fluency in english

[Anonymous]

my problem is that i know english but when it comes to speaking in front of others i get totaly nervous .and i want to learn more and more new words

 

[Tdol]

It is a question of confidence and practice. Anyone who can come out with things like 'when it comes to speaking' shouldn't worry about their language. Under what circumances do you have to use English? ;-)

 

[christina]

Take it from an long time learner of English as a second language -- the fear of making an a** of yourself in front of native speakers just never stops! In a way it even gets worse. But that shouldn't stop us from communicating in English. No risk - no glory.

 

[Tdol]

It's an illogical fear once past the initial stages of learning a language. Anyway most English speakers are monolingual, so we haven't got anything to feel clever about on that score. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Take it from an long time learner of English as a second language -- the fear of making an a** of yourself in front of native speakers just never stops! In a way it even gets worse. But that shouldn't stop us from communicating in English. No risk - no glory.

May I ask what your first language is? (You seem to me to be doing quite well.)

BTW, welcome to the forum.

8)

 

[christina]

Take it from an long time learner of English as a second language -- the fear of making an a** of yourself in front of native speakers just never stops! In a way it even gets worse. But that shouldn't stop us from communicating in English. No risk - no glory.

May I ask what your first language is? (You seem to me to be doing quite well.)

BTW, welcome to the forum.

8)

German. And thanks welcoming me.
I was serious when I said that the more I learn the worse my performance anxiety gets - your standards just get higher and higher.

Can I ask a question too? Is this site based out of England? And who runs it and why is it free? Questions answered for free - that's just too good to be true! :wink:

 

[Tdol]

It's based in England, but many of the people involved, like Ron, are American. ;-)

 

[christina]

It's an illogical fear once past the initial stages of learning a language. Anyway most English speakers are monolingual, so we haven't got anything to feel clever about on that score. ;-)

I don't know maybe it is just that I didn't study hard enough, but sometimes I won't know the simplest words from everyday life because I never have to use them here (not abroad! I was thinking from your perspective which doesn't make sense but never mind!) or I can't follow a simple conversation because there is a lot of background noise (like in a pub or bar) or people have funny accents (well funny to me anyway haha) that sort of thing you know. I find this utterly embarrassing.

I get the impression that only native speakers of English who struggled with learning a second language are impressed by proficiency - the rest just takes it for granted more or less.

 

[christina]

It's based in England, but many of the people involved, like Ron, are American. ;-)

It's not that I hate British English or anything. But I feel closer to American English and at work I get this "American English is inferior" crap all the time which annoys the hell out of me.

 

[Tdol]

That's a sad reflection on us. No form's better. It's sad to hear people banging on about Shakespeare as a justification for claiming to be superior. English blossomed into its current status through AE, which took over along time ago as the driving force of its international status. ,

 

[RonBee]

It's based in England, but many of the people involved, like Ron, are American. ;-)

Yeah, and it gets lonesome sometimes being the only one. ;-)

(Mike and CS haven't been around much lately. Maybe it's because I've been getting to the questions first. _;-)_ )

8)

 

[RonBee]

I've only recently gotten turned on to banging on. It's cool!

 

[christina]

I've only recently gotten turned on to banging on. It's cool!

Okay, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.. I'm lost. What are you banging on about?

 

[RonBee]

I've only recently gotten turned on to banging on. It's cool!

Okay, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.. I'm lost. What are you banging on about?

Well, if I am any judge (and I'm not), you used that phrase just right. Anyhow, I was referring to what TDOL said earlier, thus: "It's sad to hear people banging on about Shakespeare as a justification for claiming to be superior." I have only recently run across that expression, and I have taken a shine to it. (That's an American expression meaning I like it.)

8)

 

[christina]

I've only recently gotten turned on to banging on. It's cool!

Okay, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.. I'm lost. What are you banging on about?

Well, if I am any judge (and I'm not), you used that phrase just right. Anyhow, I was referring to what TDOL said earlier, thus: "It's sad to hear people banging on about Shakespeare as a justification for claiming to be superior." I have only recently run across that expression, and I have taken a shine to it. (That's an American expression meaning I like it.)

8)

Can it get any more embarrassing than this? *praying a black hole will open and swallow me up* I woke up this morning and realized that it had to be British English and that to indicate that you wrote it in italics... I had never seen or heard it before (which doesn't mean ANYTHING).

See that's what I meant - the simplest things still confuse me. Especially when I'm tired!

Gotta run. I'm late for work!!! But I just HAD to come here before I leave and prove I'm not a complete idiot.

 

[RonBee]

I woke up this morning and realized that it had to be British English and that to indicate that you wrote it in italics...

Not exactly. I don't want to be disagreeable, but I would have done that with anything I wanted to call attention to for whatever reason. :wink:

I had never seen or heard it before (which doesn't mean ANYTHING).

I only ran across it myself a few days ago. But from now on I am going to use it when I want to sound British. ;-) TDOL teaches me British slang, and I try to teach him how to spell. ;-)

Gotta run. I'm late for work!!! But I just HAD to come here before I leave and prove I'm not a complete idiot.

Not at all. If your speaking skills are as good as your writing skills your English must be darn near perfect. :wink:

8)

 

[Tdol]

We take shines in BE too. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

We take shines in BE too. ;-)

Are you referring to "I have taken a shine to it"? Perhaps the Americans got that one from the British. (I'm not sure how old it is.)

8)

 

[Tdol]

Yes.

Dictionary.com gives these idioms with shine:
Idioms:
shine up to Informal
To try to impress or please: shined up to the boss, hoping to get a raise.

take a shine to Informal
To like spontaneously.

The first is not something I've heard here, but the second is common enough. ;-)