AllVol said:Pretty good, epilot.
Oh I have to say this is hard to be understood due to "lead". Lead has lot of meanings and this sentence can be understood from its previous sentence while it has no previous sentence here.But I think "lead" means "directing".
An Americanism... get the lead out means to hurry (lose the heavy weight holding one back).
The only meaning I know for dove is kind of bird but you used it as a verb too?
dove is past tense of dive, as in swimming
Oh it is not so easy to understand that the next "row" means paddle.
First row is a loud disagreement
I think sow means: Seed & disperse.
First sow is a female pig
BeeBop said:I agree with AllVol, pretty good Epilot! Isn't English fun? You already write better than some who have English as a first language. Be careful with where and were, though. Also watch out for to too and two, and there, their and they're.
I'm from Canada, and yes English is my first language. We had to study French in school, and I wish I had kept up with it, rather than letting it slide for so many years.
I have been trying to learn Korean, but tend to 'give up' often. It is not at all like English, where the rules are loose, and pronunciations are many. In English, if you pronounce close, most will be able to understand you, or at least figure out what you are trying to say. In Korean, if you even get one word in the sentence wrong, most will not understand what you are trying to say. The culture is different, too, so I have been laughed at many times, for making even a very small mistake.
Korean uses an alphabet called Hangul, which was invented by King Sejong, just a couple of hundred years ago. It was easy to learn to read and write, and makes more phonetic sense than English. The hardest part has been listening. I still don't hear the subtlties well. The word order is different, too, with the verb at the end of the sentence. Also Korean uses honorifics, which make it very difficult.
It depends very much, on the age and social status of the people who are speaking, how they should speak to each other. If you use the wrong endings you can insult an older person, although Koreans are quite forgiving of foreigners who try to learn. Oh, and I didn't mention, that although I can read Hangul, it uses some Chinese Characters, and I only know a few of these, so at times I can't read everything.
Chinese has the same word order as English, and is easier for an English speaker to learn, but it has tones, which are tough to get. I think the Chinese Characters are one of the most beautiful written languages, but they must be learned by memory.
Japanese has a similar word order to Korean, and they use four different alphapbets. It is very hard to read Japanese.
It seems to me that the languages from South East Asia are a lot more musical and soft than the languages from the north, which tend to have a harsh sound. The cultures also seem much more open.
I learned more about Thai language and culture in a week, than I did about Korean culture in the first six months I was here. Although Thai uses tones, it has no tenses, and seems easier to listen to. Vietnamese is somewhat similar to Thai, in that it uses tones. Thai has it's own alphabet, which seems somewhat similar to Arabic, but it is written from right to left. I think Arabic is written left to right, as English is, isn't it?
I met a young boy from Mexico, here, who's father was a pilot. This young lad could speak Spanish, English, Korean and Arabic. He wrote my name in Arabic, and I thought it looked very nice.
You are so right about the language being a door to the culture. The culture also has ties to the geographic area, and it is all so interesting. When I first came here, I used chopsticks to eat rice. (Koreans also use stainless steel chopsticks, which are so much harder to use than Japanese or Chinese!) I found out, one day at lunch, that in Korea, unless you are in a Japanese or Chinese restaurant, this practice is rude. One should use a spoon to eat rice.
Another very interesting thing is Konglish. This is English, written in Hangul. Becuase there is only 'rieut' which is halfway between 'r' and 'l,' and no sound for 'f' or 'v' so they use a letter with a sound similar to 'p.' Words like pork and fork are indistinguishable. I tell Koreans they shouldn't try to say the word 'Venus' until they learn how to pronounce 'v.' (It would sound penus!)
Hope I haven't babbled on too much.
BeeBop said:Thanks, Epilot,
That looks really cool!
I really must agree, that there is a relationship between language and task. I think of German, and the relationship to manufacturing. The way they string 53 nouns together to make one word, seems to lend itself to the task. Perhaps the spread of English has as much to do with the 'loose' definitions, and slipping signifiers, as it does to colonial expansion.
