Search results for 'tag:Speaking English tag:Negatives' matching tags 'Speaking English' and 'Negatives'

Re: Please check for me this discursive essay !

redneon — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:55:52 GMT

Thank you Grammar Geek, for your help ! "blue" words are the words that I correct again.However, I still don't know how to correct the the "red" mistakes ? Sorry for my slow understanding, my English isnt very good,so please correct for me one more time, Thank you so much !

Numerous people around the world study English as their foreign language. Many of them attribute a fluent English learner to living in an English-speaking country, whereas others believe that there are many obstacles when they 're studying overseas. Therefore, this essay will discuss about the benefits and negatives of studying English in an English-speaking country.

The first argument in favor of studying English in an English-speaking country is that students can enhance all their English skills with the support of good facilities. Firstly, the surrounding environment speaking English full-time wherever students go may help them improve speaking and listening dramatically. Furthermore, they have enormous oppotunities to approach a new culture and the modern living style in most English speaking countries. Those lead to the deeper understanding in (may be not necessary ?) English and indirectly make students' reading and writing skills better. In brief, English skills will rise up when students live in an English-speaking country.

Although there are some advantages, studying English in an English-speaking country still has some disadvantages.

The primary negative for studying English in an English-speaking country is that there are various obstacles when living alone in the new country. Many students who have not left their home before feel shocked with the new culture and they usually find difficult to live independently because of the lack of family support. --That was a very well-written sentence! (thank you) In addition, most English speaking countries are developed. As a consequence, there are many exotic things for students to discover and some of them may lose their seft-control and plunge themselves into playing without studying This needs a bit of development. Are you saying that will fall into the hedonistic lifestyle of the decadent Americans? What are the real dangers you're talking about? ( I re-writethat sentence already,is that clearer ? )

Another disadvantage of studying English in an English speaking country is the financial problems. Living overseas for many years in order to studying may cost a large amount of money. For example, the aggregate of living cost and tuition fees for one year study in Australia may cost around 30,000 dollars. Moreover, the cost can increase each year as a result of inflation all over the world and that can be a burden for students' family finance.

In conclusion, this essay has identified both positive and negative aspects of studying English in an English speaking country. Despite the advantages to improve all English skills, it still have a pressure for students and their family. Consequently, students should think carefully about studying overseas to make sure that their family can afford the financial aspect and they can adapt easily to new environment . You list only "adapt" but you mention the financial aspect too. I think you should add something about that to your final sentence.

Re: Please check for me this discursive essay !

Grammar Geek — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:01:14 GMT

Hello redneon,
Highlights show potential problems. Remember to leave a space after a period or comma. English-speaking country, with a hyphen. You need some articles here and there.

Topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying English in an English-speaking country

Bilions of people around the world study English as their foreign language. Many of them attribute a fluent English learner to living in an English speaking country, whereas others believe that there are many obstacles when studying overseas. Therefore,this essay will discuss about the benefits and negatives of studying English in an English-speaking country.

The first argument in favor of studying English in an English-speaking country is that students can enhance all their English skills with the support of good facilities. Firstly, surrounding environment with full-time speaking English wherever students go may help them improve speaking and listening dramatically. Furthermore, they have enormous oppotunities to approach a new culture and the modern living style in most English speaking countries. Those lead to the deeper understanding in English and indirectly make students' reading and writing skills become better. In brief, English skills will rise up when students live in an English speaking country.

Although there are some advantages, studying English in an English speaking country still have some disadvantages.

The primary negative for studying English in an English speaking country is that there are various obstacles when living alone in the new country. Many students who have not left their home before feel shocked with the new culture and they usually find difficult to live independently because of the lack of family support. --That was a very well-written sentence! In addition, most English speaking countries are developed. As a consequence, many students may encounter with the lure of the fashionable and luxurious society and they plunge themselves into that society without concious thinking. This needs a bit of development. Are you saying that will fall into the hedonistic lifestyle of the decadent Americans? What are the real dangers you're talking about?

