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Why you DO NOT need to sound like a native English speaker!
Fabi Severo and 3 others reacted to Minoo for a blog entry
These days, I see too many English language students wanting to sound like a native English speaker. They feel they need to speak with a specific native English accent while using many idiomatic expressions. This is a hugely ambitious goal for someone who was not exposed to the English language before they were two or three years old. In my own case, I started learning English at the age of six, and although I’ve been speaking and teaching English every day for the past 37 years, I still don’t sound like a native English speaker. So, if you know someone who has achieved this goal as an adult learner, then they’re a genius! For most of us, however, this is a rather pointless and disempowering goal. Why is this a pointless goal? I can think of four reasons: a) When it comes to communicating with others, accent is irrelevant. Whether we sound British, American, Italian, or Chinese, what really matters is how easily others understand us. b) Good speakers and writers avoid using too many idiomatic expressions and complex structures. They keep their language short and simple. c) English grammar is even difficult for natives to master. As a proofreader, I regularly correct and improve native speakers’ poorly written English. d) Out of the 1.5 billion English speakers worldwide, only 25% are native. If, for the sake of facilitating communication, one group had to change the way they spoke, it would logically be the natives. Why is no-one asking them to lose their regional accents and limit their vocabulary to the 5000 words that are sufficient to communicate in most situations? Why is it a disempowering goal? Our voice and the way we speak is a fundamental part of our personal and cultural identity. If we feel that we must change this important aspect of our identity in order to succeed in life, we’re really telling ourselves: ‘I’m not good enough! I must become someone else, or pretend that I am someone else.’ This negative self-image can generate feelings of lack, inferiority, and envy that disempower us. Even if we work with the most brilliant voice coach to change our accent and memorise the whole of the English idioms dictionary, this ‘I’m not good enough’ belief will result in failure. Loss of self-belief and self-confidence is a huge price to pay for a goal that, as I argued above, is totally pointless. What’s a better goal? Instead of wanting to sound like someone else when we speak English, let’s focus our efforts on sounding like our unique self who speaks with a clear pronunciation and uses simple and correct language. Just imagine for a moment how much less stressful and more motivating this goal can be! Also, put yourself in the shoes of the people you interact with in English, both native and non-native. Don’t you think they love the fact that they can understand you easily and interact with you comfortably? Or, do you imagine that they think less of you because you don’t speak like someone from Melbourne, Dublin, or Texas? I’d love to read your thoughts and stories in the comments section.4 points -
future simple questions
Minoo and 2 others reacted to suresh s for a topic
"I am finished" and "I have finished" have similar meanings, but they are not exactly the same. "I am finished" describes a current state or condition and It emphasizes the result or outcome of the action rather than the action itself. whereas "I have finished" describes a completed action in the past, It emphasizes the action that was completed rather than the result or outcome.3 points -
Essay writing tips tutorial
Roman_R and 2 others reacted to Minoo for a topic
Dear all, This is to let you know that the tutorial has just been released on my YT channel. It will soon be published in the 'tutorial' section of the 'video lessons' on the platform. If you would like to watch it straight away, go to this link: https://youtu.be/mXrqCJ2hvI0 I hope you enjoy it.3 points -
Why you DO NOT need to sound like a native English speaker!
Fabi Severo and 2 others reacted to Omar Karakhan for a blog entry
Hello Head Tutor, Minoo. I totally agree with you.The main thing is that people understand us, and we understand them. Keep it simple! Regards, Omar3 points -
Grammar: Past Tenses
BranislavNS and one other reacted to Duris for a file
A very big thank you to you Minoo for having sent me this lesson. As usual, your explanations are cristal clear, you need a gold medal being the best English teacher in the world. I'm serious. I studied this lesson thoroughly and I made only two mistakes at the quiz. That's too many but I am going to do this quiz again.2 points -
Differences Angry-Annoyed-Upset ?
JesusArgentina and one other reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Jesus, All three adjectives can be used, but I would use 'angry' because it's the strongest and matches the word 'demand' better. The other two are weaker: annoyed = slightly angry upset = unhappy, disappointed2 points -
How acted Irregular Plural in the sentence?
