English Decoveries

[*Sama*]

Hi,
I have educational CDs and it is called " English Descoveries" I was wondering if anybody know about it and tell me what you think is it good to continue with it or I should stop learning from it. and the grammer of these CDs is quite hard to understand but the listening is good.

And by the way I want to ask about something else when learning English and there is too many grammatical rules to study and all I care about speaking and listening should I care too about grammer?

 

[Rover_KE]

Hello, Sama,

I can't answer your first question as I'm not familiar with English Discoveries.


Regarding your second question: the purpose of communication and language is to be understood by the people we are talking to.

Consider your own language. In casual and rapid daily conversation with friends and family in your native Arabic, do you at all times take the trouble to follow the strict rules of grammar?

I don't think anybody in the world does. We all have our dialects, accents and regional variations of speech.

You ask if you have to care about grammar.

It all depends on whom you are talking to. At this very moment I am being extremely careful to write in grammatical English, because you expect nothing less from a teacher.
But when I go up to bed I might say to my wife 'Wonna g'shoppin t'morra?' (Do you want to go shopping tomorrow?)

You need to learn the grammar of a language if you want to communicate on a formal basis, but for casual speech with people who understand you - who cares?

Rover

 

[philadelphia]

It all depends on whom you are talking to. At this very moment I am being extremely careful to write in grammatical English, because you expect nothing less from a teacher.
But when I go up to bed I might say to my wife 'Wonna g'shoppin t'morra?' (Do you want to go shopping tomorrow?)

You need to learn the grammar of a language if you want to communicate on a formal basis, but for casual speech with people who understand you - who cares?

Rover

That's right enough. It happened to some of my friends who went to England. They did get trouble understanding the Britons while they were at an advanced level or so in France. So watch out!

 

[kfredson]

Hi,
I have educational CDs and it is called " English Descoveries" I was wondering if anybody know about it and tell me what you think is it good to continue with it or I should stop learning from it. and the grammer of these CDs is quite hard to understand but the listening is good.

And by the way I want to ask about something else when learning English and there is too many grammatical rules to study and all I care about speaking and listening should I care too about grammer?

I also have no knowledge of those CDs but I would like to say something about grammar. It very much depends on the situation in which you will be encountering English. If you are planning to study it for graduate school or in order to teach it you will need to put a great deal of effort into mastering the nuances of grammar.

If, on the other hand, you expect to be using it primarily for travel or communicating with friends you will be better off learning the basics of grammar but not worrying so much about being exact. Most people do not mind it when you make mistakes, so long as you are able to be clear in what you say. People are normally happier to speak with someone who has a larger vocabulary and can put together sentences fluently, rather than to someone who speaks with perfect grammar but takes forever to find the words.

In my case, my German study was (at least in the beginning) more grammar-oriented but my study of Spanish has been very freewheeling -- absorbing as many words and phrases as I could and speaking every chance I could get. My Spanish-speaking friends still politely chuckle at my grammatical mistakes but they don't seem to mind. And when foreign students come to my school I encourage them to speak and write at every opportunity without worrying too much about the grammar. The grammar will come soon enough. Let your ear do the job.

 

[Abstract Idea]

I completely agree with all the answers above.

I just would like to add that another reason for studying grammar is for the pleasure of the very act of studying it. That is, after studying a little bit of grammar or linguistics you may find yourself to like, or to love, it.

It is a whole field of human knowledge by its own. It is much interesting to study how human beings communicate, be it by oral, written or any other form of language.

It is also interesting and amusing to compare your own mother tongue structure with English and other languages.

PS Unfortunately I don't know the English Discoveries series either.

 

[anreak]

Consider your own language. In casual and rapid daily conversation with friends and family in your native Arabic, do you at all times take the trouble to follow the strict rules of grammar?

You are a genious, I was just looking up for an advice on how to address my english speaking problems. But after reading your post I realize I have the same problems when I speak my native language. Often I can't find words to say what I want in both English and Portuguese. :-| Maybe your observation will give me a hint on how to address that.

 

[anreak]

People are normally happier to speak with someone who has a larger vocabulary and can put together sentences fluently, rather than to someone who speaks with perfect grammar but takes forever to find the words.

Here's another good piece of advice.:up:

 

[*Sama*]

Thank you so much guys. You've been really helpful and I gotta say that I'm relieved knowing that I don't have to focus on grammer if I want to speak fluently just like my native Arabic no grammer no pain