Problems with pronunciation are a rich source of funny stories and one I draw on continually. Pronunciation is crucially important. It is the first thing you notice about a foreigner’s language (as mentioned in my book 7 Factors that Make or Break Language Learners, 1999). Like most people you... Sign in to see full entry.
Before we move onto pronunciation problems, here's my last chapter on vocabulary: Language learners can be very creative in their expression. Sometimes there is no word to express what they want to say and so new words emerge. For example what is the opposite of ‘female’? Yes, you guessed it, it is... Sign in to see full entry.
Another good source of stories, and one I have only recently started to explore, is words that have travelled from one language to another. In the 1950’s the Australian government invited large numbers of immigrants from Europe to settle in Australia and I can imagine books could be filled with... Sign in to see full entry.
Many foreigners take on English names, which is a real blessing for native speakers. Foreign names from some countries are difficult to pronounce and difficult to remember. At the same time we know that names are so important. Remembering someone’s name makes them feel special and shows that we care... Sign in to see full entry.
Too many vocabularies English has the largest vocabulary of any language in the world. It is estimated that there are approximately half a million words in English, of which three hundred thousand are technical. This still leaves us with another two hundred thousand general English words. With so... Sign in to see full entry.