Doina Becheru and one other reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Jesus, Thank you for your question, which we covered in yesterday's LIVE Q&A session. To recap: When 'people' is the plural of 'person', you must use a plural verb: These people are .... When 'people' is a synonym for 'ethnic group', then it is a countable noun, and you can say 'a people' (+ singular verb) and 'peoples' (+ plural verb). This second meaning is not commonly used. So, consider 'people' to be plural 99% of the time.2 points -
Word order: Where to put 'again'?
bozkan and one other reacted to Minoo for a topic
The ‘WHAT’ part includes verb + direct object + indirect object, and we must keep these three elements together. In this case, the direct object is the question and the indirect object is for you. That’s why ‘again’ (an adverb) has come after ‘for you’. Here’s another example from Collins Dictionary: I started to feel good about myself again. You may come across examples where the indirect object has been separated from the verb, but make sure you never separate the direct object from the verb.2 points -
Essay writing tips tutorial
Samuel Ashenafi and one other reacted to eddy andrianasolo for a topic
Hello, Thank you for the tips I will try to do that. Eddy2 points -
needn't I or don't I? What's the correct question tag?
Minoo reacted to LuisMendoza for a topic
b) I need to start from scratch, needn't I ? for the use the same expression in negative form.1 point -
Why this sentience is not correct?
Minoo reacted to Daniko900 for a topic
The expressions "be used to" and "get used to" require a noun. Therefore, if you want to use a verb after it, you must use the gerund. Gerunds act like nouns.1 point -
Why this sentience is not correct?
Acnana reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Acnana, There's a spelling mistake: He always nods off .....1 point -
tag question
Acnana reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Acnana, 'd is the contraction of both 'would' and 'had': I would do (infinitive) ... = I'd do ... I had done (past participle) ... = I'd done ... It'd happened ... = It had happened ..., hadn't it? I hope this is clear for you now. Happy continuation! Minoo1 point -
enable a blog inside each lesson
Minoo reacted to boris_bikes for a topic
Sometimes I would like to write some doubts in the videos or lesson, and it could be very useful to share with our classmates the same questions and it could be more interactive solve those ones.1 point -
Why you DO NOT need to sound like a native English speaker!
Minoo reacted to Greeshma.Mangineni for a blog entry
And, I like your way of teaching mam and I think there is no end for learn this English.1 point -
Why you DO NOT need to sound like a native English speaker!
Minoo reacted to Greeshma.Mangineni for a blog entry
Hi,minoo miss i would like to share one thing about this class.That,i like you order of class about English I learned more English in this classes. .1 point -
Do you wish you spoke English perfectly?
PHIL73 reacted to Minoo for a blog entry
I often hear my students say: I wish I could speak English perfectly! Is this a wish on your mind too? So, what's wrong with this wish? Perfection is an illusion. Setting perfection as a goal is like choosing a cloud as your destination. When we just wish for something, we don't set goals or take action. We just sit and wait for a miracle. What can we do instead? We can change our 'cloud-like wish' into a 'concrete goal' by changing our thought processes in three steps: Step 1. Change 'I wish I could ...' to 'I want ...': I want to speak English really well. Step 2. Keep repeating the 'I want ... ' statement over and over again until it becomes a strong desire. Step 3. Transform our strong desire into a positive goal: I will speak English really well. These small language changes to our internal dialogue have a powerful effect. They focus our mind on progress and achievement. We become motivated to take action, to get the right tools, and to invest enough time to reach our goal. What if I've already done this, but it hasn't worked? Some of you may be saying: 'I've already done this many times: I've set positive goals; I've bought different books and online courses; I've attended hundreds of hours of classes, but my English is still weak. I suppose I'm just not gifted for languages. I should give up trying!' If this is your feeling, then let me assure you that you're as gifted for languages as any polyglot out there. If you're not making progress despite your best efforts, it's a sign that you may have experienced one or more difficult situations in your earlier contact with the English language: maybe a harsh teacher at school, maybe a challenging situation at work, maybe someone said you weren't good at languages and you believed them. To set new goals for your English and succeed in them, it's important that you first clear any blocks caused by unpleasant past experiences. The first step in clearing blocks is sharing your story with others and realising that you're not alone in feeling like this. You can take this first step by taking part in the poll that I've added to the top of this blog post. If you want to take a bigger step, share your story with me and with your peers in the comments section: What was the unpleasant past experience that you think may be slowing down your progress? Have you found ways to overcome such blocks that you would like to share with your peers?1 point -
Why you DO NOT need to sound like a native English speaker!
