For everyone who feels like speaking English....
- Thread starter Sheila
- Start date
Rene-L
XPdite Sponsor
For those who are worried about their English, here's something that will lighten your worries:
Of kors, zer vil be ozer difikulties.
THE European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty’s Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement, and has accepted a five-year plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).
In the first year, “s” will be used instead of the soft “c”.
Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy: -
Also, the hard “c” will be replaced with “k”. Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced by “f”. This will make words like “fotograf” 20 per sent shorter.
In the third year, publik akseptanse of the spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkorage the removal of double leters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent “e “s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.
By the fourth year, people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” with “z” and “w” with “v”.
During ze fifz year, ze unesesary “o” kan be dropd from vords kontaining “ou”, and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters
After zis fifz yer, ye vil hay a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis, and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer.
Ze drem vil finali kum tru.
I hope you can fight your way through.
Rene
Of kors, zer vil be ozer difikulties.
THE European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty’s Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement, and has accepted a five-year plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).
In the first year, “s” will be used instead of the soft “c”.
Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy: -
Also, the hard “c” will be replaced with “k”. Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced by “f”. This will make words like “fotograf” 20 per sent shorter.
In the third year, publik akseptanse of the spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkorage the removal of double leters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent “e “s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.
By the fourth year, people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” with “z” and “w” with “v”.
During ze fifz year, ze unesesary “o” kan be dropd from vords kontaining “ou”, and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters
After zis fifz yer, ye vil hay a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis, and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer.
Ze drem vil finali kum tru.
I hope you can fight your way through.
Rene
tum
XPdite Sponsor
Hi Annemarie,
Don´t be careful with the way your write, I don´t really percieve (yes, neat neat neat) you as being a neatly writing person :-D. I like the way you normally write as that is how I got to ´know´ you at (in, on) this forum.
To answer your question, it will still take us some time before we hopefully get our visa. Bonny is having his Ielts on December 10th and is worried about his writing skills. When taking the testexam, he passed the reading (cursing at first saying does this have to be that difficult, not knowing that he did the Academic version and passed that also, so good on him), and listening. I would be suprized if he wouldn´t pass his speaking part. But I am the ´administrationgirl´ of if you like in ducth PCeend and administratiemiep at home. In his line of work, being a metal fabricator, don´t write much. Especially not essays in which you have to express a point.
So we´ll see where this will lead to. At the moment he has done his best to practise. And if he doesn´t pass, after 3 months he can undertake it again, so you also have some more time to focus on what is lacking.
Hope you have a great time with your parents and I´m happy for you that they have come to terms with you going to Australia
Take care
Miranda
Don´t be careful with the way your write, I don´t really percieve (yes, neat neat neat) you as being a neatly writing person :-D. I like the way you normally write as that is how I got to ´know´ you at (in, on) this forum.
To answer your question, it will still take us some time before we hopefully get our visa. Bonny is having his Ielts on December 10th and is worried about his writing skills. When taking the testexam, he passed the reading (cursing at first saying does this have to be that difficult, not knowing that he did the Academic version and passed that also, so good on him), and listening. I would be suprized if he wouldn´t pass his speaking part. But I am the ´administrationgirl´ of if you like in ducth PCeend and administratiemiep at home. In his line of work, being a metal fabricator, don´t write much. Especially not essays in which you have to express a point.
So we´ll see where this will lead to. At the moment he has done his best to practise. And if he doesn´t pass, after 3 months he can undertake it again, so you also have some more time to focus on what is lacking.
Hope you have a great time with your parents and I´m happy for you that they have come to terms with you going to Australia
Take care
Miranda
Jean76
XPdite Sponsor
Your English is very good, Tum
It will be important if you're settled in Oz.
Have you made the IELTS-test already?
I still have to work for my English (VERY HARD ). At the moment I follow a course for it, but I've missed the last three lessons..... . I also do a study and this study is very important for me as well (and bloody expensive :x ). Sometimes I've not enough time to concentrate myself on the English course. But it will change....I hope so.....
It will be important if you're settled in Oz.
Have you made the IELTS-test already?
I still have to work for my English (VERY HARD
). At the moment I follow a course for it, but I've missed the last three lessons..... . I also do a study and this study is very important for me as well (and bloody expensive :x ). Sometimes I've not enough time to concentrate myself on the English course. But it will change....I hope so.....
