gracerph

Hi @lushlala! To be honest, I also didn't know there are different versions of sign language until I read this thread. Thank you for bringing the topic out because I thought that as long as one knows how to do a sign language, then he/she can communicate anywhere. So now I know that if ever I would try to learn sign language, I would have to be careful in using it when I'm in a different country because the meaning of a specific sign could be totally different in other parts of the world.

Thank you so much for your replies @Mameha and @WizardX. Since it's still morning in my part of the world right now, I would just like to greet you both Good morning, Buongiorno, Habari ya asubuhi, and Magandang umaga. I hope you are having a wonderful day today - Sana ay maganda and araw nyo ngayon (in Filipino).

In my own opinion, language apps are great tools in helping us learn a language but they are not the primary tool in learning a certain language. As they say, practice makes perfect and I believe that it is also applied to language learning. One cannot fully learn a language just by doing it in theory but mostly by practicing it in conversations with his/her teachers, fellow learners and native speakers as much as he/she can.

Hello everyone! Traveling for me is not just a way of unwinding but also a way of discovering things about a certain place or country. Experiencing the food, the customs, meeting different people are just some of the perks of traveling I look forward to every time my family and I go out of town. Well, there are some times when we get a little lost in finding a place or a tourist spot but we're always lucky enough to find people who could help us. There are just those times when we spend a little bit of time looking for someone who could understand English when we travel to a place where English is not widely spoken. So here's my question for everyone: When I get lost in your country, how can I politely ask for directions in your native language? In my native Filipino tongue, here are some basic conversational starters when asking for direction: Magandang araw po, pwede po bang magtanong? - Good day, is it okay if I ask you a question? Paano po ba ako makakarating sa ______? - How can I get to _______(the place where you want to go to)? Maaari nyo po bang ituro sa akin kung paano makakarating sa ________? - Can you show me how to get to________? Maraming salamat po sa pagtulong nyo sa akin. - Thank you very much for helping me. Note that I have been using the word "po" in every sentence of the Filipino language. It is a word used to show respect to the person you are talking to especially if he/she is older than you or someone in authority.

Yes, I was trying to study the Japanese language Nihongo before but I just didn't have the luxury of time to continue so I stopped. But just like you said, it doesn't mean that I have completely given up on it. The things I learned about the language is still here in my mind. I just had to put my learning on hold but when I already have enough time to continue studying the language, I will definitely go back into it again. Right now, I'm also trying to learn Korean but also on a very limited amount of time.

I once heard someone say that you have to love your native tongue first before you could ever love another language. I do agree to some extent but I however am amenable to being better at English than my own native tongue which is Filipino. I guess it also depends on how you were raised and what language orientation you have been accustomed to. In my case, I'm more comfortable using the English language than the Filipino language. I have come to realize though that for someone to be able to learn other languages aside from English, one has to really be well versed with the English language first because it is a universal language which is spoken in most, if not all parts of the world. If one already knows the basics in English including grammar, it could mean that he/she is ready to learn another foreign language.

I have also practiced reading aloud before and I think it does help a lot especially if you want to test yourself on how well you're doing with speaking a certain language. You can easily determine your weak points and be able to correct them immediately. It's a good way of practicing your speaking skills.

I do think it's a great idea to name a child or a pet foreign names which could really fit them well. I even know some parents who named their children after some of the elements in the periodic table. So as long as the name you want to give your child or pet fits and has a certain significance for you, then I see nothing wrong with it at all.

Hi @Milanina! I have never really thought about it but now that you've mentioned it, I really think it's a brilliant idea. It's like hitting two birds at the same time, you're learning a country's way of cooking while at the same time learning its native language. It's really a wonderful idea.

Hi guys! Well, I would just like to share translations of some basic greetings from English to my native language which is Filipino. I would also love to know the equivalent translation into your own native language if you may. Here are my greeting translations: Good morning - magandang umaga Good afternoon - magandang hapon Good evening - magandang gabi Good day - magandang araw How are you today? - kumusta ka ngayon? It's nice to meet you - Masaya akong makilala ka

I must admit that I'm not really spending much time with my foreign language learning right now because I'm also quiet busy with other things at the moment. I'm trying to learn bit by bit whenever I can though. I watch instructional videos and read manuals on the language whenever I have the time.

