Search results for 'tag:Literature tag:Learn English' matching tags 'Literature' and 'Learn English'

Re: he's captured Canada.

Angliholic — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:47:10 GMT

Marius Hancu
>He ate delicious food at roadside stalls in Shanghai and saw kung fu in the park.

You're reading too much of someone else's posting (won't mention any names) and getting into his poor, standardized patterns.

I suggest you read some good literature and post based on that.

Thanks, Marius.

They are not others' posting; instead they are my homework. Some are from English magazine and some from the pop quizzes. I've to make sure what sounds bad and correct them before I present them to my pupils.

You'll never know how difficult English is for us if you never wear our shoes and walk a few miles. Well, learnig English here is like the blind learning what an elephant looks like simply by touching it with their hands. Here is another good comparison--could you study and understand the moon well on earth if you never have a chance to go up there and experience it yourself for a while?

Hope I didn't offend you; I just want to show you how challenging it is to learn English well here!

Best regards,

Re: About the tenses 1

Peaceblinkfriend — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:53:06 GMT

Hi Vincent Teo,

You might want to spent some time on these websites. I think they are particularly suitable for beginners as they cover quite a range of topics and are fairly easy to understand.

http://www.learnenglish.de/ (the grammar part is speacially worth studying - it helped me a lot )

http://www.english4today.com/englishgrammar/grammar/SUBIDX.CFM

Besides these websites, you could just google "learn English", "Englsih", "ESL/EFL" etc. I am sure you will find heaps of useful websites that will help you learn English more effectively and maybe you will be able to spot your own mistakes as they are sometimes pretty generic.

Can you give me some comments? Are they any mistakes? Again. Are there any mistakes?

I have many friends. My best friend is a Chinese girl. Her name is Reachel Rachel (As mentioned before). She is twelve years old. She is someone who has helped me many times when I needed help. She is someone who always helps me (whenever I need help.) She is good-looking, intelligent and helpful (redundant). She has a cheerful face and smiling eyes (I think you might be able to use this in the figurative sense but then it sounds a bit unnatural to me. I believe this would normally occur in literature.) She also has long shiny hair.

She lives near my house. We go to the same school together by school bus. We go to the same school and we catch the school bus every morning. We play all kinds of games together in at school.

She has helped me to do my assignments and given me useful advice when I was lazy. IF I donât understand anything in study, she is willing to teach me. If I don't understand something, she is always willing to explain it me. OR She is always willing to explain things that I don't understand.

Reachel and I have same hobbies such as swimming, reading and listening to music. Rachel ( This was mentioned in the second post.) and I have some common hobbies such as swimming, reading and listening to music. Sometimes, we go to the library. We sometimes go the library together. We read as many books as we can. We also go swimming every weekend to make our body to be stronger and healthy. We also go swimming every weekend to keep our body fit and healthy.

Reachel is a true friend indeed. I can never forget her kindness. I will never forget how kind she is (This sounds better to me but I am fairly sure that the way you said it is also valid.). I hope we are the best friend forever. I hope we will be best friends forever. ( I believe you have written this expression in a few of your other posts and those have been corrected .)

Best wishes,

PBF

Re: Please check gramar on this email or improve it if you may

nona the brit — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:38:14 GMT

Hello Young Lady - this is a very strange way to start a note to someone - especially your teacher! It sounds like a creeeeepy pick-up line.

Dear 'her name'

I just wanted you to know that I loved what you taught us on Thursday night. Frankly, I'd rather learn English in terms of grammar and writing styles than Literature because I've only been in the U.S for four years and I find it difficult to understand Lit. But I was just wondering if you could please provide me a link to "Power writing"?

Re: Native-speaker intuition.

Tam Sadek — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:06:04 GMT

One of the main problems is the source of English Grammar.

English Grammar 'Rules' were based on the written forms of English and basically ignored any reference to Spoken forms used by Native Speakers.

There was and it appears still is contempt for the spoken form of English. In fact even the term used to describe the Spoken form, the 'vernacular' has negative connotations to most so-called educated and enlightened people.

So, guess what? Native speakers don't sound like grammar books! Perhaps you're approaching the problem from the wrong source and should be asking the question, "Why don't English grammar books reflect the English language used by native speakers?"

Do you seriously believe "English Grammar" arrived before its speakers?

To even ask why native speakers don't sound like grammar books is to miss the point entirely. Of course they don't, and what's more they never did!

Grammatical analysis has been based on interpreting usage in written documents, novels, plays and trying to promote English to the level of Latin which was the language of Education. It was only when people tried to promote English that they then borrowed terminology from Latin and stuck on to English (usually not very well) that English became regarded as a serious subject.

Ever wondered why the 'verb+ing' is referred to as both a present participle and a gerund? Blame Latin!

French and German were given much higher importance in the Royal family - mainly because the last true-English King died at Hasting in 1066. In fact George I of England is reported to have never even bothered to learn English, and spoke for his entire reign using his first language, German.

Even RP, the/a 'standard' of British pronunciation gets its name from the fact that if you could only speak English, then you would not be 'received at the Royal Court' unless you spoke like that.

And so now our legacy is to have a set of 'Grammar Rules' (for the most part based on Pre-1900 literature) combined with 'Pronunciation Rules' for visiting Queen Victoria (in the 19th Century)... and you wonder why normal native-speakers in the 21st Century don't sound like what exactly?

Re: Learning English - what's your trick?

