Concerned about my language skills

[Anais]

It is so depressing to live in a country when your language knowledge is about second grade level. Everyone keeps saying I am doing great. That some people who live here for years don’t speak half of what I do. But I am not excited with such an encouragement. I am in natural science and I really don’t have language skills. English is my 3-4 language and I am 30 years old.

 

Is there still hope that one day I just can talk and communicate in English without problems? I can carry on trivial conversations but when it comes to serous discussions I just loose the conversation line. I feel half person because of it.

 

 

My problem is that I want to learn without spending much time on it. Is there any chance? The second problem is the memory. I forget all I learn very fast.

 

The spelling of my first grader who learned her first English words few months before is now better than mine.

 

 

 

 

Anyone else have a problem with learning languages?

[moimeme]

Hm. I bet you're one of those folks who wants a magic pill to make weight magically disappear, too, eh?

 

There's no shortcut around it but to work. Actually, what you need to do is immerse yourself in the language 24/7. I suppose if you have family members that can't speak English, then you have to speak to them but otherwise, the best way to learn a language, like everything else, is practice, practice, practice. You should be watching English TV and reading English papers and living your life in English. When you start dreaming in English, you'll know you've made it!

[Anais]

Magical pill for learning language …Got it! That is what I am missing. I think English more and more now. Watching TV all in English. (Not a big choice I got). I try to talk with my daughter in my language though so she won’t forget it.

It is harder than I wish it was. I want to wake up one day and be able to talk normal. I admit, other than high school I never took any language course. I was too busy all the time. The few times I started to attend a course I ended after first few classes.

 

 

I know I need to take serious steps. Just too greedy to loose the time that I could spend on doing research. I should work also on my accent. That is enough to say hi, people ask: Where are you coming from? I say “Lemon” and they go 10 times asking: what?

 

Every time I decide to start next Monday. And it is not the only thing on my “every Monday list”! sigh

[dyermaker]

This may sound stupid, but I learned English rules because they were written on my English papers. I hated the idea of people red-marking up my work, so I strived for the work to be flawless. The rules came from practice.

 

I hope you don't find this rude:

 

Originally posted by Anais

Everyone keeps saying I am doing great.

This sentence literally means that everyone keeps going around saying that they themselves are doing great. What you want to say is that they're encouraging you--So you need to differentiate from a quotation ("I am doing great") to an adjective clause (a clause that describes something--in this case, what "everyone" is "saying").

 

The sentence should read: Everyone keeps saying that I am doing great.

That some people who live here for years don’t speak half of what I do.

This is a fragment. If you were talking, it would sound normal, but you need to learn to talk like you write, so it'll be easier the other way around.

 

When you write a sentence, look for a subject and a verb. The above sentence is an adjective clause (just like that I am doing great. ). Clauses are clauses becuase they can't stand alone--a sentence needs a subject and a verb.

 

It would be gramatically correct to recycle your subject/verb from the sentence before: Everyone keeps saying that some people who live here for years don’t speak half of what I do.

 

But, from a style standpoint, you don't want to be too repetitive. Now would be a perfect time to combine sentences. The easiest way to combine sentences is with a conjuction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

 

This works best : Everyone keeps saying that I am doing great, and that some people who live here for years don’t speak half of what I do.

 

Take note:

1. The second clause ( that some people ...what I do) no longer needs a subject/verb because it's part of the first sentence.

2. You used "that" twice (see underlined), which gives it continuity--a grammatical proccess called "parallel proccess'

 

Remember this: You should be able to strip all clauses, phrases, and modifiers from a sentence and have a subject and a verb still stand.

 

Removing the adjective clauses from this sentence, you're left with what's called the "simple sentence": Everyone keeps saying.

My problem is that I want to learn without spending much time on it. Is there any chance?

No, no chance. Time must be spent. It is worth all the efforts though, I gaurantee you english skills will get you laid more times than skills in natural sciences.

 

Spelling things wrong is inexcusable. Use spell check, and force yourself to write down the correct spelling a few times. Use the word in your writing again. Often times people will find they can't spell a word, so they'll use it *only* when they have to. That doesn't help them at all. For a long time I could never spell beautiful--too many vowels, it freaked me out. I just avoided it. I'm sure you can guess how that inconvenienced me when I met someone beautiful.

 

Words are smaller than you. If some guy smaller than you took a swing at you, would you run away and never go down that street again? Don't let words push you around. If you spell something wrong, learn to spell it right, and then use it wherever you can.

 

Would you be embarrassed to go ask a schoolteacher for help? My freshman composition teacher changed my life. I could ask her for the resources she used in developing her course. There are probably books that can help you apply the rules of writing, you have to be willing to put in the time.

 

Chatrooms or forums aren't great places to learn English, simply because people are less concerned with it.

 

Also, if you ever need help editing something, you can PM me.

 

By the way, I had to look up how to spell "embarrassed"--I wrote it down, and I won't forget.

[moimeme]

You missed this bit:

 

don’t speak half of what I do.

 

Properly, the sentence would read 'don't speak half as well as I do.'

[Anais]

Dyermaker,

 

Thanks a lot dear. Is English not your mother tongue? I am always impressed how you write!

 

I love when people correct me. Most of time they are being

polite and never correcting my mistakes. That makes things harder for me.

 

I was at ESL center today and got information for next semester. Not sure which classes to take and where to start.

 

I like their Intermediate and Advanced English course .

The course develops communicative competence in English through focusing on the four primary communication skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing; it also covers vocabulary.

 

I need also another one that is designed for nonnative speakers of English and focuses on improving rhythm, stress, and intonation.