I totally get your point OP. Non-native speakers who teach a specific language have spent time to learn the language in all its aspects , especially the technicalities of it so they can better explain and teach them to their would be students. Whilst for a native speakers, they may sometimes overlook some aspects of teaching their language, making them stick on the basics. It's a good idea to try and learn from both native and non-native teachers though because they both offer their own unique ways of teaching a language which can properly aid a learner.

I think @Baburra is right. Different versions or words seem to come out every so often especially now. I guess when people speak out words and they sound good for those who hear it, they then begin to absorb them and they start to spread around. I think that as long as one still practices the proper mechanics of the English language, slangs will not affect the way he/she expresses him/herself in English.

Hi admin! I would just like to say that what you did is a really wonderful project. Something where everyone can share and contribute on for learning. I noticed that others have already filled up some slots. I have added a few but I will research on the other idioms first and then I will get back to the list soon.

English is also not my first language but I use it daily because of my work too. I also use it during conversations with my child because I want him to practice his English at an early age. I also watch TV shows or movies in the English language everyday so basically, English is a big part of my daily life even if I'm not a native speaker.

Hello everyone! I have noticed that some English learners opt to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in order for them to determine their skills in the English language. A failing mark usually encourages them to study more while a passing mark tells them that they have already learned English very well. What do you think about these tests? Do you think they're effective in determining how much a person knows about the English language?

I think language assessment is a very good tool in determining how the progress of a learner on the language he/she is studying. It is also a way of correcting mistakes which will benefit the learner in the end especially if he/she is going to communicate soon using the language that he/she has just learned.

I have also noticed that translation tool on Facebook and I think it's a good move by the company because it is a socialization site that caters to people from anywhere in the world. I haven't tried the tool yet though because most of my friends speak the same language as I do.

Oh that was a cute love story. I'm sorry that you didn't end up together though. Anyway, to answer your question it's a yes for me. I know that communication is very important in a relationship but if it has to be me who has the ability to try to learn the language of my future spouse then I will try my best to do so. In time, with patience and perseverance you can then both speak the same language and understand each other more.

I agree with you. Unless one is willing to make the effort of going all the way to the country of origin of the language he/she wants to learn, it would be really hard to find native speakers of various languages in just one place. So I think the best option is to learn from a non-native speaker first if there's really no way of finding a native speaker and then opt for mastering the accent next after one has already learned the basics of the language he/she wants to study.

Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing the link. The English language is indeed a very vast one with still a whole lot of vocabulary and fundamentals to be learned. I just find the English vocabulary very interesting in all its complexities and wide list of words to learn from.

I also think that the Spanish form of counting is more utilized in the daily lives of Filipinos. I must admit though that I'm very bad at both the Filipino and Spanish type of counting because I've gotten used to the English language ever since I was a kid. I would even sometimes ask my husband who's pure Tagalog about certain numbers which have been spoken in Filipino or Spanish.

I encounter translation mistakes most of the time, from products I buy to subtitles in a movie or show. I usually just smile about it and sometimes I would even laugh it out but if you really come to think about it in a professional way, it could sometimes impact a business or a company in a very negative way. Wrong translations could turn off some customers or patrons of a product because they could give people a sense of unprofessionalism on the part of the business or company. A very big company or business is expected to have a very good translator because people know that they could afford to hire someone with high professionalism when it comes to languages.

Hello everyone! They say that the ability of a person to learn is limitless and I believe it also includes languages. One person can learn as many languages as he can if he/she wants to. I am only good at 2 languages right now (English and Filipino), and I also know 2 other native dialects in my country but I am open to learning more about other languages and dialects. How many languages and dialects do you have good knowledge at the moment and how many more do you plan to learn?

I think that learning a specific language from a native speaker is the best way to learn a language but it's alright to learn about the basics from a non-native speaker. Once you learn the basic things about a specific language, it would then be easier to learn the proper pronunciation and accent from an expert or a native speaker. I consider learning the basics as the initial stage and learning the accent as the more advance stage.