TheBroute
New Member
Jean76.........Your English isn't bad either.
Why are you follow a course for English language?
Isn't it good enough you think?
My English is very average, but I think it's enough.
English speaking people did always understand what I intend to say.
The communication with them for me is almost the same as talking with people in my own language.
My experience is that when you are in a country where the main language is English you will get used to it very fast.
In a few days you started to think in English as well. :-D
Believe me........no problem with your English!
Bert
Why are you follow a course for English language?
Isn't it good enough you think?
My English is very average, but I think it's enough.
English speaking people did always understand what I intend to say.
The communication with them for me is almost the same as talking with people in my own language.
My experience is that when you are in a country where the main language is English you will get used to it very fast.
In a few days you started to think in English as well. :-D
Believe me........no problem with your English!
Bert
marina
New Member
Most Dutch people who have had English in school will have enough to get by. The thing i notice is that we still translate Dutch directly into English. I still do that as well, but there and again i sometimes do it the other way as well (say things in Dutch the English way).....
For example: you get used to it very fast (sounds better: you get used to it very quick) and have you made your IELTS (sounds better: did you do your IELTS)
But that doesnt matter, its just detail..... It is just the choice of words.
As long as they can make out what you mean its fine. I still get it with Mike as well who corrects me all the time with little things like that. Its handy though cause thats how you learn. But there and again he filled in on the application that his son was his sibling and not his child hahaha. I asked him; i thought siblings are brothers and sisters..... he just answered; oooh yeah....
So am i learning it right (from an English guy haha)????????
For example: you get used to it very fast (sounds better: you get used to it very quick) and have you made your IELTS (sounds better: did you do your IELTS)
But that doesnt matter, its just detail..... It is just the choice of words.
As long as they can make out what you mean its fine. I still get it with Mike as well who corrects me all the time with little things like that. Its handy though cause thats how you learn. But there and again he filled in on the application that his son was his sibling and not his child hahaha. I asked him; i thought siblings are brothers and sisters..... he just answered; oooh yeah....
So am i learning it right (from an English guy haha)????????
Marina, you hit the nail on the head. I often cringe when I read English here (or anywhere else for that matter) . Sometimes it is SO Dutch. On occasions I tell Steve and ask what he thinks it means, and he just wouldn't know. Well, that shows you/us!
And it's great to practise here, but there's hardly any correcting, so how are we learning?
And it's great to practise here, but there's hardly any correcting, so how are we learning?
jassian
New Member
hey Miranda, and everyone else too of course
You're right, no reason be all self-conscious all of a sudden. :-D
I think it's mainly because I'm really somewhat proud of my english skills.
Terrible I know. I'll try to write more the way I normally do. No showing off :evil:
... OK maybe a little. At least I'm honest about it!
may i ask you something? Do you have any kind of psychology background?
I hope it's not kinda personal. But I realize you have a very good understanding
of people. I'm really impressed by that.
So, he actually took the academic test withough knowing it! :lol1:
Alright.
Oh boy, yeah writing was a bit of a worrying point for me too. I do a lot of role playing
via email (excellent exercise, by the way) which is basically writing a story
with a couple of people at once and everybody has their own characters to play.
This might maybe work here, too. Make a thread and pick a story everybody knows,
maybe star trek or lord of the rings, pick characters and write in english.
Dangerous part is though if people don't really feel safe in the game environment
egos tend to flare up, so it's not always fun unless you're doing it with friends.
the great thing is that you can really learn from each other and the thing with
literal translations just becomes less prominent... although it helps if you
have some native speakers around.
I'm even trying to write a novel believe it or not... OK more of a short story.
And I think I'll never finish it because I'm always thinking of new things to write about.
But essays are still annoying for me. i almost never do that!
hey, I have something you might like. I collected some IElTS essays...
for acadamic IELTS in a word file. If you send me a message with your
email address I can send it to you, maybe it helps.
There's also good training books with simple tips as how to write
introduction sentences how to gather you pro and contra arguments
quickly, how to best take your notes for your essay, that type of
thing. That's quite good stuff. It alleviates your nervousness if you have
some tools at you disposal.
[quote author=tum link=topic=2886.msg37591#msg37591 date=1132732345]
Hope you have a great time with your parents and I´m happy for you that they have come to terms with you going to Australia
[/quote]
Honestly, I'm still stunned!!!