In conclusion, this essay has identified both positive and negative aspects of studying English in an English speaking country. Despite the advantages to improve all English skills, it still have a pressure for students and their family. Consequently, students should think carefully about studying overseas to make sure that they can adapt easily to new environment. You list only "adapt" but you mention the financial aspect too. I think you should add something about that to your final sentence.

Please check for me this discursive essay !

redneon — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:16:18 GMT

Hi everybody ! Please correct for me this essay ! Does this essay use enough Academic words or formal words and how can I improve it ?

Topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying English in an English-speaking country

Bilions of people around the world study English as their foreign language.Many of them attribute a fluent English learner to living in an English speaking country, whereas others believe that there are many obstacles when studying overseas. Therefore,this essay will discuss about the benefits and negatives of studying English in an English speaking country.

The first argument in favor of studying English in an English speaking country is that students can enhance all their English skills with the support of good facilities. Firstly, surrounding environment with full-time speaking English wherever students go may help them improve speaking and listening dramatically. Furthermore,they have enormous oppotunities to approach new culture and modern living style in most English speaking countries. Those lead to the deeper understanding in English and indirectly make students' reading and writing skills become better. In brief, English skills will rise up when students live in an English speaking country.

Although there are some advantages,studying English in an English speaking country still have some disadvantages.

The primary negative for studying English in an English speaking country is that there are various obstacles when living alone in the new country. Many students who have not left their home before feel shocked with the new culture and they usually find difficult to live independently because the lack of family support.In addition, most English speaking countries are developed. As a consequence, many students may encounter with the lure of the fashionable and luxurious society and they plunge themselves into that society without concious thinking.

Another disadvantage of studying English in an English speaking country is the financial problems. Living overseas for many years in order to studying maycost a large amount of money. For example, the aggregate of living cost and tuition fees for one year study in Australia may cost around 30,000 dollars. Moreover, the cost can increase each year as a result of inflation all over the world and that can be a burden for students' family finance.

Motivation letter

Loutzi — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 12:27:41 GMT

Hello,

I've written this motivation letter for a scholarship for a japanese university.

I've used some parts from other motivation letters that I've found on this website and that looked good to me :-)

Could someone check it for me please, and give some comments? I'd be very thankfull.

Dear sir/ Madam

My name is ***. With this letter, I would kindly like to introduce my candidacy for the XYZ scholarship for the ABC University.

I am a third year student Japanology at the Catholic University of Leuven. I've studied my first two years at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and this year I am studying at Paris 7, Denis Diderot, France. I've specialized in the Japanese culture and history.

During my formation I've seen many different aspects of the Japanese culture and I got intrigued by them. Due to big cultural differences in the background of my parents I've come in contact with different cultures my whole life and that has only strengthenth(?) my interest in foreign cultures. Hence my choice for a study about a very different culture. The big cultural differences between my own country and Japan give me chance to see the positive and negative aspects about not only Japan but also my own country. It is a very enriching research because I learn more about both cultures. Studying in Japan would be a unique chance to study and experience these differences at first hand. It would give me a big advantage over other people who didn't get this opportunity to learn about both their own and a foreign culture.

Offcourse culture is closely intertwined with history and history has also always captivated my interest. It is history that made of the world what it is today. The rich Japanese history, from the JÅmon era to the Meiji restoration and the modern Japan, is very fascinating. And there are also many interesting aspects about post-meiji Japan. The decision of the japanese government to adapt the western way of life and trying to abolish all traditional japanese aspects and the problems that came along, but also the speed with which japanese citizens adapted these changes, while still concerving the traditional values is very intriguing. But these changes caused a lot of problems for the japanese citizens, even up till now the difficulties that emerged with it are still visible in the japanese society. The old traditional japanese values are sometimes entirely different from the western points of view, but still got preserved in society. This struggle between traditional japanese values and modern western values makes Japan a very interesting study-object, almost a unique case in the world.
Also the fact that Japan managed to become, on less than 50 years, one of the big powers of the world is fascinating. These historical facts are a good way to captivate the Japanese spirit and to see the devotion japanese people have to their country and lifestyle. Also if you compare Japanese history to the European history it is interesting to see that mankind has always fought, the middle ages in Europe, the Warring State Period in Japan, but not only war is interesting, also the differences in the importance of religion, family, lords, ... is very interesting. By studying the Japanese history I've got a completely different view about some past European era's
But also more recent, the downfall after the war and the courage with which japanese people managed to rebuild their country is a very notable effort. This courageous rebuilding, this devotion to the country have made of Japan what it is today. But it could only be achieved because of the japanese value of family, groups above individuals also make it very different from the individualistic western world. Again the differences and similarities between post-war Europe and post-war Japan are fascinating. In Europe the war silently evolved in the Cold war between east and west, while there was relative peace in Japan. The japanese society got rebuild quickly and Japan managed to become a very important economical power. You can see the devotion of Japanese citizens to their country and company again very clearly.
All these different aspects and the comparison with Western history makes the study of the Japanese history not only interesting from an historical point of view, but also from a sociological point of view.

