Now, I have more and more American friends here. Every night we meet in the study lounge to do homework with each other and talk about all sorts of things which we are all pretty interested in,such as chinese culture, American government, even our private lives. and play interesting computer games together. When I finish a paper or essay, I always ask my American friends to help me correct the errors if there some I made. At the same time, I think I have been practicing my English since I have been studing with them. Reviewing all of my writing and quiz sheets from the begining of this semester, I really found that I have progressed in every field of English,especially in writing.
Fist of all, my grammar is much better than before. I can see a great difference that there are fewer and fewer errors in my papaers. I have a lot of weakness of grammar in writing. Some of them are inevitable because my first language is Chinese. But now I think it has been changed. Comparing with native person’s writing frequence, I found out that if you want to write a paper as a native speaker’s, you must have an American mind, you need to think like American people. Fortunately, I have understood it since I finished my midterm test. What’s more, I was quite frustrated when I got a lot of spelling problems in my writing before. I know it is a low-level error in writing. In order for me to avoid it, I would spend much more time on remember new words. That was really boring but useful. Now I just got a few spelling mistakes in my papers. Finally, I have learned how to make an excellent essay. Every paragraph needs a main idea, every main idea needs examples, and every example needs details.
Above all, I believe i have absorbed many writing skills, such as how to use correct grammar, how to fix my paragraphs and to be organized, how to make my writing close to a really American style. I know there are still lots of things remaining, which I should try my best to finish completely in the future. As an old saying goes,"we never finish all our work totally today."
ETHAN CHANG
I agree with you. I'm happy you can improve your English here and met many American students. Study with American students is good for us to study English. They can help us and correct our writing. I also study a lot from my American friends. I think this is a good way to study English. I hope you can meet more and more American friends and get a very good English skill.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Because sometimes the local students really can help us correct our mistake in English. Also, they can help us practice speaking skills, they can lead us use the simply way to express whatever we want to say. On the other hand, they can tech us some words we can not learn from book or teachers. The important thing is we are same age, we have many common topic to talk, it very interesting and useful. So make many local friends is a good way to improve our English too.
ReplyDeleteAgree!!!In English writing, mostly hard for our non native speaker, writing is totally different! and grammar could be the most comment mistake for us. we need to work hard on it. As right now, we now all in the US, we should get more along with the American students, that really us to improve our English. Don't miss this chance, go forward to know more about other people's story or culture. We will learn many things from them!!
ReplyDeleteI am totally agree with your opinion. It is really a good way to improve our English level by staying with English negative speakers. They can not only correct our errors but also make a good example for us. Moreover, If you want to write a paper as a negative speaker, you must have negative speakers' mind, because Chinese writing style is totally different. I hope I can know more English negative speaker friends as you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, because when you have American friends your English will be improved. Also, I think you should read more, because that help you to write better. But of course, not every American can write a good essay.There are some American have many errors in grammer and spelling mistakes.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I believe hanging out with American people is one of the directly way for us to improve our English skill that is also why our parents spend lot of money for us to study English in here. Learning language usually classifies two parts, one is language, and the other is culture. Staying with America is a good way to improve our English. However, there is a little thing I want to remind you. It is good trying to use American way to think but at the same time don’t lose your personal ideas. It is always best to put them together.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you,speaking as a English speaker is quiet difficult for foreigners.but now we are in the states，so we have a very convenient way to learn and practice our English，we should communicate with the native speakers as much as we can，i think our English will be improved soon！
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Making friends with the native speakers is the most effective means to increase your English skill. If we can insist to do more practice, we can achieve goal.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your opinion. Also I always ask for grammar in my essay to my roommate.
ReplyDeleteI think, making American friends and spending enough time with them is specific for us.
We can practice English more and more. We have to communicate them. I came here 3weeks ago, so I am difficult to adapt this life and study English. Especially,when I talk with native speaker, I want to speak more, but I can't speak my opinion of my thinking. I have to stydying vocabulary,and grammar. Can you recommand your Know-how for me? I would like to improve my English skill like as you.
I agree with you, I think as you are doing practicing as you will improve your English.There are a lot of ways to do that.For example,reading book in English that very great way to improve your English for many skills such as vocabulary, reading speed, and the style how to write.Also to make American friend is not too useful in writing I think in speaking will be more than great.
ReplyDeleteI am agree with your idea. It's hard to people to learn a second lanaguge. For English, especially the writting part, I was always got the lower score in writting than the others. With the help of the American students it's really helpful. I wish you can get more and more progress in your English skills.
ReplyDeleteIn general I agree with you Ethan, but I have some points. American friends most of them are so kind and they are helpful. In fact, they help you to improve your speaking, but this speaking does not give you benefit in real classes in college because it is slang. Furthermore, we have to be careful because everyone has some bad things, so we have to take the good things from them and leave the bad things with tell them this is bad. Anyway, it is really a good idea to make American friends. keep going and good luck.
ReplyDeleteNow, I have more and more American friends here. Every night we meet in the study lounge to do homework TOGETHER and talk about all sorts of things which we are all pretty interested in, such as Chinese culture, American government, AND even our private lives. and play interesting computer games together. When I finish a paper or essay, I always ask my American friends to help me correct the errors if there ARE some MISTAKES I made. At the same time, I think I have been practicing my English since I have been STUDYING with them. Reviewing all of my writing and quiz sheets from the BEGINNING of this semester, I really found that I have progressed in every field of English,especially in writing.
ReplyDeleteFist of all, my grammar is much better than before. I can see a great difference IN that there are fewer and fewer errors in my PAPERS. I have a lot of weaknessES IN grammar WHEN writing. Some of them are inevitable because my first language is Chinese. But now I think it has been changed. Comparing with native person’s writing *, I found out that if you want to write a paper WHICH IS AS GOOD AS a native speaker’s, you must have an American mind, AND you need to think like American people. Fortunately, I * understood it WHEN I finished my midterm test. What’s more, I was quite frustrated when I got a lot of spelling problems in my writing before. I know it is a low-level error in writing. In order for me to avoid it, I would spend much more time on REMEMBERING new words. That was really boring but useful. Now I just MAKE a few spelling mistakes in my papers. Finally, I have learned how to make an excellent essay. Every paragraph needs a main idea, every main idea needs examples, and every example needs details.
Above all, I believe I have absorbed many writing skills, such as how to use correct grammar, how to fix my paragraphs and to MAKE THEM organized, how to make my writing close to THE REAL American style. I know there are still lots of things remaining, which I should try my best to finish LEARNING completely in the future. As an old saying goes,"we never finish all our work totally today."
First of all, as I told you, make sure to divide your writing into 10 paragraphs next time. Since you were absent when I talked about it, and you have enough sentences, this one is OK. But for the second round, make sure to follow the style.
Regarding the content, I agree that you all should make as many American friends as possible. However, at the same time, as I said in class today, you should not ask them to proofread your essay. I mean, you should practice speaking & listening with them. I don't say they are wrong, as native speakers are always "right" in a sense. However, they have different criteria from ours, that will confuse you. So avoid it.