Englishuser — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 08:52:35 GMT

Hi Divine,

It's very nice to see you as well. I usually learn English words when I read English texts, that is, in context. Often I check new words in a dictionary, though, if I feel I'm not absolutely sure about what a word means. Also, when you use a dicionary, you can learn other possible meanings of the same word, so in a way you can kill two bords with one stone. Recently, I've noticed how poor my knowledge of vulgar slang is. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I normally fancy 'quality literature', and people hardly ever speak vulgar English to me. Of course native speakers of English don't learn new words as often as non-native speakers (in general), but native speakers certainly don't know all the words there are to know in English. Actually, I would be very surprised should I ever meet a person with such an excellent command of English vocabulary. What about your vocabulary in your native language? Would you claim you know all the words in your first language? What about words used only or mostly by specialists?

Re: Learning English - what's your trick?

Divine — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:47:02 GMT

Englishuser wrote:

In other words, you need to change your daily habits if you're serious about improving your language skills.

Hi Englishuser! Nice to see you again.

I totally agree with you when you claim that it is essential to change our daily habits if we want to develope our language skills. I had similar experiences in learning foreign languages. For instance, when I was learning English only at school, I mean I was doing grammar exercises, writing essays, learning by heart new vocabulary, I felt that I was doing a big effort, but my results couldn't satisfy me. I had to begin looking for opportunities to use English as often as it was possible. Like here, in this forum. Besides, I started to read English literature and magazines.

What is your trick in learning vocabulary (for example), or maybe you are a native speaker and you don't have to learn English words

Divine

An essay about New Zealand

Kind Villain — Sun, 21 May 2006 19:05:43 GMT

Hello! Can you fix the following essay please? Actually, I don't think that it's an essay - that's just some kind of tourist info. Thanks a lot for your contribution!

New Zealand

New Zealand is a land of magnificent and unordinary beauty. This is a wonderful place to learn English, enjoy nature and go mountain-skiing. It is no secret that âThe Lord of The Ringsâ was shot in New Zealand â the nature of New Zealand so closely resembles the magical country! If you are keen on active tourism, you can find all the necessary facilities for hiking, mountain-skiing, rafting and many other kinds of sports here. The countryâs distinguishing characteristic is the beauty of its nature. Make your dreams come true! Swim together with dolphins, admire whales, and go fishing! New Zealand is an island country but the sizes of the islands are not large, so it is quite easy and pleasant to travel about/around (not really sure of âabout/around) regardless of what means of transport you use â a car, a bus, or even a bicycle.

New Zealand culture is quite unordinary. New Zealanders represent a mix of Europeans and the Maoris. They are very friendly and hospitable. A foreigner will be surprised by being greeted on the street by complete strangers. The atmosphere of relaxation and peacefulness prevails everywhere in New Zealand. The murder rate is extremely low compared to any other country of the world and the bribery rate among governmental workers is the lowest in the world (supposedly, there is no such thing as bribes in New Zealand at all). By the way, governmental ministers do not have body guards or escorts. Naturally, making an appointment with one of them is quite easy. Sometimes you can even meet a minister while standing in line in a supermarket. Another practical thing you should know about when you are in New Zealand â you should not give tips in hotels, restaurants etc. because tips are uncommon here.

The local art and culture originated by combining things that cannot normally be combined, hence their passing resemblance to common cultures and arts.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is situated in the wonderful harbor on the edge of the âNorthernâ island. Guidebooks recommend paying particular attention to the following sights. These are: the modernistic building of the executive branch of the Parliament â Beehive, the ancient building of the government (one of the biggest buildings in the world made completely from wood), the National Library with an excellent collection of literature, Catherine Mansfieldâs Memorial, and more. There are a few interesting museums such as the Maori Museum called âTe Papaâ in Wellington. But the place that is definitely worth a visit is located not far from the capital. It is Mount Victoria. You can come in sight of the mountain from the cityâs streets. What an impressive sight!

What is the best time to go to New Zealand? Owing to the favorable location, New Zealandâs climate is fairly mild the whole year, so you can visit the country any time of the year. However, they usually emphasize the âmainâ season â November through April. There are a lot of tourists arriving at this time of the year, so it is quite reasonable to reserve a hotel room in advance. If you like mountain-skiing, the best time for you to come is winter â June through August. In general, if you can come any time of the year, we advise you come before or after the main season. The weather is pretty warm but there are no crowds of tourists and you can go sightseeing anywhere you want without having to care about the availability of tickets.

Re: I WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH WITH SKYPE

Silver — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:26:54 GMT

I am a professor of English literature at a university. .I would also like to teach English Grammar and Composition to the members who are interested in it.

silver cldidvr@yahoo.com

Re: I want to help someone learn English!

Leena — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:18:56 GMT

hi im leena from saudi arabia i study english literature at the university but im still ashmed of myself cause i dont speak very fluently coud u help me and ill be so thankfull

bye

Re: I want to help someone learn English!

Paula_g — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 04:00:39 GMT

My name is Paula. I am a qualified and experienced English language teacher. I hold a BA degree in English Literature from the University of Oxford as well as the Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign (Second) Language (TESOL). My private lessons are offered in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. My students come from all over the world to improve their English language and awareness of the British society and culture. As the lessons are tailor-made for your particular needs, you can expect great advancement within a short period of time, and focus your study on any aspect of the language.

I teach all levels from Beginners to Advanced as well as for specific tests. Your first lesson can be used to assess your level of English and what type of lessons you need to have.

Your private lessons can include:

Grammar
Pronunciation and Accent Reduction
Reading and Writing
Speaking and Conversation
Vocabulary building .

My per hour rates are $6 .

Please contact me at paula_g125@hotmail.

Thanks.