I also must agree with you, that when people rely on what works, they have no need to push on. Creativity comes from a lack, rather than an excess. What is it they say, "necessity is the mother of invention."
Yes, the more Korean I learn, the better life gets here. Asians do have much more connection to their ancestry than Westerners, and for a large part seem much more polite, however there are drawbacks to Confucian Culture. The older person always receives respect from a younger person, but so often the older people are quite abusive. Also the idea that respect should only be given those in the small circle, leads to a lack of respect for others, and their property. I have watched a child totally abuse a revolving door in an expensive hotel, much to the dismay of a hotel worker. The woman who was in charge of the child said, and did nothing, to prevent the child playing with the equipment. (If it doesn't belong to me, then I can break it.)
I think living in a country which uses the language you wish to learn helps a lot. I also think that the younger you are, the better chance you have of learning. Ten languages is amazing, but I also think it gets easier each time. It seems the same with programming languages, the more you learn, the easier it gets.
Actually, rice is pretty easy to eat with chopsticks, especially the Japanese rice, which tends to be stickier than others. I have a ticket booked for the end of August, and many boxes of my stuff have already been sent to Canada; after I sent them (of course!) I started thinking that it is a mistake to leave here now. A couple more years, and I think my language skills would be so much better. I did have a short conversation the other day, but I still don't listen very well, and the man I was talking to had to repeat several times. I'm going to miss this very much!
Talk to you later.
Robert
O.K., first let me give you this: GUSP, which is an acronym for Grammar, Usage, Spelling, and Punctuation. The first point with this sentence covers usage.Thanks like always for your inputs,
First, this is the way I would say it, and the reasoning follows.Well, don't you think I have kind of grammer mistakes in my sentences?If so please help me to know that mistakes(I think I have those mistakes).
O I like philosophy, perhaps necessity is the mother of motion!
O.K., first, this is a 'run-on' sentence. You need to break it up a bit, perhaps like this:Perhaps most of older persons that misuse are uneducated ,I myself have seen few uneducated persons that don't respect to others and the reson is clear, that are not able to understand the needs of a social life, in other words that can not be logical... when I was a kid one day I hit to an uneducated guy and said "excuse me", he said me what I can do with your pardon, he could not understand that somethings are happen undeliberate.
Just take out kind of, and you have a very good construction here! Also, a very true one. I don't think there is really hatred, only fear, and fear can be conquered with education!Education is so important for every society, perhaps education is the mother of kind of communication.
Also pretty good, in terms of correctness, with the exception of 'with traveling,' where you should use 'by traveling.' This sentence seems like a very good opportunity to try out the semi-colon, and I want you to take a 'crack' at it. (In other words, you should try to re-make the sentence with semi-colons, and I'll give more feedback when you finish.)If you have lot of money and no job then spend your money with traveling to other countries, do you want to return to your country only because of "language" peroblems?!
the language is a puzzle solve it!
JRoque said:Great thread.
Epilot, you are doing great! I understand your difficulties in composing some English sentences. As I sometimes still do, you are probably thinking the sentence in Arabic and then translating it to English. I can tell because if I translate the sentences as you write them to Spanish (my native language), they come out nearly perfect. That will go away if you practice conversational English. Things will flow much easier then.
When I moved to USA many years ago, I went through some rough periods trying to get by. For example, at the office we would discuss the big change in culture and climate I had gone through. They usually followed that with "are you excited?". Well, in Spanish "excited" translates to "aroused". So I'm thinking, gee, you better try harder and at least buy me a beer...
Things go a lot easier when I learned the suffix "ing". This is magical. You can "ing" anything to make it a verb. For example, when you pour water onto a plant you are watering it. If you walk, you are walking. If you eat, you are eating. And even odd ones like book and booking, floor and flooring, roof and roofing, clock and clocking. You get the idea.
One comment on your last post, I believe you're using "education" to refer to people's manners. In Spanish we also say that someone is "educated" - literally translated - when they have good manners.
