posted October 06, 2019 07:51 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Lerena:
A
I'm a writer. I'm not at the level of a professional yet, but I expect more from people who grew up with English as their first language. Yes, English is a tough language with ridiculous rules. No, that doesn't mean knowing the difference between their, there, and they're have to be one of them. I've seen a significant amount of people with English as their second language put more time and effort into speaking correctly than people that grew up with English as their primary language.

I can't help but notice errors with spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It's part of being a writer to have this kind of experience. Editors can't do all the work.

Since I know I have errors on occasion, I don't want to correct people anymore, plus too many people are going around with errors in their posts for me to spend that much energy on it.

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Yeah I'm a writer, too, so language inevitable gets inspected by me as well. I don't think English is a tough language at all though. It's actually the easiest language to learn for most Europeans if you look at it from a foreign language perspective.

posted October 06, 2019 08:23 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by kani:
Yeah I'm a writer, too, so language inevitable gets inspected by me as well. I don't think English is a tough language at all though. It's actually the easiest language to learn for most Europeans if you look at it from a foreign language perspective.

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InevitablY lol (sorry, had to, for the joke! Obviously a typo, they happen to everyone, me especially!!!!)

Also, a very interesting study from the 90's which references I have long lost proved (well, in its own terms, I guess the truth is it depends on what language you come from and how your brain learns) English was one of the most difficult languages to learn (it was compared to German, Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese and some others I'm not sure of) because of its absence of rules. While German and French are notorious for their grammar bibles that can take decades of decades to master, English relies a lot on idioms (bit like England relies on the common law ) and it makes it more difficult because you have to develop the ability to sense the language instead of learning its rules (and exceptions). Endless compendiums are a chore but it's also comforting and easier to know that somewhere there's a compilation of explanations for everything.

posted October 07, 2019 06:11 AM            

I am Dutch, so English is my second language. I went to college in Amsterdam and 90% of the literature was English / American. Within 3 months I mastered English to academical level. English is the most easy language to learn. Dutch is more difficult for foreigners and French and German are even worse. And I haven't even mention Russian!

Then I dated some Englishman. And his language was really terrible. So much spelling AND grammar errors I even doubted if he even had any education at all! It really was a turn-off.

Before I got married I dated a few guys. I was on some datingsite. Of course I was looking for mister Right. When someone made spelling or grammar errors I just swiped away. It is like I can judge a person's general intelligence by how he uses his language. No mercy.

Then I met my husband. At first his language seemed oke. I met him, fell in love and I think he is the cutest. Then I noticed he doesn't know when to use a Z or a S or an IJ or an EI in the words we use. It was not a turn-off because I love him. Later I learned he used google to use correct language. At least he is making effort, because he really cares. He just can't help it.

And I learned a valuable lesson. It is not about grammar, because that is just RULES to imprent in your head, no excues for that!
But with the spelling errors, I learned he is a visual thinker. When he hears a word, he "sees" the image in his head and not the written word. So he just CAN'T remember how a word is written. When I hear a word, I see the picture AND the written word in my head.
It is a way our brains work. And for some people, they are visual learners, and other are language based learners. When I see a word, I just remember how it is written for life.

And the joke: my husband is gemini with mercurius in gemini!!!! And he is NOT AT ALL a communicative person! His dominant is moon in cancer...
My husband is the only person I think is cute when he makes a spelling error. We have a vegetable-garden and we also grow leek. Prei, in Dutch. And one day I noticed he had made some little wooden signs wich said what veggie is growing. And I read all the signs and there it was..... Prij...... And I literally melted. I really thought he was soo cute with his prij instead of prei. Well, if THAT isn't true love.... :P