Do you want to improve your English?

[Conchita]

[Englishuser]

Hi Torsten and Conchita,

I think that the only way of learning a new language, or anything else for that matter, is to work one one's own. A teacher or instructor is there to motivate you and to help you by explaining things that might be difficult to learn on your own (e.g. certain grammar rules and pronunciation for beginners).

Your assumption that I, as my nickname suggests, learn English by using the language, is correct. And I honestly have never attended a Berlitz course, even though I find the Berlitz method interesting. My way of learning English has been quite naturalistic in the sense that I tend up to pick up words, expressions, the grammar, pronunciations, etc., simply by reading English novels, watching English films and so on. English classes that I have attended have never been very useful for me. I learn things mostly on my own, it is the way that works best for me, and for many others. I use English as much as possible: on the Web (on websites such as this), with English-speaking friends and on my own (reading and writing). I am a bilingual so this might have aided me somewhat: however, as I am not an expert on bi- and multilingualism, I will let others write more about why a bilingual background can be beneficial when you learn a third language.

I like this website very much, and I think that people can learn a lot using it. I have also read some of Alan's articles and glanced through some of the tests available on the site, and I think that they are excellent. I wish to congratulate all of you for your achievment.

In regard to improving one's writing skills, I would say that reading helps a lot. This way you will improve your grammar skills and vocabulary in a natural way. Writing classes can also be helpful. I regret to say this, but I also think that some people are more talented writers than others; some of us write very well without practising that much at all, whilst others need to take many courses and read enormous amounts of literature and style manuals to become more sophisticated writers. I would like to highlight that anyone can learn to write very well, some of us just need to work more to reach the goal.

A writing workshop sounds like an excellent idea to me. I am sure that any of the users you, Torsten, mentioned, would be qualified to run a workshop like this. I also think that Jamie would be very good at helping people with writing. And, of course, anyone should be allowed to express their opinion concerning texts submitted as it often takes many pairs of eyes to accomplish a well written text.

I wish you all the best, and I hope to hear from you all soon again.

[Jan]

Hello ,
my native tongue is Polish and building short sentences seems to be underestimeded by Sailor Jan.
I claim that in my mother tongue me Sailor Jan always would be able to say things just correctly , and about writting almost always just correctly.
My vocabulary in Polish is just amazing special bad vocabulary and reading all books and dirty papers in Polish never required from Sailor Jan even only one time
any dictionary(to devaste you totaly I may say that any Polish most probably would say the same about himself).

During a parlamentary discuccion in England about future
of English language in 1990's , maliciuos journalists had counted in average a level of mistake grammar failure etc. like up to 2 % in total.

Good forgive Lords and save the King or better the Queen.

It is not bad probably ,but Polish somehow is just easier and less Latin- like.
Polish has a big advantage - you write and speak same way.

This makes perfect sense for me,and lack of this in English language annoys me.

I am serounded by native English speakers , not just now
but since years.
And what do you think?Does it help alot ?

They can't agree between themself what is right what is not right.
I don't know if I judge wrong but Mr. Englishuser had just good teacher and self determination.
My English is strait from pub sessions and to achive that "fine accent" you need be not even a blue collard but black, dark black one ,with many many beers to flush the
alien glazing on skin.

Yours Faithfully

Scots and Irish Supporter
warrier Jan

[Englishuser]

[Jan]

Well,
once again ,Polish learned in the childhood ,at home, tought by mother ,later widely used in family, and punctured into mind on University or any other school is exactly good learnt
like any other native language.
Believe me or not ,but majority of Polish wouldn't misjudge
Polish vocabulary or Polish native accent.
Writting is different, no everybody is practising this often
enough to make so high cofident progress.
German Group Family languages specialy German and English are a little special for me, sometimes I had a feeling that
first "foreign" language for Germans is Hochdeutsch.

Also an existing range of vocabulary , which reaches probably a level of
500 thousends words ( at least on paper ) for German
and something close to this for English ( special technical terms )what creates buffor
zone between normal human being and official language.
I never was living in the English spoken counrty I am working at sea and sea even nowdays is full of English
and English spoken natives.
If you wouldn't use your good time to study being young
and open-minded means probably now ,later would be
only harder (to study English or any language)
Regards
Jan
sorry for spelling i learn seeing my mistakes with time

[Englishuser]

Hi Jan,

Yes, I definitely agree with you: the earlier you start studying a language, the better. Although it's never too late to start, of course.

All the best to you.

