers from any language barrier whatsoever. Everyone who migrates eventually learns the language. You can't ever survive in an area without learning its native tongue or at least English (after all it's the universal language).

If you're still learning the ropes of speaking English, then homonyms/homophones might be a source of confusion. For instance, I don't know whether it's deliberate or not but people tend to mix up "their" and "there." The former connotes plural ownership while the latter points out a location. Common homonyms to watch out for (be careful not to interchange them when typing): to, too and twofair and farepoor and pouryour and you're

That's why I try to avoid using "and" at all costs unless I intend to enumerate several ideas or items. A paragraph sounds too awkward with too many "ands." The use of a semicolon (;) helps add variety to your sentences too.

I've noticed that British English uses an "s" instead of "z" for words trapped between two vowels. Letter Z is mostly used as the first letter of a word and not as a consonant sandwiched between vowels. I guess that must have been influenced by the Greek spelling rules mentioned above.

What's interesting about this idiomatic expression is that although it might sound like it's cursing, it's actually not. There's also a great deal of intensity attached to it. It has a no-care tone, as if daring the world to turn the tides. And at the end of the day, you (the speaker who uses this idiom) will still persevere. For example: I will love him come hell or high.Come hell or high water, I will graduate with honors.This idiom simply means doing whatever it takes to reach a goal or make something possible.

Accent-wise, I prefer British English. Spelling-wise, American English is by far easier. I grew up learning American English but there's something more classy with Britons' manner of speaking. For them, conversation is an art form and they're fond of throwing witty retorts and remarks - totally different from the way Americans speak or use the language.

These are mostly social media terms and are applicable only in the context of online life. It's weird how these terms earn their spot in dictionaries. They're used rather informally but I guess the English language has to change with the changing times too and this is one way of dealing with the change.

If you haven't heard about Lang Leav yet then it's about time you do. For those who've yet to know her, she's currently the most celebrated poet around. Her poetry collections Love and Misadventure and Lullabies are certified bestsellers and won her a large following. She specializes in free verse romantic poetries and many people love to read her simple, candid and passionate words. I highly recommend her! If you're a startup English learner, you'll easily understand the messages she tries to relay through her poems.

A lot of the books I've read tugged my heart. I guess I'm just the type to get so invested in stories that even run-of-the-mill emotional scenes are enough to generate tears. The books that have made a deep impression on me, though, are those written by Haruki Murakami, John Green, Anne Rice and Victoria Holt. Since there are far too many titles to mention, here are my latest favorites from each author: Sputnik Sweetheart, The Fault in Our Stars, The Violin and The Silk Vendetta. These authors have the power to capture my suppressed thoughts and emotions in a nutshell. I feel like they're all looking through my soul.

I grew up learning two other languages besides my own. Although I never questioned why I was learning them, now it has occurred to me that the educational system I was exposed to, though not the best in the world, has given me and many of my countrymen a language learning advantage. Here, English is a separate subject and taught from pre-school all the way to college. I hear in other countries (I live in the Philippines, by the way) this foreign language isn't mandatory and only those interested should learn it. However, little did other countries know, English has now become a very important language for diplomacy and globalizing businesses. It would be great if schools the world over would include English in their curricula. There are thousands of languages across the globe. We should at least have one language in common so that we can better understand each other despite our differences.

Is it the accent? The pronunciation? The sentence structure? For me it's the pronunciation. It's not enough to learn the words or know the system of writing, I guess. You also need to speak the language in a way that native speakers can relate to or understand. There are certain words that will take on another meaning when pronounced differently. That's why pronunciation is very important. You might inadvertently offend native speakers if you mispronounce a word with both positive and negative connotations.

Practice makes better! Learn how a particular word is being pronounced first whenever you're in doubt. See how it's use in a phrase and sentence. Pay attention to stresses and intonations. Watch English movies and dramas too. You'll soon find yourself able to speak words as they're spoken by native speakers.