Minoo reacted to Butterfly 55 for a blog entry
Hi Miss Minou, I have taken note of the definition of fluency, which you had already explained earlier on YouTube with the heading: ' How to speak and write English fluently.' - What means fluency? - Which one of these methodes will get you to fluency. Fluency: speak and write easily and clearly: keywords: with ease - confidence - clarity. —> you will gradually introduce more complex vocabulary and structures as you continue to expand your knowledge. —> The shorter and more concist your sentence is, the better. —> learn everyday vocabulary that you are able to use most of the time. ( Collect them in a notebook, teaching materials and try to rehairse it as often as possible) —> work on areas of pronunciation that may be affecting the clarity of your message. Methode: which of these methods will get you to fluency? - Get a grammar book and a phrase book to study at home, supplement this by watching YT lessons. - Watch movies, listen to audiobooks and read books, or live in an English-speaking country. ( record BBC breakfast as it is subtitled.) - Sign up for conversation classes, study with a teacher and practise with other students. (evening classes) —> conclusion : all of this. An integrated matter or system that give you a step by step a study plan going progressively from easy to difficult and eliminating the need for explanation in your language. With lots of written and oral exercising, so practise speaking and writing all the time. So you need an on going teacher support including periodic feedback of your rating and speaking skills. In order to learn what is good and what you need to work on. My conclusion : Anglo- link is a great course to start with…it has its own correction system when making exercises. - Reading challenge, read ebooks : Macmillian Readers, learning platform for electronic devices. (ebooks which go along with 'read out' - listening of what is said in the ebook. As for myself: work on New Headway Advanced study book 4th edition Oxford university press; however, I bought it from amazon.com Amazon marketplace. Along with the ebook version - Oxford learner’s Bookshelf Also, the solutions of questions are found on the teacher webside https://access.oup.com/eac/productRegistration.htm https://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/elt/teachers/headway/sb-answerkeys/hw5e-adv-sb-ak-editable-benelux.docx - Rakuten Kobo Ebook and Audible listening books: Maigret and the Man on the Bench. by G. Simenon. - YouTube.com/penguinbooks // Facebook.com/ penguin-books Listen to penguin at SoundCloud.com/penguin-books1 point -
VIDEO DICTIONARY - THE FARM PART2
Samuel Ashenafi reacted to Rodolfo Marttos for a topic
Hi friends! This is my Video Dictionary – The Farm Part2. I’ll try to publish one vídeo every week. I hope that you appreciate! Thank you! ? THE_FARM2_v2.mp41 point -
VIDEO DICTIONARY - BABY THINGS
Samuel Ashenafi reacted to Rodolfo Marttos for a topic
Hi friends! This is my Video Dictionary – Baby Things. I’ll try to publish one vídeo every week. I hope that you appreciate! Thank you! VIDEO_BABY.mp41 point -
Time markers - rehears
Samuel Ashenafi reacted to Butterfly 55 for a topic
Hi everyone, One has to know and make onseself accustom to those different time markers. Tenses: I have been doing & I have done: How long have you been living ( he live ) in this flat? (another example: How long has it been snowing? (answer: How long have you has he lived in this flat.)) Possibly a wrong wording? XXX They don't have (not have) a good time at the moment. XXX They haven’t had a good time at that moment. Tenses: Why hasn't she called (she not call) me yesterday morning? usage: precise moment in the past: Why didn’t she call me yesterday morning. How long ago has he posted (he post) the letter? Past Simple markers: How long ago did he post the letter? Tenses: They are talking (talk) for hours. usage: They have been talking for hours. I am not feeling (not feel) well lately. formulation : I have not been feeling well lately. ( The action is still in progress or ended a short time ago.)1 point -
How to write an expression in English
faroukab reacted to salah ab for a topic
Start with an introduction, then the presentation followed the conclusion1 point -
Essay writing tips tutorial
faroukab reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Farouk, Please read the study guide to see how you should work with the material. There's a lot of information in the guide, so I'd recommend you use Google Translate to read the informaiton in your own language. Happy studies!1 point -
Essay writing tips tutorial
faroukab reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Nawal, Simply go to your study plan at https://app.anglo-link.com/ and start with lesson 1 in week 1. The lessons in the Elementary level are easy, but they are very important to review. Also, make sure you read the 'Welcome & Tips' email I have sent you to know how to study effectively. Happy studies!1 point -