Regards,
JR
Then if I say "Thanks for your input", can you understand which I am thankfulness for all your posts?!BeeBop said:.
We think of input as a singular quantity, when it is used as 'feedback.' Yes, it is true that a microcontroller, or amplifier, etc. can have multiple inputs, however, when used as above you should use it as a singular: input.
I, myself, think that 'dot' cuts off 2 sentence.I am confused, you used it at above for sentences that are relative to each other, am I wrong.(you will sayBeeBop said:.
O.K., first, this is a 'run-on' sentence. You need to break it up a bit, perhaps like this:
Perhaps most of the older people who abuse, are uneducated. I, myself, have seen a few uneducated people, who don't respect the needs of others. The reason is clear; they are not able to understand the needs of others in society. In other words, they lack logic. When I was a kid, one day I bumped into an uneducated guy, and said "excuse me." He said to me "what can I do with your pardon." He could not understand that some things which happen, are not deliberate.
BeeBop said:.
I took out 'a social life,' because you haven't really used it in the correct context, here. (My guess is that it is a term you have learned, and wanted to use, so tried to use it here. Am I right?
The term really means 'what one does outside of work, ie: with one's friends and acquaintances.)
I am a beginner in punctuation; but I'll try it:BeeBop said:.
This sentence seems like a very good opportunity to try out the semi-colon, and I want you to take a 'crack' at it. (In other words, you should try to re-make the sentence with semi-colons, and I'll give more feedback when you finish.)
What this means: "and have to do with a relationship which has changed since my ticket was bought"BeeBop said:.
Now I'll try and respond, at least to the last one.
My reasons for leaving are complex, and have to do with a relationship which has changed since my ticket was bought.
Oh, so you are a tourist. Very well, Middle east is a good choice but wait for a cooler season, summer is not a good season in Middle east, but autumn is nice and the weather is very cooler than now.BeeBop said:.
Canada would not have been my choice; I already know it fairly well, and it is not nearly as interesting to me, as many other countries, at the moment. I have met some Vietnamese people, and would really love spending some time in their country. China is also interesting, as is Indonesia. I totally fell in love with Thailand when I was there, and really would like to spend more time. Boy, my list is already long, and I could keep adding to it. The Middle East is also tempting. I met a lady from Morocco in the airport in Taipei, and we hit it off, but since have lost touch. Her country sounds fascinating. Traveling, however, conflicts with my other interests.
BeeBop said:.
I so enjoy interacting with you; perhaps one day I will visit your country, or you mine.
Regards,
Robert
A question: I would like to know, How could you improve your English language, in the US?
Any classroom there?
JRoque said:Hello Epilot.
My reference in the sentence above is meant to be humorous. I was saying that when I moved to the US and heard people ask me if I was 'excited' about the move, I got confused a little. In English, 'excited' refers to a state of exhilaration or happiness. In Spanish, however, that word has a completely different connotation.
Absolutely. You can indeed study English here. I lived in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts while attending school and working. There are over 23 major colleges and universities there and all have excellent "English as second language" programs. Many students come here without knowing much English at all. They take an intensive 6 month language course and then start studying their majors which are taught in English.
However, in my case, it was the need to learn that forced me into improving my communications skills. Other than watching TV and interacting with others, you'll quickly find friends that are bilingual and can help you with those difficult words or the perennial "how do you say this" question. I'm still learning, of course, but the initial learning curve was steep and challenging. When you move here, you bring your identity, culture, expressions and even regionalisms with you and try to use these to communicate. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't work so well.
The US is a big melting pot and most people here accept our differences. Yes, it is difficult at first but you learn how to maneuver around obstacles. This does not mean you lose your culture or what identifies you as a person. Instead, there's a common thread between everyone here so we can function as a society but our differences are kept alive and celebrated as well. For example, on three consecutive weekends not long ago, we attended weddings where we were all barefoot on a beach for one, broke glass cups on the floor on another and sang and threw rice on the third. Many of the friends attending were on all three weddings so this is not uncommon to see. Ok so it's not perfect, but it's really close : - )
التحيات
JR
PS: I trust Google language tools that it says "regards" above, does it?
