Speak English, if you speak at all (to all advanced)

  • Alina Wow great Alina? hut I'm Damir from the other end of the world who could surpise you with jokes and many other things/ Come on get in touch with me and try not to be fool in your letters
    Sincerely,
    Damir

  • >OFF!!!
    Great thanks ;-))) For your help. Your English is good!!!!

  • I also want to say you some words, but I don't know what to say. I suppose that you should gave one phrase and discuss it on this Forum. I shall support you. By, by. Please if you support my point of view answer me I sall be very glad.

  • >Alina
    But look the topic more attentively! Now we want you to tell us about your summer holiday!

  • HI guys!
    what a nice place! Everybody is unhappy!:)
    Come on! Stay cooler- it will help you out of your troubles!

  • Hello, everyone. Just found this forum by mere chance while surfing the net. It is really a good idea to communicate in English. This is the best (or one of the best) way to learn it. While reading messages smiled sometimes recognising Russian structures and way of thinking translated into English. The phrasing and bookish words of some people looked rather ridiculous to me. I say this not to make fun or to humiliate somebody but just to note that, even if you know the grammar and have a good vocabularly, it is not...well...quite enough, so to say. It is necessary to adopt a certain foreign-language mentality, a way to express yourself using natural language structures just not to sound unnatural or ridiculous. This is, no doubt, one of the most difficult thing in learning a foreign language and comes only with experience and practise. If anyone is interested,I am from Odessa (Ukraine), finished the University in Odessa, where majored in English language and literature. My second language is French. During the year I tutor English and French to mostly school students. In summertime I work as an interpreter for the groups of missionaries from the USA that come every year for the period of about two weeks. So, my spoken and, to a certain extent, written English is much influenced by the American variant. In August this year I was in the US (state of Colorado) to visit some of my friends there. English is such a thing you never stop learning. This comes from my personal experience. Actually, thia is also true about your native language, strange as that may seem. Ther is always something you don't know. Just never miss a chance to learn a new word or a phrase, to communicate with a foreigner or a native speaker. Read books and watch films in the original. Attack English from all the sides - don't let it get you discouraged. Learning a foreign language is not an easy process but very rewarding. So, good luck to those who try and don't give up because of the difficulties.

  • >Pavel!

    Yep! Very nice American English :o) Some structural patterns which you may call bookish and unnatural sound like that only in American English. "See ya, wanna, to finish the University (sry), + spelling: color, honor, flavor" - these are the things which are easy to learn...AFTER learning the original British language. But it's your job and it's connected with Am.E., so I can't judge you. I see your point of view. But try to respect people, who love literature and couldn't help using patterns they saw there.
    I've never met a native speaker, but "I've set my heart on :o)))" visiting Britain...

  • 2 OFF

    Thanks for the compliment. :)For a person who never met a native speaker your English is worth boasting of (naturally, I judge by your writing only). Surely, that international camp of yours must have helped you here a lot. When I talked about "natural structures", I didn't mean all these "wanna", "gonna" and other imitations of the spoken language in writing. I don't believe this is quite appropriate unless used for specific purposes (in literatute, for instance). I meant the kind of language Sergey (serjio) uses, for example. The first line in his post took my eye - "I don't want to be OBTRUSIVE". And some phrasing that I cannot quote from memory right now. Of course, I mean no offense and my respect to anyone who writes here. I just mean that normal context requires normal words. Being advanced doesn't mean that you are able to use bookish or high-flown words. When certain language competence is claimed by anyone, this person should be able to correlate "what to say" with "how to say", which doesn't always happen. That's why I used such words as "unnatural" or "ridiculous". Uff... I hope, all this doesn't sound snobbish. At least,it wasn't meant to.:)
    You are right. Working and communicating with Americans on a regular basis I have been used to their way and standards. It is pretty common for Americans (especially for young people) to make fun of the British accent which they can imitate pretty well. It is strange but I have never even met a Briton personally. After being in the States, I'd love to visit London and many other places in Great Britain as I like this country... Emotionally first of all, I think. So, I share same wish with you. Hope we both will realise it some day.

  • "Being advanced doesn't mean that you are able to use bookish or high-flown words." I can add nothing. :o) To my mind it should be the key sentence of this topic.
    But it may be rather useful for the learner to look some new words up in the dictionary once more. Furthermore, it really fascinates me (is it bookish? :o)) to read posts like yours with great spoken language, not so complicated as some other ones.
    Now about the imitation of the British accent. Once I saw a commercial where they showed the typical British person and he declaimed: "Marvellous, gorgeous". I loved it at first sight :o)

  • Hi all! I think the idea of a "advanced" chat is awesome :o)). I'm from Bulgaria and I'm searching for friends to talk with, cause I really want to practise my language and to improve- sadly most of my schoolmates are not quite advanced and I have no one to speak with. Now I'm 12th grade in high-school and I study economics, I'm 18 years old and I hope you'll accept me in your "society". Thanks :o)) my icq is 295-230-643 with nick Pumuckl