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Old 09-26-2009, 12:44 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Raghnar -ITA-'s Avatar
 
Location: Milan - Italy
[Help] Improving Language

I think writing (and speaking) as correct as possible also foreign languages is important for improving personal lifestyle.
As I wrote in my presentation thread I'm Italian and I'm trying to lear English and I felt that writing in a forum is a good and entertaining way to do it. Learning without worrying.

dlish told me that here is a good place for asking help.

If you have any tips on how I can learn better and faster (and torture less your readings) you're welcome!

PS: As wrote in my sign, if you are in the mood feel free to correct my grammar, spelling and whatever...
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Old 09-26-2009, 12:55 PM   #2 (permalink)
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The way I learned English was by simply being surrounded by it. You will never speak perfectly if you just study from a book.

Your English isn't bad at all. In fact, it's really good. My suggestion is to try to surround yourself with as much audible English language as possible. TV and school helped me the most. Watch movies and shows with subtitles. Pick up on how people structure sentences in everyday speech. I oftentimes learned entire phrases and not just words.

Basically, the more you will hear it, the faster you will learn.
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Old 09-26-2009, 01:12 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Location: Milan - Italy
In these days I'm watching very much at TV series in English languages thanks to Satellite TV. I don't have subtitles (or, at least, I have it but are crappy) but I'm pretty confortable and understand almost all. I don't have very much problems of comprehension, I've been sorrounded by English a lot during this years (evenif I'm in Italy, advanced Physics books are written only in English. Conferences and articles also are done in English), but when this summer came the time to write the Master degree thesis (my tutor want me to do it in English) I was not confortable at all and I understood that my grammar has a lot of improving margins (and my tutor turn me down a lot for this) and was very very difficoult to make an also good reading thesis.

I thank you for your praise, but I'm not feeling very confident about my english grammar.

I also thank you for your suggestions and I'll try to follow the advice the best I can! ^_^
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Old 09-26-2009, 04:30 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Another thing that you can do is see if you can get some of your favourite book titles in English version. Also, while reading, try and decipher the meaning of words and their use before looking them up if you don't understand what they mean.
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Old 09-26-2009, 05:53 PM   #5 (permalink)
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As a traveler to many countries I buy children's movies like Lilo & Stitch in the local languages. It helps me hear the language and pronunciations. I learn simple phrases and concepts since children's movies aren't very difficult language.

Your grammar is good, a little more work it seems on some parts, which I cannot explain since I'm not a grammarian. We have a few of those here.
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Old 09-26-2009, 06:12 PM   #6 (permalink)
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One of my coworkers came to the US from Poland. She didn't know any English when she came, it was not offered at her school. She learned much of her English by watching Sesame Street.
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Old 09-26-2009, 07:37 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Here are some groups near Milan that can help you practice English. Find a Meetup Group Near You! - English as a Second Language Meetups - Milano
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Old 09-26-2009, 08:00 PM   #8 (permalink)
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A quick google for audio books in English . . .

Improve Your English with Audio Books - this site seems to give you a sample of the book, and supply a transcript of the sample. You choose to purchase the entire book after checking out the samples.

LibriVox - this site has volunteers who are interested in providing free audio books that are in the public domain (that is, books that are no longer protected by copyright, books that are royalty free). Pick a download, and go from there.

English Literature by William Joseph Long - Free mp3 Audio Book Download - not too sure if there is any catch here but I liked what I saw in a brief read of the first page of the website.

Storynory: Free Audio Stories for Kids - childrens stories that come with the written story.

Good luck Raghnar, and welcome to TFP
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Old 09-27-2009, 12:24 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Location: Milan - Italy
Thank you for your advices, I didn't know there are such think as group of english wannabe speakers!
I'll try the childrens movies for reharsing pronunciation and phrases (anyway I understand not only child movies: I watched TV series like The Big Bang Theory or other normals movies), it is a good advice for improving my French, that is much more basic, perhaps...

In these days I'm talking with a Californian Girl that came to Milan to work with us, her accent anyway is very strict and I don't understand her so much.
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