10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

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Luis Ko
YOYO member
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註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Luis Ko »

hi all, this is Luis. i'm going to host Tuesday meeting again on 10/22. actually i hadn't had any idea about this meeting's topic so, i tried to find one from those yoyo had discussed. and i found this one, "Why my English is so bad?" by technobabel, another Wayne in New York, if my memory serves me right. since i always say to myself that my English sucks. i think this is really a good one for me to host haa~ in addition to that, especially from English learning point of view, some English usage in it is quite new to me. anyway, i have also added something to it. hope you will enjoy the meeting lo~

Why my English is so bad?(9/28 Wed.)
文章由 technobabel » 週二 9月 27, 2005 6:20 pm

God helps us all!

I have zero-ed in on a topic.

Topic is going to be: why my English is so bad? I hope this topic isn't too mundane. This is a topic in which every one of us can seriously related to; sort of a most common denominator type of topic.

Session 1

If your English is a mess, You must confess

This is a rare opportunity to publicly discuss and explore a problem that you will have to live with for quite some time. What are the best ways to learn and live with English? Is the effort worth it so far? Which is better, paper or electronic dictionary? What is wrong with Taiwan's English learning environment? Is it really that hopeless? Who and what can really help us? Are TOEIC, GEPT 全民英檢 and other test certification services money sucking scum?
Please suggests a way to solve this problem and compose an open letter to Mayor Ma, an imaginary English teacher or anybody, and read it to the rest of the groups.

1. What don't you like about your English? When will you ever satisfy with your English?

2. How much effort/money are you willing to pay? What do you think the government can do about it?

3. Are there any known effective/proven short-cuts? Is this all just a wild goose chase?




note: the following article is from yahoo answers. please also read all those answers below it.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... 117AAAU4vQ
Why is my English so bad?
I'm 15 years old and I live in the United States. English is my second language and German is my native. Despite the fact that English is my second language, I've been speaking it quite regularly to the point where I only speak German to my relatives who can't speak English.
I think in English, only listen to American songs, watch Hollywood films, read books that are in English, and talk to people whose native language is English EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't have a foreign accent when I speak English because I began learning it when I was 8, but I'm awful at speaking English!
I find it so difficult to express myself and describe general things in intricate detail when I speak English. Sometimes, I use the wrong preposition and only realize that I did after it's come out of my mouth. Other times, I have trouble deciding which preposition to use (ex: in or at) and always feel frustrated with myself when I discover that I've used the wrong one.

Why is my English so terrible? I've been speaking it for well over eight years! There are many foreigners who never make any solecisms when speaking English! Why am I not like them? HELP ME! How do I improve? I want to be articulate.
Follow 8 answers Report Abuse


Best Answer:
I must say, mein deutsch friend, English is dying, With all of the new slang terms coming out every year, the language is changing. Sadly, incorrect grammar is the street standard. You've been learning English first hand for only 8 years. Your friends have been studying it for 16 years, and most of them STILL haven't gotten it right. The language is living; it will change. It's hard to keep up with it.
? · 5 years ago
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other answers:

heuberka1980
Your written English is not bad. But may be you think still German. My native language is German I have a great problem with the prepositions, because its a kind of different way of thinking.
Im German language it is like "the other way round" in the market place, on the street, at the street, in the street, and so on
When you change speaking from one to the other language some things will last. I can not change the pronunciation that fast, or the structure of the other language is still there. In German you can change the word order, and by changing it you get a different expression, while the facts remain.
The thing first mentioned in a german sentence may be the most important fact out of speaker's side. If you like to express this in English you can not do it in the same way you are losing "fellt details"
heuberka1980 · 5 years ago
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Arianna H.
Don't beat yourself up about it, English is a VERY hard language to learn, my dad is from Sweden, so his first language is Swedish, but he is also half Nowrwegian so his second language is Norwegian, he moved to Canada when he was like 22 and he started taking English Classes throughout College and he told me how hard it was to learn it. There is so much to know about English that makes it so hard. Like some words sound the same, "Deer and Dear"
Arianna H. · 5 years ago
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Kikilicious
I want to speak German!!!! English is one of the hardest languages to learn, which sucks, as it is the one that is used worldwide. It will improve over time, just be paitent
Kikilicious · 5 years ago
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xcntrygal
I can see that you write it well but don't say it well? Try repeating sentences to your self, or take a class on english or grammar, good luck!
xcntrygal · 5 years ago
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Watnow!!
english classes
Watnow!! · 5 years ago
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Shemeka LaBOOty
DOnT worry , I cant speak ANY German,, just keep PracTIcing>>
Shemeka LaBOOty · 5 years ago
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Xiomara
Hi Margaret
Your grammar is perfect so is your English.
U good!
Take care
Xiomara · 5 years ago