[Cristina]

Hi,Torsten,Englishuser,Conchita,Jan
I read your letters about this topic ......
Firstable I think depends on us our progress in English, is not that we want to live in the United States, or eat curry, its for example that we can shortened frontiers,customs,I feel great when I assist in conferences with International speakers and I realized that I understand most of the lecture without a translator then I think wuuuaaauuu my effort worths it,and not only for that,Im learning the double of a person who only knows one language,because I have two sources of information,in Spanish and in English,in my country its usual that you find English speakers around, so its also nice if you help them find a specific place or person in a country that doesn't speak their language Torsten mentioned something about some institutes ok,maybe Berlitz or other institutes are not excellent but just to start are not bad,the rest will depend on each one, I learned in school and also in an institute,I worked also as an English teacher but now I'm not sure that I deserve this title,I have many sources in order to learn English,I mean,cd's,magazines,books,internet,songs,and also an American brother and an American aunt,and I realized there's a lot of work to do,and I don't know where to start. .. and as well as you, Im another English learner,a friend who's also an English teacher told me that it's impossible to learn all the English vocabulary and that's right, but ,if we can learn more why can't we do it?
I agree it would be better if we travel to an English speaking country but the true is that not everybody can pay it or have the facilities to travel, in my country its practically impossible to travel, embassies ask for different documents that are not only expensive but also difficult to get .
And well I agree with Torsten to start a topic and receive different feedback it would be a great opportunity to develope the language and exchange ideas.

Cris.
_________________
Brains like hearts go where they are appreciated.

[Tamara]

Hi

Just two estimations, I know:

1. English language nears the one million-word milestone. ("on 21 March this year, there were about 988,968 words in the language, "plus or minus a handful". At the current rate of progress, the one-million mark will be reached this summer.")

2. To hear and clearly understand, an average English learner needs (in addition to continuous learning new words) to spend about 5.000 hours of pure time intently listening to native speakers of different styles. Audio, films, the BBC radio are OK. And 30-minutes-30-days is enough to start
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Cristina]

Thanks for your estimations Tamara,5000 hours of listening,
wuuauuuu well it's time to start.

Cris
_________________
Brains like hearts go where they are appreciated.

[Tamara]

Hi Cristina

I myself started to understand - more or less clearly – real, not adapted, native speakers’ talks only after a year of living in the UK (though at secondary school I had English-as-a-second-language).
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Jan]

Hi Cristina & Tamara,hi everbody,

I have started to understand native speakers ( educated English able to drop their home accent in favour of some more known South English or similar) after at least 5000 hours of listening.
A problem for me was not just time. A pleasure to hear and latercorrectly guess/match words is worth a work involved
,but a bad thing for me was if I made a break or would had started to mix languages, it was lost again and I needed to repeat to listen ,and to practice.
Important were some factors like: how fresh you are,what time of a day it is,(mornings were better ) ,and if I know a person, if that person was talking to a foreigner already,if you really know that part of language correctly (vocabulary) etc...
Well,to manage to understand a native docker in England is a completely different story.
Regards
Jan

[Cristina]

Its great to hear your different experiences on learning to understand English speakers,I imagine that being in that environment must be amazing,now reading your posts at least I have an idea on how different it is to write than to listen, thanks to both of you,I don't know if some day I'll have the opportunity to travel to an English speaking country and tell you my own experience but what I can share with you is my experiences as a mother of two beautiful kids,as a wife,as a daughter,and as an English teacher whenever you want ,

Thanks again,Cris.
_________________
Brains like hearts go where they are appreciated.

[Edgarcosco]

How much time per week do you spend watching TV?
Every day I watch tv between 10 and 15 minutes in the morning while get dressed my cloth.

How much time per week do you spend in your car?
I do not have a car but every weekend I travel two half hours

How much time do you spend reading a newspaper or magazine?
I read some papers in my job

How many emails do you write per day/week?
Since I enroled in a English-test.net, every day I write email but I check my email in the night only.

How much time per week do you spend on the Internet?
I spend on the internet six day per week between seven and eleven half hours in the night.

How much time do you spend eating breakfast?
I spend eating my breakfast between 12 and 20 minutes

How often do you go to the cinema?
I seldom go to cinema, I prefer to stay in my house and to watch TV
Regards,
Edgar

[Najeebalhrsh]

hi
how i can improve my language

[Torsten]

Dear Najeebalhrsh,

Welcome to english-test.net and many thanks for your interesting question. You can improve your English by changing your habits.

For more information, please read How to learn English? and let me know what you think.

Regards,
Torsten
PS: Of course I'd also like to hear your opinion on this subject.
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary