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Learning English as a Second Language

Tuesday, 23. September 2008, 03:07:38

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Many people here speak English as a second language and know learning a language is not an easy and fast process. English has a simple grammar compared to other languages such as German which has many declination cases or the neo-latin languages (Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian) which have many conjugations. But it also depends on your mother tongue, for Japanese, Chinese or those languages natives who have learned a different alphabet and a very specific grammar in their first language have more difficulties to learn English than Swedish natives whose language has many points in common with English. Nevertheless, the tactics and activities used by learners are the same, as using songs to improve the listening and memorizing the vocabulary, or repeating grammar exercises and so on. Therefore, I would like you to tell me how were your biggest difficulties in learning English and what those problems have to do with your mother tongue.



P.S.: If you could also answer my new poll, I'd be very happy. P:

A romantic German momentLaughing is the best medicine

Comments

K C N Martínez 23. September 2008, 15:56

My biggest difficulty was the pronounciation...but as soon I started in an English speaking high school that problem vanished! :D

Andre 23. September 2008, 15:59

Oh that's good, but isn't there any specific grammar point you had more difficult to understand?

K C N Martínez 23. September 2008, 16:18

I'll have to think about that! :sherlock:

Mona 23. September 2008, 20:55

Articles. Still don't get them :smile:
And I'm not giong to vote because you may choose only one option which is simply impossible :smile:

Andre 25. September 2008, 16:39

C'mon, of course all those options help us to improve our English, but one of them must be "stronger".

Olga 25. September 2008, 16:55

reading and speaking (chatting) :smile:

My problem is articles too!!! THE and A! I am crazy when I can`t understend where I should use the ot a!:smile:

Mona 25. September 2008, 18:48

It depends on a person, simply :smile:

Olga 26. September 2008, 08:36

Watching films is also helpful! You can add that to your voting!:smile:

Andre 26. September 2008, 20:26

Olgita: Russian doesn't have articles , does it?
Ahh yeah, I forgot it, but it can be others. P:
Villain: Yes, you're right, but don't you agree many people have much in common in order to learn languages?

Mona 26. September 2008, 21:30

Actually, from purely axiosemiotical point of view, it's surprising how little people have in common when it comes to languages.
Probably it's because most of people does not really think about the giant and somehow devilish, I admit, language machinery...

deadcantdance 21. October 2008, 19:32

My first language is very tricky, my second one easy. p:

deadcantdance 21. October 2008, 19:46

Vote in your pool, but need multiple choice answers. I improve my english by reading, writing and more important LISTENING (english speaking podcasts). Never underrate the listening to a language. Maybe it is better to listen to it for a long time and if you understand it a little bit (forget vocabulary) read/write it. Remember, when you were a child, you listened to your mother/father before speaking. Eh.. Professor Her Vater was speaking :wink:

Andre 22. October 2008, 10:54

Hey Herr Vater. I agree with you, but you can't forget we can be aware in comparing first language acquisition with second language acquisition, it's not the same, but we can find many similiarities as you wrote.
About the poll. I want people to tell me what's the activity they use the most for improving their English, but it doesn't mean the others aren't important as well.
Thanks for coming :smile:

deadcantdance 22. October 2008, 19:57

You are welcome :smile: I always hated to learn vocabulary. You learn the word table = tisch, snake = schnecke, but you will forget it very soon, if you no picture for it. So for my opinion it's easier to bind something with it like: the gigantic snake ate the salat in a few seconds. Sounds pathetic, but for me it works much better. I learned alot of my second language by translating and listening to songs, reading easy written books (for childs, or novels like discworld) and visit homepages, reading blogs, forums etc. Unfortunately I have not the chance to speak it very often.

Olga 23. October 2008, 09:11

ANDRE! You are right! Russian had not articles))))
Andre! WHERE ARE YOU AGAIN!?????????????????????:wink:

Andre 23. October 2008, 19:11

Yes, when you have it in a context it becomes easier. :smile:
I'm here!!! Olgita!! :D

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