Essay writing tips tutorial
faroukab reacted to nawal jama for a topic
Hi teacher how I can work with your class?1 point -
grammar
Somy Abd reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Ismail, Here is the section of the Study Guide that explains how to study the grammar lessons to be able to remember and use the rules: In grammar lessons, you learn all the important grammatical structures in English. The example sentences and exercises for different grammatical structures contain common vocabulary and expressions appropriate to the level you are studying. This allows you to learn or review essential vocabulary at the same time. These modules help you to improve all your skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. This is how you should work through grammar lesson Start with 'Study': Read the explanations and examples, and take notes. Watch the video lesson to hear the explanations again with new examples, and take more notes. Go to 'Exercise': Choose (multiple choice) or type your answer. If you make mistakes as you type, our software warns you and helps you to get it right until you get a . Press the 'play' button that appears after the to hear the teacher's recording of the correct answer. Repeat the correct answer out loud before going on to the next exercise. When you have finished all the written exercises successfully, listen to and repeat all the correct answers out loud one more time. Finish with the 'Test' to check your assimilation of the grammatical structure.1 point -
grammar
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Nicola, 1. We use 'young' for people who we consider are 'middle-aged' or 'old' now, and 'younger' for people we consider 'still young'. It's a subjective choice. 2. I agree with you that 'the' is not necessary before 'mobile phones'. Maybe there's a typing error in the exercise.1 point -
Better go
Minoo reacted to Bernard M for a topic
I am very happy that this was an opportunity for you to learn something after all you have taught me.1 point -
Essay writing tips tutorial
faroukab reacted to Minoo for a topic
You're welcome, Venika! I'm glad this has been helpful to you.1 point -
1 point
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daily challenge
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Thank you for reporting this, Luca! We've managed to sort out most of the bugs you had reported. Let me know if you feel the experience is overall smoother now. The one that the software is still struggling with is question tags, especially with Present and Past Perfect tenses. We're working on it. Best wishes, Minoo1 point -
Wh - question
SALEM S reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Salem, The answer I'm looking for is: What DO chemicals damage? ('chemicals' is a plural noun) The question 'Whose bodies DO chemicals damage?' is also correct, but the answer would be 'ours', rather than 'our bodies'. I hope it's clear for you now.1 point -
conditionals
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, The correct answers are: If she didn't have ... When 'have' is the main verb, use an auxiliary with it. ......, he would have taken .... The structure is correct, but it is not negative.1 point -
subject-verb agreement
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, No, as a phrasal verb, the meaning is complete with out 'yourself': refresh yourself = freshen up1 point -
subject-verb agreement
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, Yes, both answers should be considered correct. I'll ask the administrator to adjust the test.1 point -
Lesson 7 Making a company presentation - Gap-fill Excercise
Minoo reacted to Butterfly 55 for a topic
Okay, as it is stated in the course. In 2015, we decided to go global, and have now set up subsidiaries in various parts of the world, with Asia Pacific being the most recent addition. Thanks a lot.1 point -
passive sentences
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, 1. Your answer is also correct, but, if you check the instruction in the test again, it says: If there are two objects, use the person(s) in object position. This is because I want you to practise putting the person in object position, which is common in English. 2. Yes, the mistake is in the participle: wake - woke - woken.1 point -
key word transformation
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
1. 'long' can refer to length or time: How long is the stick? 50 centimetres. How long is the movie: 2 hours. Therefore, in the context, you don't need to mention the word 'time'. 2. With the verb 'believe' you cannot drop 'to be'. If the verb were 'considered', you could: They're considered (to be) weak ...1 point -
noun
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, When a proper noun exists (sale), we tend to use that instead of the gerund form (selling).1 point -
be listening to or listen to?