In any case I can really understand how you guys feel, that's the way
i feel when I'm speaking dutch. It's like, yeas I can express what I'm
trying to say, more of less my way, but at the same time I feel really
restrained!
You're right, no reason be all self-conscious all of a sudden. :-D
I think it's mainly because I'm really somewhat proud of my english skills.
Terrible I know. I'll try to write more the way I normally do. No showing off :evil:
... OK maybe a little. At least I'm honest about it!
may i ask you something? Do you have any kind of psychology background?
I hope it's not kinda personal. But I realize you have a very good understanding
of people. I'm really impressed by that.
So, he actually took the academic test withough knowing it! :lol1:
Alright.
Oh boy, yeah writing was a bit of a worrying point for me too. I do a lot of role playing
via email (excellent exercise, by the way) which is basically writing a story
with a couple of people at once and everybody has their own characters to play.
This might maybe work here, too. Make a thread and pick a story everybody knows,
maybe star trek or lord of the rings, pick characters and write in english.
Dangerous part is though if people don't really feel safe in the game environment
egos tend to flare up, so it's not always fun unless you're doing it with friends.
the great thing is that you can really learn from each other and the thing with
literal translations just becomes less prominent... although it helps if you
have some native speakers around.
I'm even trying to write a novel believe it or not... OK more of a short story.
And I think I'll never finish it because I'm always thinking of new things to write about.
But essays are still annoying for me. i almost never do that!
hey, I have something you might like. I collected some IElTS essays...
for acadamic IELTS in a word file. If you send me a message with your
email address I can send it to you, maybe it helps.
There's also good training books with simple tips as how to write
introduction sentences how to gather you pro and contra arguments
quickly, how to best take your notes for your essay, that type of
thing. That's quite good stuff. It alleviates your nervousness if you have
some tools at you disposal.
[quote author=tum link=topic=2886.msg37591#msg37591 date=1132732345]
Hope you have a great time with your parents and I´m happy for you that they have come to terms with you going to Australia
[/quote]
Honestly, I'm still stunned!!!
In any case I can really understand how you guys feel, that's the way
i feel when I'm speaking dutch. It's like, yeas I can express what I'm
trying to say, more of less my way, but at the same time I feel really
restrained!
jassian
New Member
Hi Bert!
[quote author=TheBroute link=topic=2886.msg37649#msg37649 date=1132743944]
correct me if I'm wrong or correct me when I'm wrong :lol: :lol: :lol:
[/quote]
Both are correct. It depends of what you want to say.
(in this case also on you self-confidence :-D )
"correct me if I'm wrong" means
In case that I make a mistake, which could (maybe) happen, correct me
"correct me when I'm wrong " means
Whenever I make a mistake, and I know for sure it's going to happen, correct me.
Annemarie
[quote author=TheBroute link=topic=2886.msg37649#msg37649 date=1132743944]
correct me if I'm wrong or correct me when I'm wrong :lol: :lol: :lol:
[/quote]
Both are correct. It depends of what you want to say.
(in this case also on you self-confidence :-D )
"correct me if I'm wrong" means
In case that I make a mistake, which could (maybe) happen, correct me
"correct me when I'm wrong " means
Whenever I make a mistake, and I know for sure it's going to happen, correct me.
Annemarie
Koengaroo
XPdite Sponsor
Hi Boy's and Girls,
I guess this is what Rene and I had a discussion about before, as you can read at the previous page. Not everybody likes it when they are corrected all the time. For instance if Katrina speaks english to my mum, my mum replies in Dutch, why because my mum is insecure about her english, she is affraid of making mistakes.
I can imagine that the correcting all the time will make it more difficult for people who are insecure about writing in english. On the other side if people want to learn how to speak or write english it's excelent when people correct their mistakes for education purposes.
So my question is: how can we get both groups to participate in this thread without scaring one group away? Any suggestions?
As last remark I want to say that I'm very happy that everybody is supporting this threat. I really feel that participating in this thread adds more value to your experience during the period before gaining the requierd visa for our new homeland.
Greetz,
Koen
I guess this is what Rene and I had a discussion about before, as you can read at the previous page. Not everybody likes it when they are corrected all the time. For instance if Katrina speaks english to my mum, my mum replies in Dutch, why because my mum is insecure about her english, she is affraid of making mistakes.
