Help for my english

[Papewaio]

I'm teaching ESL at the moment so here are a few questions and answers:

Where are you based?

In an english speaking country or not?

Generally speaking with grammar it is understanding the rules and then practice, practice, practice.

Get a good book on grammer for 'the'.

As for spelling do you mean you write them phonetically?

[massamuusi]

That first link seems just scary, they had "archaeology"

I am based in capital in Finland, the Helsinki area.
Not an english speaking country, but we do have foreigners, not too many english ones, but we do have them.

I don't know grammar rules, I know what is substantive, adjective, verb, but I don't understand anything finer, not in finnish, not in english. I trust my language "ear" and I always listen to what I write. In my head, of course.
Yes, exactly, I remember most words phonetically. Not very common, I think. But that's how it goes for me. I get the letters right by my instincts, just as with the grammar. Then again, I have first encountered most of the words in written form, so I remember their pronounciation in my mind is not always correct. I used to pronounce character as tzharakter, instead of kharakter.

Oh, I forgot to mention all my teachers are always pissed at me for the fact that I don't know anything about grammar rules. Still, I manage to get 8 or 9 out of 10 grades in finnish, and always 9 out of 10 grade in english. My swedish is often influenced by english, being so similar language. They don't mind, the swedes, but my teachers are, again, pissed.

[eadeater]

I'm not English either and I would suggest that the best way to learn to speak and understand English, as English speakers do, is to speak it and listen to people speaking it all the time. That's how I learned French too (well, to a certain extent), by going to France and forcing myself not to rely on everyone understanding English, but actually make an effort to speak French. So I suggest that if it's at all possible, go to England or America for a holiday and you'll be surprised how much your understanding of the language improves, as well as your pronounciation. This might not help you with your spelling directly, but it will indirectly.

[Al Khalifah]

If you want to speak good English, whatever you do, don't come to England. No one speaks proper English in England except the Queen and she doesn't seem to understand the difference between first person singular and plural.


Oh and especially don't go to America. I'm English and I can't understand New Yorkish.

joking............. maybe

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

If you want to learn American English, go either to Ohio or New Jersey (my home state ). I heard that those two states have the most un-accented (American) English. In NJ, though, avoid certain areas (like my home). There are tons of New Yorkers there. And while I don't mind New Yorkers, their accent can be... interesting. Nothing against them as people, of course.

But I don't know if I can be of any real help. I ain't two gud at Englilsh.