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Luca, You're being asked to listen TO people's pronunciation FOR some information (the specific way they're pronouncing something). 'to be listening' is the Continuous Infinitive form, and is used instead of the Present Infinitive to stress the continuity of the action. You may want to review the different infinitive forms in this exclusive video.1 point -
Another bug?
Butterfly 55 reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Butterfly55, Your formulation is correct. The problem is your word order: Robert used to be called Bobby.1 point -
VIDEO DICTIONARY - THE FARM PART1
Samuel Ashenafi reacted to Rodolfo Marttos for a topic
Hi friends! This is my Video Dictionary – The Farm Part1. I’ll try to publish one vídeo every week. I hope that you appreciate! Thank you! ? THE_FARM.mp41 point -
Conditional
rasha j reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Rasha, Thank you very much for your support. I'm glad you like my website. You raise a very interesting point, and you're right that occasionally we may see 'will' in the 'if' clause. That's usually when we're using 'will' to show someone's willingness to do / not to something: A: I will not speak to him. B: O.k. If you won't (are not willing to) speak to him, I will do it. In your sentence, too, you can replace 'won't by 'be willing to': If you are not willing to have something done on time, be clear about it.1 point -
Everybody smile!
Luca Nicola reacted to Minoo for a topic
Hello Bernard and Hari, You're both right. When 'everybody' is the subject of a sentence, it definitely takes a singular verb: Everybody smiles when they pose for a photo. (Hari, please note that the 'singular' verb form is with 's': smiles). However, in Bernard's sentence, 'smile' is in the imperative form, which is the same as the base verb. Someone is asking everybody to smile for the photo: Everybody, SMILE (for the photo), please!1 point -
Essay writing Tips: apologies for the delay
Mohamed12 reacted to Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid for a topic
Thank you very much for yours enormous efforts. We all are waiting patiently and ecstatically to watch these lessons and we hope the tutorials will find a way soon.1 point -
Present Subjunctive
Minoo reacted to MariaTeresa for a topic
..I've always thought that written English was only formal.. isn't it bad to write as we speak? Does it depend on the subject? I'm taking my first written text next week: I'll just try to write clearly then, not to formally, using proper grammar, spellig, punctuation and forgetting about those complex grammatical structures or sentence patterns I've never fully comprehended. Thanks for your immediate reply!1 point -
Welcome to your brand new site!
Ivan Kjulukoski reacted to Minoo for a topic
Thank you very much for your very positive feedback, Ivan. It's great to know that we have provided you with a self-study platform that you could not find anywhere else. It really motivates us to continue developing it.1 point -
How to build vocabulary ?
Vijaymit reacted to Minoo for a topic
Thank you for your contribution, Pier. Indeed, it is great to use movies and songs that you like to learn new expressions. I would like to add a couple of suggestions: Choose movies you have already seen in your mother tongue and really liked, and watch them three or four times, first with English subtitles, and then two or three more times without subtitles with one or two weeks between each viewing. You will be amazed at how much more you understand each time even without subtitles. Remember that if you have the subtitles on all the time, your listening comprehension does not improve as much, so limit the subtitles only to the first time you watch a movie. Same goes for your favourite songs. Learn the lyrics (with some translation if necessary), and then listen to them again and again, and sing along with them.1 point -
Example Question: ‘Fill in’ & ‘Fill out’
Fabi Severo reacted to Minoo for a topic
Yes, strangely enough, they are. ‘fill in (a form)’ is more common in British English, and ‘fill out (a form)’ is more common in American English.1 point -
Welcome to your brand new site!
alexzapad reacted to Minoo for a topic
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. We're delighted that you like the site, and hope you will enjoy using it.1 point