Beside my specialisation in the Japanese culture and history I've also had a very intense training in the Japanese language during these three years. It's been a hard but very rewarding struggle. By learning a language that differs entirely from your mothertongue, you get a very interesting view on your own language. The use of Kanji and Kana and an entirely new grammar is very difficult, but you make progress every day, which is a very stimulating progress.

I've kept working on improving my knowledge about Japan and the japanese language during these past thee years, but I feel that I've reached everything I can attain here in Europe, therefore it is time to put my knowledge into practice and specialize further in Japanese culture and history and improve my Japanese further. I think the only way to attain that goal is to study the culture and history from eminent professors and learn the language from native speakers.

Also for my thesis I'm planning to write about the post-war Japanese history, the rebuilding of the country and the much discussed 9th pacific article. The feelings from the average Japanese person towards that article and the war, and the seemingly unlimited devotion towards their company, sometimes even despite of their family. I'm convinced that attending classes or research groups about this subject in particular at XYZ University will be most fullfilling and will be of great use for my research project.

After a thorough research of the ABC programme of your University, I became aware that my knowledge of the japanese culture and history will be improved if I have an opportunity to enroll in these courses. This top-level programme will provide me plenty of knowledge in the field of culture and history which can be very useful for my future carrier. In addition, working and attending these courses, I can meet different kind of people and culture and that will give me different points of view, thus, contributing to my flexibility and creativity, besides the cultural and language gains. Moreover, I have come to recognize that I can establish a good working relationship with other scholars from all over the world joining the programme, which can give a benefit to me and my collegues.

As a motivated and ambitious young man, I will do my best to accomplish all tasks given in the ABC programme. Furthermore, with my experience gained during my three year formation in both Belgium and France, I would be able to adapt to a constantly changing work environment, and get along with individuals of different culture backgrounds. In addition, with my good command in writing and speaking English, I will not have to come up against any difficulties in studying cultural or historical subjects taught in English.

I understand that admission to the XYZ Scholarship is competitive, but I think that Iâm qualified, eager and prepared to meet all of the challenges I will be presented with. I, therefore, would be most grateful if you could give my application form in your most favorable consideration.

Yours truly,

***.

Re: How would you define "native speaker of english"?

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 22:35:19 GMT

Seasurfer wrote:
How would you define "native speaker of english"? Someone who has been speaking English since the day he was born? Or someone who come from a race which orginally speaks English?

Please correct my grammar if there is any mistake. Thanks

When I read your post, the answer semmed pretty obvious. But something along the same line as Josh2005, I see there are varied perceptions/understandings!

Native to me is the same as "mother tongue", although the question of age is not necessarily unequivical. The brain forms special neural structures with the advent of learning "language". According to researches done in various countries (the first one I had read on a transantlntic flight from North America to Europe in 1997 or so) was out of Switzerland which spoke specifically about brain development, learning languages, mother tongue and what happens if a child is to have its language situation change during its growing up years and what impact that would have on the child's ability to change, integrate change with success, and the impact depending on the age of the child.

