Try to speak english dude!

[Twisted_River]

In Sweden (like in other Nordic contries) they always air the original version of movies and series and subtitle them (well, except the Swedish stuff ). This results in a very good command of English amogst the Swedes.

Some criticise that this way the Swedish language becomes some sort of a Swenglish (in the meaning of "Swedish with many English words") but others say: "Well, that's just the way it has been for decades/centuries: languages change when they are influenced by others".

 

[Tumbleweed]

Well, we have the same happening here. New technologies bring new terms and usually finding a German equivalent turns out to be complicated as it often results in forced word creations. I like the German language and I do my best to express myself with German words but often enough I run into situations in which I lack appropriate German words for what I want to say while I could come up with an English expression in no time.

Indeed, Scandinavians have a pretty good average English level, I really envy them for it. However, there are also other countries like Spain or South-American countries which seem to refuse to accept English as world language even more than Germans (seem to) do.

 

[Twisted_River]

@Tumbleweed: From what I have read so far, you have a very good command of English. Have you been in an English speaking country for some time?

 

[Tumbleweed]

No, not at all. I'm not that much into traveling, especially not into staying abroad for longer than 2-3 weeks. Apart from the common English lessons in school, I spent a lot of time in international communities when playing games online in my youth. Whenever there was the choice to play on an international server, I chose it over a German one. That's also such thing that I don't like in modern MMORPGS. Things like monolingual servers simply don't fit into the modern world and its globalization, in my humble opinion.
The downside of such communities is that you get used to a lot of colloquial/slang expressions, which indeed help you to understand English movies or texts, however, when you need to write something in very correct English from time to time, you really have to concentrate to be able to put together some sentences which an average English person can understand (especially with all the online slang which I'm used to).

In one of my job interviews I was told that my English texts reveal that I'm German. Such things frustrate me a bit and it's hard to recognize one's own mistakes if you're actually convinced that what you write is good English. Even worse - when everyone around you speaks/writes worse English, there's no one left to correct you, like in good old school times.

 

[Krik]

Things like monolingual servers simply don't fit into the modern world and its globalization, in my humble opinion.

I played Eve Online for about two years. There's just one global cluster and all the guys except Chinese ones gather there. To defend against enemies around the clock alliances have to pick corporations (Eve's counterpart to guilds/clans) of all timezones. Therefore there are a lot of languages in one alliance and people usually choose English to communicate with everybody.

While that's not a bad thing older people have problems reading, writing and last but not least speaking English. There are even some who didn't learn it in school, e. g. East Germans had to learn Russian. Only a minority of selected pupils were allowed to choose a second foreign language.
Even I like it more to play on German servers as I don't have to think of some weird translation. I tend to keep quiet when I can't express myself or it takes too long to do so.

I was told that my English texts reveal that I'm German.

Never mind that. You think German and unconsciously try to say something in German. Even when you're writing in English. Secondly Germans usually write a whole bunch of text just to be sure they'll be understood. (Right grammar/tense on the last part of this sentence?)

You'll have to move to some English Country to get rid of you German habits.

 

[Partizan]

What an ugly language.

 

[ekin06]

Indeed. Who needs english these days? ... tsss.

 

[speedyjoe]

i like people who think, that english is overrated. but these people forget, that many job postings require english, in addition to this, i can tell you as a student, that you will meet english lecture, even in german themes.

 

[XantoZ]

There is no comma before "that" like it is in German sentences such as "sie vergessen, dass", speedy

 

[Krik]

I know that speedyjoe. My profs at university mix German and English, even the lecture notes are at least partly English. It's common practise to show English presentations and comment them in German and/or English.
In the last test we were allowed to use both languages as we like. They told us explicitly. (word order correct?)

 

[Twisted_River]

They told us explicitly. (word order correct?)

There are often several possibilities concerning the word order, especially with adverbs.

So, you could write: "They explicitly told us (to do so)" but "They told us explicitly (to do so)" is also correct. You could even write: "They told us (to do so), explicitly (this way you emphasise the explicitly).

@speedy: Even though most of the English words start with a lower-case letter, you have to write I instead of i for the first person singular pronoun.

 

[GregoryH]

That is kinda obvious, "i" just looks akward and should give anyone who received proper english lessons in school headaches.


Anyway I wonder how you guys improve your english beyond school level? During my last 2 years in school (and as preparation to my written Abitur in English) I've been watching my favorite series in English only (I was already watching the newest episodes from the US in English but continued by watching even the older ones in English too), and it helped partially.

Next thing on my list is going to America to improve my spoken English, even though I know that 2 weeks wont be enough to do so.

And you? :-)

 

[Krik]

And you?

That's what I meant about German habit.
English people never express themselves this way. They say something like 'How about you?'.

 

[speedyjoe]

@Twisted_River
you're right. it must be from my (bad) habit of the german, where i write everything small in forums etc.

 

[GregoryH]

@e-Laurin
Thanks I didn't know that. I guess thats one of the things you can't really learn without living with English as your main language or at least without having lived among those for some time.

 

[Twisted_River]

Next thing on my list is going to America to improve my spoken English, even though I know that 2 weeks wont be enough to do so.

Well, two weeks is certainly not enough for a real advance but you will see: after those two weeks you'll already have improved your English quite a bit. The most important thing would be to not to talk German to anyone there. Even if you go with, let's say, your girlfriend, try to speak English, no matter how weird that seems to be in the beginning. You'll get used to it after some time.

 

[Logic]

My opinion is that reading books, newspapers and "texts" in general in English can improve your skills a bit better than just hearing English words from actors, though I myself watch far more movies and episodes in English than reading books .

Thinking about it now, I really miss my English lessons at school, while today English is not a that regular part of my life as it was back then. May this can be seen by my way of writing/speaking, which I'm sure hasn't improved that much over the past years since I finished school.

If I don't forget this thread I'll may join some conversations, somehow it's been fun to write something meaningful instead of only arguing with players on gameservers

 

[speedyjoe]

i would separate english skills in understanding and using. in my opinion you can improve your english understanding remarkable, however, you must listen/red regulary. Furthermore it is the easier part of improving english. Using english is more difficult, because you are seldom in situations, where you need your english. In my opinion one must be in England, USA etc. for at least three months.

 

[Krik]

I would separate English skills in (both) understanding and using. In my opinion you can improve your English understanding remarkably. However_you have to listen/read regulary. Furthermore it is the easier* part of improving English. Using English is more difficult, because you are seldom in situations_ in which you need your English. In my opinion you have to visit/travel to England, USA etc. for at least three months.

Ouch!


* I'm not sure if English express themselves this way. It sounds a bit German to me. Unfortunatly I currently have no idea how to fix that.

 

[Twisted_River]

Well, to give some feedback to this text:

You separate something from something or as is the correct usage in this case, you separate something into...

You listen/read regularly

Instead of "understanding" and "using" I would use "comprehending" and "speaking", because when you, as you wrote it, "understand" English you also "use" your English skills.

Understanding in another context means "Verständnis" like in "It helps you to improve your understanding of English".