 

Also the one that provides rules, learning strategies, and contextualized practice in the stress, rhythm, and melody of English words and discourse -- those features of English pronunciation that affect intelligibility the most.

 

 

 

Classes start in January, they are 250-300$ for 6 weeks, twice a week.

 

(It means my daughter will miss me twice a week in the evenings. )

 

 

The sentence should read: Everyone keeps saying that I am doing great.

 

 

This is embarrassing: (I learned the spelling of this word too, so had to use it!) I need to read over and over in order to write correctly.

Some words I spell ten times correctly, but then it comes out wrong the 11th time. I know it is “write” not “right”, or it is “glad” not “glade”, won’t and want…Anytime I read my emails or posts over I spot few such things. A formal email that would take someone 10 minutes to write takes me 1 hour or more.

 

 

 

But, from a style standpoint, you don't want to be too repetitive. Now would be a perfect time to combine sentences. The easiest way to combine sentences is with a conjuction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

 

This is interesting. I was told before to keep sentences short in English.

 

 

Remember this: You should be able to strip all clauses, phrases, and modifiers from a sentence and have a subject and a verb still stand.

 

This is a real trouble. The structure of sentence is one of weak points of mine.

 

 

 

Spelling things wrong is inexcusable. Use spell check, and force yourself to write down the correct spelling a few times. Use the word in your writing again. Often times people will find they can't spell a word, so they'll use it *only* when they have to.

That is exactly what I do. I have a big mess in my head. It needs to be somehow ordered.

 

For a long time I could never spell beautiful--too many vowels, it freaked me out. I just avoided it. I'm sure you can guess how that inconvenienced me when I met someone beautiful.

 

 

You still could pronounce it.

 

 

Why in English one cannot write words like they are pronounced? It would make things easy for everyone.

 

 

Words are smaller than you. If some guy smaller than you took a swing at you, would you run away and never go down that street again? Don't let words push you around. If you spell something wrong, learn to spell it right, and then use it wherever you can.

 

 

They are small but they are too many and I am too lazy. I do write out new words time by time. Need to do it systematically.

 

Would you be embarrassed to go ask a schoolteacher for help? My freshman composition teacher changed my life. I could ask her for the resources she used in developing her course. There are probably books that can help you apply the rules of writing, you have to be willing to put in the time.

 

I was embarrassed today at students resorses center. They have tutring for students. But I am not a student anymore. I am what they call “accademic proffesional” right now. SO they told me to call the manager to see if I can attend the class.

 

Chat rooms or forums aren't great places to learn English, simply because people are less concerned with it.

 

Right, I learned few words here and then proudly told hubby that I know some new words. He said he doesn’t know such words and I also couldn’t find them in any dictionary.

 

What I like about LS is seeing how people express feelings in real situations. Like what one says if surprised, or if pissed.

 

Also, if you ever need help editing something, you can PM me.

 

 

This is really kind of you. I hope I will not be overusing your kindness! Thank you.

 

By the way, I had to look up how to spell "embarrassed"--I wrote it down, and I won't forget.

 

 

Too many letters! That word could be spelled emberazd. And yes English needs more letters. Sigh

Please everyone feel free to correct my English and give comments, advice. (I look every time in a dictionary to check is it advice or advise). In this way I can combine learning with entertainment! (my new spelling word for today!)

[dyermaker]

Originally posted by Anais

Is English not your mother tongue? I am always impressed how you write!

No, English is my native tongue, but I still had to learn it. It's not enough to know how to speak it, you've got to know the rules.

This is interesting. I was told before to keep sentences short in English.

Whatever you're comfortable with--but not so short they're fragments!

This is a real trouble. The structure of sentence is one of weak points of mine.

Have you tried just writing simple sentences, and adding on to them once the subject/verb is there? It takes longer, but you'll ensure proper syntax.

[Anais]

I will try now.

 

 

“War is wrong.”

 

War is wrong because many innocent men, women, and children and the unborn are killed each day, however many people don’t want to recognize it.

 

Is this right?

 

Next thing I am confused about that I can remember now is “ told” and “said”. Which one to use in each situation?

 

 

 

Will try to reply to some posts here today and see if it works.

 

Thanks.

[dyermaker]

Originally posted by Anais

I will try now.

 

 

“War is wrong.”

 

War is wrong because many innocent men, women, and children and the unborn are killed each day, however many people don’t want to recognize it.

 

Is this right?

Two issues:

 

1. Parallel Proccess: "and the unborn" should follow the same format as the rest of the list. Like this: "men, women, children, and the unborn"

 

2. Semicolon use. The comma before "however" would be better as a semicolon. A semicolon joins two independent clauses--clauses that could stand together as seperate sentences if they wanted to. "Many people don't want to recognize it" has a subject and a verb; therefore, a semicolon would work best.

 

War is wrong because many innocent men, women, children, and the unborn are killed each day; however, many people don’t want to recognize it.

Next thing I am confused about that I can remember now is “ told” and “said”. Which one to use in each situation?

Told = Past tense of "to tell"

Said = Past tens of "to say"

 

To say something means you're declaring something, though people usually use "said" to describe anything someone says, regardless of the type of sentence.

 

To tell someone something specifically means you're addressing someone with a description or a command. You would tell someone what the girl's car looked like. You would tell someone to go get you a bagel. You would tell the conductor that a package looked suspicious.

[Anais]

Thanks! It is not going to be easy. I just tried to write a new thread in hurry but I think I have tons of mistakes in it.

[HokeyReligions]

Originally posted by Anais I say “Lemon”

 

??? What is your native language?

 

 

I think its great that you are bi-lingual. I only know a few words or phrases in a couple of different languages.

[Anais]

I will PM you after lunch. I already posted so much information about me here that I think everybody that I know knows who I am.