Full Version: Forum users from non english speaking countries
I am just intrigued at how some of the forum users who do not hail from English speaking countries seem to get along with it so well. I’ve found English to be a most difficult language, and I have been brought up on it.
I live in Switzerland, but I do have the advantage of having an American father (my mother is Swiss) and so I learned English together with German. I have also a natural gift for languages, so I never really had any problems with them (only with French, but I don't like this language; probably because of those idiot teachers we had).
I am from Spain, and my English is good just because I've studied a degree on it at University, and I've also been in Northern Ireland for a year to improve it. Very nice place to go, by the way 
Where's the option for "English is my primary language but I speak it just as badly"? I could think of plenty of people who deserve that title...
Truer words were never spoken 
It is a shame that people who have English as their primary language can't write (perhaps even speak 
) it correctly. What do they learn in school nowadays? Where is education nowadays? When even I write better than someone who has English as primary language...
It is a shame that people who have English as their primary language can't write (perhaps even speak ) it correctly. What do they learn in school nowadays? Where is education nowadays? When even I write better than someone who has English as primary language...
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| (Peregrine): Where's the option for "English is my primary language but I speak it just as badly"? I could think of plenty of people who deserve that title... |
I had considered putting up such an option, but thought better of it in the end. My own brother has a hard enough time with it, and since he is also on this board, I did not want him to get the impression that I was in some way slighting him. It just amazes me though… Even my friend, born and raised in Sweden, has been here only about 10 years, and he has no trace of a Swedish accent, and only on a rare occasion will he stumble on some esoteric word. But as I said in another post elsewhere, we in Northeastern Minnesota have something of a northern European accent to begin with and I just may not as readily notice a Swedish or German or other Nordic accent (there is a reason, after all, why they call Minnesota “Little Sweden”, and it is not just because of our quasi-socialist leanings).
I know one language (American-English) very well, and two others (German and French) well enough to get along. Of the three, I think English is the most difficult. I applaud those who have some degree of mastery over it despite it not being their primary language.
My English is quite good since I've been in contanct with media on English ever since I was 2 years old. I remember my neighbours freaking out that I'll mix English with my native language and that I won't be able to communicate with anybody. This lead to the eviction of a 72cm TV from my 75 yearold neighbours house because she thought that it could happen to her and that she would be handicaped for life; which was a very wierd motive since she spoke 9 languages. It puzzles me even today.
Born English, raised English. Except now I can't spell because of my speaking German. [Read English = Englisch]
I think my English is good enough for a born and bred Italian. I've mostly learnt it through music and computer games... I don't think I've ever even opened a grammar book. And, in the last few years, I must admit that chatting on the Internet has helped as well.
My English might be above average (of people my age), but in Holland it isn't really that hard excelling above your fellow Dutchmen becouse almost each Dutchman speaks English with a really clear Dutch accent 
.
And ofcourse i've always been quite good at English wich has been caused by a overwhelming quantity of hours behind computer
. But I think this has some negative effects too because you sometimes accidently use 'words' like:u, ppl, etc. in a formal conversation.
(Im only 15, man there are a lot of older ppl on these forums)
Ëlwe
.And ofcourse i've always been quite good at English wich has been caused by a overwhelming quantity of hours behind computer
. But I think this has some negative effects too because you sometimes accidently use 'words' like:u, ppl, etc. in a formal conversation.(Im only 15, man there are a lot of older ppl on these forums)
Ëlwe
To be frank, most of the non-English posters to this forum take more trouble about what they post. Certainly in the English education system very little attention is paid to grammar and spelling these days. It is my belief that a basic test set on those doing the teaching would quickly prove why. One of our best selling books in the UK at the moment however is a grammar book - 'Eats Shoots and Leaves' I believe it is called.
This reminds me of an Australian joke - Every Australian girl thinks every Australian boy is a pig because he eats roots and leaves. (Sorry about that!)
This reminds me of an Australian joke - Every Australian girl thinks every Australian boy is a pig because he eats roots and leaves. (Sorry about that!)
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