reverserewind

Sure!

First off, If I didn't speak English I wouldn't have been able to understand people from abroad. I'm an open minded person, so it's very important to me. I have so much to learn from people who are very different from me. English is the only way to establish a connection, as it's some kind of a universal language.

Second, I teach English. It's my source of income. Not the primary one as of yet but I hope soon it will be.

Third, I'm just in love with the way it sounds.

I don't usually stick to any textbooks. They are full of "robotic" language. Instead, I prefer asking my students to create the sentences themselves. Based on the rule they are trying hard to master.

It's mostly YouTube, Skype, WhatsApp, and a notebook. I usually write down the words I don't know and check their meaning.

Argument: in english is a "discussion", in italian "Argomento" is a "topic".

"To have an argument" in English is more of a quarrel thing.

7 hours ago, djordje87 said:

Things like TH or W is very hard when you don't have it in your language. We have regular d sound that is not a voiced of voiceless dental fricative but it is alveolar. Also formation of sentences is different. Syntax that is. The position of adverbials  is not the same and even the rules for subject, predicate and object are different.

4

Yeah, that stuff is very important when it comes to learning a new language. Also, I've found out something else: the longer you learn, the lesser dependent on your mother tongue you should be. For example, I stopped looking up for meanings in translation. Instead, I use foreign e-dictionaries and apps. Well... I guess they're not that foreign to me anymore.  

Personally, I don't believe in all those classifications. They are designed to divide people who are learning/using a foreign language. As the result, some of us feel very insecure about their category and are therefore shy when it comes to talking to a native speaker or someone else who speaks the language fluently.

However, I got your question. Basically, you are going to improve your German in like 1 year or so.

My tips: watch a lot of YouTube in German. that includes everything: video lessons from native speakers in German, vlogs, stuff you're genuinely interested in, street interviews, pranks, etc. 

The goal is: learning REAL language, not the fake (bookish) one. I call it a fake because nobody talks like that nowadays in their daily life.

One of the things I advise to everyone is walking on the street and describing everything you see in English. Comment on everything that's happening. That's how you will find out the gaps in your vocabuary. 

I don't usually freak out at my students. In fact, I never freak out. I'm getting paid, so there's no reason to go crazy. Of course, I try to do my best while explaining things to them. I look for new ways to so. I treat each one equally but individually. That's the key to me.

If it's to be, it's up to ME

- someone

I agree with that statement. We should be accountable for our own actions.

21 hours ago, VinayaSpeaks said:

It is really interesting to note that how some letters have gone silent, r for example. In US English r is very strong and is usually spoken with full force. Whereas in British English, r, especially at the end of the word is silent.

Also, it sounds pretty much interesting. For example, the word "person". "R" here is not at the end of the word. There's still some sound of it. I like it, even though I'm deep into the American stuff.

On 25.03.2016 at 0:03 PM, Baburra said:

Lol. I agree. I think American English has gotten so popular due to their media that it has become the standard instead of the original and people tend to forget that. I myself am so used to American spelling and pronunciation that I find it hard to think about British English as being the origins and technically more proper version of it. Spelling words with an "s" instead of "z" for example has become very weird to me even if I know at the back of my mind that it is the original and more proper version. 

Just don't think about it. I don't care much about British English claims to be the inception of all other variations and accents. 

If that's a computer game, I set up an Italian interface once. However, it never really worked for me. The same thing with Facebook account.

Sometimes I see a translation from English into my native language and I can literally guess what was the original sentence like exactly or almost exactly. Why it all happens? That reason is simple. Some people tend to translate word by word with no editing. To me, that's not the way an interpreter should work. At least the one who seeks high quality.

Basically, you can't use anything with "will" or "would" when it comes to using "if". That's the main thing to remember.

Well, guess it's partially true. But look. What time was it? Prior to the days of the American revolution, right?. At that time, Americans barely had their own nation established, let alone any distinguishable accent and other pretty much secondary stuff.

Using "they" for the purposes of gender neutrality is technically incorrect. However, this mistake tends to be justified nowadays. I guess, let's say, 20 years from now it won't be treated as a mistake at all.

It's going to change (it is going)

Addiction took its toll (possessive)

It's been a nice year (it has been)

Just one more example. Hope you won't be mixing it up anymore. I know, it all looks kind of tough at first but it's actually not tough at all.

Advice = noun, can't be plural

Advise = action

Price and Prize are two different words with 2 different meanings. Nouns do always depend on the context, so google them up and you will see tons of variations.

Did you receive it?

One of two:

- I received it

- I DID receive it

Use the second one If you feel lemphasizing on the action. And, of course, "I did received it" is incorrect. "I had received it" would be correct but that's another tense.

In British it's "zed". In American it's "zee". Using "z" instead of "s" came to English historically. I personally prefer "z", as I pronounce it that way.

When it comes to my friends, I'd rather do a Q&A session rather than a lesson. I've noticed that it works way better.

That's fascinating, thanks a lot! I personally don't like the way British English sounds. Contrary to most English learners whose native language is pretty much different from English, I could produce the "R" sound the first week (or even day) I started. I did it the American way. So, that's probably why American English became my ultimate choice in the future.

English is kind of weird sometimes. So, all you can do is accept it as it is. Even natives freak out at all those silent letters. The reason why are they used in the first place? Well, it depends on many factors. One of them: if we take the silent letter out there might be already existing word with that spelling. 

The latter is the most common. Actually, I never even heard of the first. I guess pretty much no one uses the first. Right?

Well, I guess you have to write down the words you don't have a clue about and google up their meaning real quick. Not only words, actually. Some phrases, too. Sometimes you know all the words but they don't make any sense together. Some words have tons of different meanings, you gotta google them up as well.