Apparently, a child could sustain a complete change of "monther tongue", and do so without fault, under the age of 6 or so. To the point of losing the "original" mother tongue completely... possibly depending on exposure, of course. Other factors would influence the degree of "intergration", but by and large the brain adapts best till 6. As you may, or may not be aware, some folks have extremely strong language skills (genetically determined-can be observed in children who start speaking "fluently=full sentences" before the age of one/11 months/etc.) while others have extremely poor language skills (never manage to speak in full sentences). This would be an example of a factor that could certainly influence the degree of "full" intergration of a different mother tongue while growing up. Other research that I have read since indicate that 6 years of age is the absolutely best time to learn languages. After that age, the brain's neural system that deals with language becomes progresseively more rigid. Not meaning that learning cannot occur, only that it requires more and more work. Please note that this is all quite simplified.

But certainly, "native speaker" would be the langue that is predominantly spoken on "mama's knees" as the child is being "raised". It is not the "quality" of the language spoken that determine's its "nativeness", but rather the speaker's sense of his/her first language. All other considerations become particulars that are circumstancial. Your native language may be English, but you'll never speak it well enough to be understood by all English speaking citizens of the world because you cannot, or have not had the proper teachings to speak it well.. It makes it no less your native tongue. Nor does one need to have the ability to do anything other than "understand/communicate" it for it to be a native language. (I think of someone who is deaf or dumb, or has never learnt to read or write)

My native tongue is French. But many French speaking citizens of the world would not know that I am a native French speaker. Just listen to Fench speakers from Louisianna, you'll get my drift. When I am speaking English, still many people (let's put it in its Canadian context as this is where I live) never guess that I am a native French speaker. And let's make no bones about this, my English beats... by miles... MANY native English speakers in this country, if for no other reason that I am better educated, come from a family that was quasi-perfectly bilingual, and benefit from a better than average language genetic herritage. Before I became an FSL teacher (early 30s) only two individuals had ever asked me if I was a francophone (French native speaker). Both, I had noted, where unilingual anglophones with very strong language skills. One of them, a canadian, made me become aware of "higher" language skills. I was maybe 18 at the time. The second one was a journalist from Pennsilvania (USA) who was travelling in Europe. I believe we were in the Swiss Alps at the time. By the same token, my French language skills are better than many a native French candaian speaker. In all modesty, please. This is for the benefit of contributing to the reflection. All is relative.

Another anecdote I wish to share, but is not directly related to the topic, and that to this day thoroughly amazes me, is this guy who asked me if I was from *** (my hometown, born and raised that I had left 25 years before without ever going back but occasionnaly for a day or two). It was one of the few times that I was breathless from shock: how in the hell could he guess and pin-point where I was from? I had studied and perfected my French (being raised in a province that retained a VERY strong colonialist mentality and was trying through hell or high water to anglisize anyone that passed through its countryside made the quality of my French needing repairs). I had already been teaching core and Immersion French (where all my throat musculature was being "francisized"! through continually exagerated articulation). And this guy could hear my "nativeness", to the town, in TWO questions; less than 20 words. He was in his second year of linguistic and had a room mate who was from the same hometown as mine! He was also a musician (re: good ear).

The last point I would like to contribute is how I relate to both languages I speak fairly fluently. When the time came for me to go to high school (13 years old), I was faced with a decision. I went to my mother to ask what I should do, she told me it was my decision to make. For the first time in the history of this predominantly French speaking town (over 80% of the population was native French speakers -good or bad!) students could chose to go to a high school where the first language would be French. There would be just under 1300 students that would attended this school its first year of operation. The English students were getting a new school built for them. They were 650 or so, close to 30% of whom were native French speakers. Assimilation first starts in the attitude.

Throughout my adolescence, speaking both a poor French and a questionable English, I came to the conclusion that: 1) French was the language of my heart, it had emotional content; 2) English was more a social language, it was more formal for me. To say "***" will never measure up in meaning and release as to saying "tabernac". I understand that to many of you, this holds only partial meaning, but understand the first word is English, and the second is French. Both can be used when expressing a negative emotional state: anger, frustration, impatience, etc. For me, the second expression more effectively reflects the state of my heart.

So a qualifier determining a person's native language would be the one that most effectively reflects a state of heart when spoken. It doesn't necessarily need to be with the greatest fluency or ability.

Thank you for reading through this! Au revoir!