Did you have any acquaintance about English language; before traveling to America?
Arabic is not my first and native language
Then if I say "Thanks for your input", can you understand which I am thankfulness for all your posts?!
I, myself, think that 'dot' cuts off 2 sentence.I am confused, you used it at above for sentences that are relative to each other, am I wrong.(you will say
".Am I wrong" rather than ",am I wrong" for example)
What one does outside of work means when a person is not working. Your social life is what you do after work. The ie means for example. I think it really should be written i.e., but I'm not sure about this. The problem was that your sentence tried to say too much at once. It is a lot easier to break it up into smaller sentences. I understood (and for the most part agreed with what you said,) however, you asked me to correct your sentences, so I did.I am confused again.I am not able to understand these:
"what one does outside of work, ie: with one's friends and acquaintances".
Can you let me know the real problem with my sentence.
I wondered if you felt I was judging you on a personal level, or somehow making you feel uneasy. I am trying to help you improve, as you requested.(I wish you were me and wanted to write this paragraph. long explanation in English is hard for me at the moment)
In fact I think you are doing very well, and I don't mind giving you as much help as I can. Now, that paragraph you wrote, is quite complex, and IS difficult. It is not that I don't understand what you mean; I do understand, and agree with it. What I was trying to do was help you write it in a much better way.Well, don't you think I have kind of grammer mistakes in my sentences?If so please help me to know that mistakes(I think I have those mistakes).
Each segment should be able to stand on its own as a sentence, just one semi colon would do it:I am a beginner in punctuation; but I'll try it:
""If you have lot of money; and no job; then spend your money by traveling to other countries. Do you want to return to your country; only because of "language" peroblems?!.
the language is a puzzle; solve it!""
What this means: "and have to do with a relationship which has changed since my ticket was bought"
This is a good sentence, but take out very, or change it to much. (...the weather is cooler than now. or the weather is much cooler than now.)Oh, so you are a tourist. Very well, Middle east is a good choice but wait for a cooler season, summer is not a good season in Middle east, but autumn is nice and the weather is very cooler than now.
Yes, for sure. You hit the nail on the head! (You got it right.) It is 100x harder when you are tired!Ok, I know that I have a lot of problem with Punctuation, but the time is 5:50AM and I was awake at night, so I am not able to read my writing again
BeeBop said:Well, last week, I wished some Koreans who owned a corner store a Happy New Year. (A bit late, perhaps, but it is almost Lunar New Year, and that's the important one.) I didn't have to repeat myself, as the line is quite distinctive, but I have had to repeat myself on many occasions, when trying to speak Korean here. There are areas in Vancouver, where many Koreans live. Sometimes I'll just chastise strangers for speaking Korean, and being 'bad students.' It's all in good fun, and they usually laugh, once they know what I've said.
They are always shocked to hear a 'whitey' speaking their language.
The first day back, in the airport, I asked some young people who were speaking Korean, in Korean, "now who is the foreigner? yea, right!" They laughed, and told me they were now Canadians.
I miss Korea, and find I'm quite disillusioned with my own country.
epilot said:Wow, thanks Robert to restart this thread again, I need to learn more and more yet. I can remember my English teacher at high school who said us
" the whole English language is made of 500 or 600 words, so if you learn meaning of just those 500 or 600 words then you can read English books or even talk in English without any problem". Now after learning the meaning of more than 1000 words; reading and writing the threads and papers via Internet I see myself as a beginner! even I am not sure that I am able to speak with an English guy.
from this https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/JohnnyLing.shtml page."The statistics of English are astonishing. Of all the world's languages (which now number some 2,700), it is arguably the richest in vocabulary. The compendious Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words; and a further half-million technical and scientific terms remain uncatalogued. According to traditional estimates, neighboring German has a vocabulary of about 185,000 and French fewer than 100,000,
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