read also: Bad English? http://www.espressoenglish.net/bad-english/



session one questions:

1. have you ever thought that your English is bad? What don't you like about your English? When will you ever satisfy with your English?

2. why do you think your English is good, bad, enough to get by or what? is confidence a key to English ability, or say to what you think of your English? correlated or not, do you have any idea to boost confidence/your confidence?

3. do you agree with one of the articles that if you constantly think your English is bad, it might hinder your progress in English. or actually it’s a way to spur you on instead?

4. what do you think is the most important part of speaking English? pronunciation, grammar, fluency or anything else?


session two questions:

5. do you think intelligence is also a key to learning English? dose wisdom also play a part?

6. to make up the numbers for questions. let’s talk about intelligence and wisdom a bit. Do you think there is a difference between intelligence and wisdom? can young people be wise? or do you think the older, the wiser?

7. can a person intentionally become wise, or is it something that must happen naturally?

8. anyway, regardless of all that has been said, what can you do to improve your English? do you have any wise advice for learning English? for wise i mean it doesn’t have to be the "best way" to learn English well, but the most practical or useful tips, or what, you think you have ever received.



********************************************************************************************************************************************
Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:25pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:25 ~ 9:05pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
9:05 ~ 9:25pm Summarization (20 mins)
9:25 ~ 9:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期:列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間:當天請準時於 6:45 pm 到達 ~ 約 9:30 pm 左右結束
星期二聚會地點:丹堤濟南店
地址、電話:台北市濟南路三段25號 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站:板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法:出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後,沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘,到了濟南路口,左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
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注意事項:
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌,但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章,並仔細想過所有的問題,謝謝合作!

給新朋友的話:
1. 請事先準備 2~3 分鐘的英語自我介紹;會議結束前可能會請你發表 1~2 分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題,並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行,參加者應具備中等英語會話能力,對任一討論問題,能夠以 5 到 10 句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前,可以先來觀摩三次,觀摩者亦須參與討論。正式加入需繳交終身會費 NT$1,000。
最後由 Luis Ko 於 週一 10月 19, 2015 8:13 pm 編輯,總共編輯了 6 次。
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2162
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 10/22(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Rock »

Luis Ko 寫:...Are TOEIC, GEPT 全民英檢 and other test certification services money sucking scum?... [/b]
My old teacher back in college was an organizer and co-founder of GEPT. She told us that the standardized English competence test is easy money, and it's stupid to give all the money to those foreign TOFEL and TOEIC guys. :lol:
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Iris Wu
YOYO member
文章: 894
註冊時間: 週二 5月 20, 2014 4:33 pm

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Iris Wu »

"What do you think about your English?"
I guess everything is relative. What do you need English for? What are your English learning goals/objectives? A healthy way to think is to see if your English serves your needs.
People like to compare things for no reason or for the wrong reasons. If the comparison gives you motivation and driving force to achieve something, then, the comparison is healthy and positive. But if the comparison only gives you frustration and make you retreat and withdraw, then, we probably need to change our attitude.
We cannot just be a “thinker”, for skills, it is better to be a “doer”, but of course, a good “doer” requires strategy and thinking. When it comes to strategy and thinking, the intelligence and wisdom come into play. All this stuff sets people apart.
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2162
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Rock »

Yeah, understanding what English is to you is crucial. The more you need it, the more you get it.

Years ago, after our discussion, a kid asked me and Kooper a question, "Are you planning to study overseas or get a job in a global company? What are you studying English for?"

We told him that we do it just for fun; our nonchalant answer seemed to disappoint him. He probably thought that English is for serious purposes; for professional job or academic achievement. It sounded silly to do it just for fun.