I can imagine that the correcting all the time will make it more difficult for people who are insecure about writing in english. On the other side if people want to learn how to speak or write english it's excelent when people correct their mistakes for education purposes.
So my question is: how can we get both groups to participate in this thread without scaring one group away? Any suggestions?
As last remark I want to say that I'm very happy that everybody is supporting this threat. I really feel that participating in this thread adds more value to your experience during the period before gaining the requierd visa for our new homeland.
Greetz,
Koen
Jean76
XPdite Sponsor
[quote author=TheBroute link=topic=2886.msg37627#msg37627 date=1132740998]
Jean76.........Your English isn't bad either.
Why are you follow a course for English language?
Isn't it good enough you think?
My English is very average, but I think it's enough.
English speaking people did always understand what I intend to say.
The communication with them for me is almost the same as talking with people in my own language.
My experience is that when you are in a country where the main language is English you will get used to it very fast.
In a few days you started to think in English as well. :-D
Believe me........no problem with your English!
[/quote]
Thanx for your compliments, Bert!!!
The reason that I follow a course is that I want to develop my English. It needs to go deeper...... :wink:
My English is very average as well and that's a little bit frustrating for me.... :-(
Here in the Netherlands it's very hard to develop my English, because I never talk English with someone here.
My world is a little bit small here; that's also the reason that I want to go Australie or New-Zealand
And correct me if I'm wrong or correct me when I'm wrong as well...
Jean76.........Your English isn't bad either.
Why are you follow a course for English language?
Isn't it good enough you think?
My English is very average, but I think it's enough.
English speaking people did always understand what I intend to say.
The communication with them for me is almost the same as talking with people in my own language.
My experience is that when you are in a country where the main language is English you will get used to it very fast.
In a few days you started to think in English as well. :-D
Believe me........no problem with your English!
[/quote]
Thanx for your compliments, Bert!!!
The reason that I follow a course is that I want to develop my English. It needs to go deeper...... :wink:
My English is very average as well and that's a little bit frustrating for me.... :-(
Here in the Netherlands it's very hard to develop my English, because I never talk English with someone here.
My world is a little bit small here; that's also the reason that I want to go Australie or New-Zealand
And correct me if I'm wrong or correct me when I'm wrong as well...
jassian
New Member
I have and idea.
maybe everybody who wants to be corrected can put a little marker in their Tag.
Like where it says: "You can achive anything as long as you are willing to pay the price...."
in your posts , Koen.
Like: "Please give feedback" or "Please check" or something.
Alternatively we can agree to only correct things when somebody explicitly asks for it
in that specific post. Might be easier.
maybe everybody who wants to be corrected can put a little marker in their Tag.
Like where it says: "You can achive anything as long as you are willing to pay the price...."
in your posts , Koen.
Like: "Please give feedback" or "Please check" or something.
Alternatively we can agree to only correct things when somebody explicitly asks for it
in that specific post. Might be easier.
jassian
New Member
[quote author=TheBroute link=topic=2886.msg37659#msg37659 date=1132746709]
Thanks Annemarie for the clear explanation.
But it doesn't need to say something about self-confidence
At forehand you apologize yourself for any possible mistakes.
Bert
[/quote]
:-D actually I was trying to make a joke!
But you're right it would be fake self-confidence if one is pretending
to never make mistakes. There's no such thing.
Annemarie
Thanks Annemarie for the clear explanation.
But it doesn't need to say something about self-confidence
At forehand you apologize yourself for any possible mistakes.
Bert
[/quote]
:-D actually I was trying to make a joke!But you're right it would be fake self-confidence if one is pretending
to never make mistakes. There's no such thing.
Annemarie
jassian
New Member
:-D Not bad.
And let me be the first.
"You can correct my spelling mistakes anytime."
Otherwise you're asking people to help you make better mistakes.
Like "I want to make a funnier mistake" or so.
or if you wanna be really clear:
"Feel free to correct my spelling mistakes any time"
And let me be the first.
"You can correct my spelling mistakes anytime."
Otherwise you're asking people to help you make better mistakes.
Like "I want to make a funnier mistake" or so.
or if you wanna be really clear:
"Feel free to correct my spelling mistakes any time"