Subject? There is NO subject!

[Primula]

I believe there is a problem here in Idiomas.

If you see around, the topics do not improve. Most of them go around "I do not speak very well" or "I would like to improve my English/Deutch/German/French/Japanese here"

If you follow that reasoning the second step is "so... what next? What are we supposed to talk about?"

Exactly.

Tha absence of subject turns empty all the topics. There is no reason to hang around here. We know a whole world wide web of sites around to chit-chat with native language speakers. And that - my friend - is (a lot) much better than to shit-chat with people who are like you learning English/Japanese/German/French/Deutch...

So must we close this forum? Clean the house and leave?

That is what is happening as a matter of fact.

But no. I purpose a new way to deal with it.

We must talk about a subject. ANY subject.

Not likely "I agree", or "I disagree" about it. We must discuss. We must develop our language skills. There is no improvement saying "it's cool/sweety" around in our language skills.

Let's start with THIS subject. Write like if you were writing a composition to your teacher (French, Italian, German, Japanese... does not matter as long you keep in subject). Do not restrain yourself, because doing that you will restrain your chances of being corrected, of learning. Let stick along only with the grammar and vocabulary, not with the personal beliefs (no point discussing with each other in English, if we can hardly do in Portuguese).

Next week, let's talk about another subject.

 

[Primula]

Primula modo Japonês ON. Usando convenção anglicana de romanização.

***

Watashi mukashi kara kono koto ki ga tsuita desu.

Keredomo, sonna koto minna ni tsutaetemo muda to omoimashita.

Ima nihongo wo watashi ni muri desu kedo, konna koto shinakereba, daredemo Eigo bakkari de hanashimasu.

Ja, zannen kedo, watashi kokomade. Dare ka tsuzukete kudasai.

 

[Snake]

 

[Ana Lovejoy]

We are trying something like that here

..... but few people tried to discuss

 

[Primula]

We are trying something like that here

..... but few people tried to discuss

Yes, I know. I even tried that... that was what I said: there is no subject, and even I was compeled to write like shit-chat (shame on me!)

"Let's practice" usually leads us shit-chat, with an ocasional correction from the advanced praticers. It is like teaching children to "shipeeak", with no real improvement, only short phrases. There is no chance to write enough to feel the language, to think in English.

And considering that most of us make a face when the teacher says "lets make a composition", there is no surprise we do not make long texts.

In fact, that is the most difficult challenge for an English teacher: to make their students write a good composition.

Though at the beginning it is normal to write little (like we were again children "My name is ... I study at... I like movies and music. I like dancing...", myself I don't feel confortable when I see "advanced" students writing like that.

What the hell, I do not feel confortable when intermediate students continue like that!

As we have here a place to practice, I guess we can make it like the remaining forum: discuss in English... perhaps even the same subjects we discuss in normal forum.

Like I said, I do not see it happening only to English... It is happening too in other languages here. I don't think it is an English "flaw", but rather an old mania language students have: they do not like to write too much... so there is little chance to write something really stupid and dumb.

Right here, I made quite a good training, only discussing the subject "there is no subject". I wonder how much everybody can make of themselves, if they only tried to discuss something... anything!

This is my first attempt in that way... I suggest you guys to make a point, to discuss here or even in "Let's practice"...

If there is no subject... create a subject. Talk about something you feel confortable to talk to. Ask for the opinion about something like you don't know, something you experienced last week, something you thought funny about another person. Talk about your mother, your dog, your silly brother...

I bet all of you will have a great chance of really learn the language.

By the way! Why do you guys try not to correct my grammar! I am sad! *snif!*

 

[Tauraherion]

By the way! Why do you guys try not to correct my grammar! I am sad! *snif!*

Maybe it´s because you were flawless, but if you want me to, i´ll try. Let´s see, in the quoted sentence, you forgot to use the "?". and I would write it like this: "Why do you guys don´t (or do not) try to correct my grammar?"

This way I think it looks more like "Pq vcs não tentam corrigir minha gramática?" and not like "Pq vcs tentam não corrigir minha gramática?"


I agree with you about all else, i mean, the "no subject" and "lack of discusssion issues".