I am happy that after years, we are still doing it. Not for silly fun, but for serious fun, I guess.
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Kooper »

Before answering the questions of why our English skills suck, we probably need to clarify one thing first – they suck comparing to what standard? If an English learner doesn’t even get a clear vision of where they would like to move toward, chances are they won’t make much progress.

Being fluent in oral English unfortunately does not have an accurate definition. When a person makes a statement like that, their actual expectation ranges from speaking as well as someone in YoYo, being able to answer questions in English at work, holding a meeting and driving discussions with foreign workers in English, speaking as fluently as a native speaker - regardless of their educational background, speaking like a newscaster with ZERO Chinese accent, to talking like an well-educated native speaker or even understanding every single words in Hollywood movies or American TV drama.
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Kat C
Member
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註冊時間: 週三 9月 08, 2010 10:31 am

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Kat C »

I looked up "vicious circle" and guess what? It's also correct!!! Well. It just goes to show that regional preferences can blind you. :mrgreen: Sorry for the confusion!!! Use either "circle" or "cycle" as you please. :drink:

圖檔
Luis Ko
YOYO member
文章: 970
註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Luis Ko »

sorry, i didn't mean to want you to admit your English is bad in today's meeting. just hope what you think about your English, negatively especially, can be a motive for you to learn it harder than you probably would.

to sum it up, you don't really need to compare with anyone else's English or what. the standard is that what you don't like your English should be the part you want to improve most. base on that, if you never get complacent about your English, you will always keep on improving it, making it as your serious fun as Rock and Kooper do maybe, then you will finally achieve what you want your English to be. :mrgreen:

but then again, just like Tina has mentioned, you also need to improve your mother tongue, and find something to use your English as well. if you don't have stuff to apply or share, no matter how good your English is will be in vain.. now i know why i always think my English sucks. :drink:

anyway, thank you all for coming lo~


attendees,

Leo, Kat, Iris, Ivan, Jason, Sabrina, Shong, Kooper, Claire, Amy, Shirley, Steve, Jessica, Larisa(newcomer), Rock, Chris, Ryan, Blithe, Tina, Ken, Wen-hen


last but not least, to embrace your English mistakes and, to put yourself out there, coming to yoyo as often as possible, will definitely help a lot. 8)
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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Rock
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文章: 2162
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Rock »

Luis Ko 寫:.... you also need to improve your mother tongue, and find something to use your English as well.
Objection! Of course your mother tongue will always be the first language, and your second language is not likely to surpass it. But I guess you can totally forget your mother tongue when you're learning another one. A 100% immersion would be the best to improve the new language, even on the cost of the regression of the old one. But then again, is it even possible to lose your mother tongue?

Once you know how to ride a bicycle, the ability will be yours forever. I guess language is something like that, too.
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 10/20(Tue.) Why my English is so bad? (Host: Luis)

文章 Kooper »

Error correction by Kat:
express what I think (X): It's grammatically correct but not what native speakers would say
express oneself (O)

motive: a reason for doing something
Ex: motive to commit a crime
motivation: enthusiasm for doing something; there is a drive... want to be better...
Ex: He's a bright enough student - he just lacks motivation
incentive: anything that adds to your motivation; something which encourage a person to do something
Ex: Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income

wait a short moment (O)
wait a little moment (X)

Cannot use "bottleneck" to express the idea of 英文遇到瓶頸. Use "My English skills plateau" or "My English skills hit a plateau" instead
Don't forget checking out the video clip that Kat introduced before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20vVcZKXvME
In short, use "hit a plateau," "to plateau," "to stagnate" to express the idea of 遇到瓶頸.
Use "get over the plateau" or "move beyond the plateau" to express the idea of 突破瓶頸

efficient vs effective
Efficient is more about number. English abilities cannot be quantified, so in learning English we say "effective" not "efficient." Another example is we say "effective conversation" not efficient conversation.

Idioms from Idiom of the Day (https://www.englishclub.com/ref/idiom-of-the-day.php)
test the waters: If you test the waters, you try sth first before deciding whether to get involved in it

leave no stone unturned: If you leave no stone unturned, you look everywhere in order to find something, or try everything in order to achieve something.
"Leave no stone unturned" is similar to "cover all the bases" in meaning.
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