By the way, did you translate the whole first post into that small japanese one?

 

[Primula]

Nope

The second post is more likely a invitation for people from other languages to join this discussion. (I wish I could translate all my post into Japanese. I have a hard and long way to go in this subject)

If you like the translation of that Japanese post there it is:

"Is a long time since I thought about it.
But, I thought it would be a waste of time to point it.
Right now, my Japanese skills are lame, but if I didn't try, everybody would only talk in English here.
Well, it's a pity, but that's all I can do in Japanese. Somebody else continue, please?"

Like I said in Japanese... lame skills

Oh! By the way, thanks for your corrections!

 

[Cildraemoth]

By the way! Why do you guys try not to correct my grammar! I am sad! *snif!*

Maybe it´s because you were flawless, but if you want me to, i´ll try. Let´s see, in the quoted sentence, you forgot to use the "?". and I would write it like this: "Why do you guys don´t (or do not) try to correct my grammar?"

To me all the alternatives seem weird. I'd use "Why don't you guys try to correct my grammar?". Primula's and Taura's might even be correct, but they don't sound natural to me[0].

[0] Don't take my ears as guarantee for anything, tough.

 

[Tauraherion]

By the way! Why do you guys try not to correct my grammar! I am sad! *snif!*

Maybe it´s because you were flawless, but if you want me to, i´ll try. Let´s see, in the quoted sentence, you forgot to use the "?". and I would write it like this: "Why do you guys don´t (or do not) try to correct my grammar?"

To me all the alternatives seem weird. I'd use "Why don't you guys try to correct my grammar?". Primula's and Taura's might even be correct, but they don't sound natural to me[0].

[0] Don't take my ears as guarantee for anything, tough.

I see your point.. and having a second thought about it, it seems to me that your option would be the best of all, but your sentence looks like an invitation to me and not like a doubt.
this way, I´ll stick to my suggestion unless someone comes up with a better solution.

 

[Cildraemoth]

"Why do you guys don´t (or do not) try to correct my grammar?"

I see your point.. and having a second thought about it, it seems to me that your option would be the best of all, but your sentence looks like an invitation to me and not like a doubt.
this way, I´ll stick to my suggestion unless someone comes up with a better solution.

Yes, it does sound like an invitation. But what Primula said was a kind of invitation, wasn't it?

The same sentence in Portuguese would also sound like an invitation... I think it will always sound. It is probably a feature of "why not" constructions...

 

[Primula]

uh oh... perhaps because we are yet Brasilian... I'm trying to think in English, but as you noticed, even writing like hell, I couldn't make it. (I keep "writing" in Portuguese)

Hmmmm... I guess you can not help me there, ex... it is something I have to figure out myself (how to sound natural, I mean)

Anyway, we got some improvements here in Idiomas

 

[inominavell]

sure we got pal.
ahnn...

Something to help you, is to keep in mind that english is such an objetive language. It´s senteces uses a kind of formula, and some of ya might know...
is the SOVC.
Subject Object Verb Complement.
Keep in mind: It´s not a Must, just a tip to organize your ideas from portuguese into english.


by the way, head up in the topic, there´s a little mistake...

We do not use Lot with Better try Much.

Prímula, congratulations bout your english

 

[Primula]

sure we got pal.
ahnn...

Something to help you, is to keep in mind that english is such an objetive language.

I guess that's why cientists love to write in English Sometimes I forget it...

It´s senteces uses a kind of formula, and some of ya might know...
is the SOVC.
Subject Object Verb Complement.
Keep in mind: It´s not a Must, just a tip to organize your ideas from portuguese into english.


by the way, head up in the topic, there´s a little mistake...

We do not use Lot with Better try Much.

Prímula, congratulations bout your english

Thank you! I fixed my mistake... erhem...

Now I got confused... how can I say "graças a você"?

 

[Luthien_Star]

That's it! You've just said the reason why Idiomas is not one of my favorite ones...

 

[Mak]

I think you can say "Thanks to you", I'm saing that 'cuz I remember I readed it somewhere.
I've got to say I realy liked your idea, most of the people tha writes here (in the "forum") makes realy long posts to prove theyre ideas and arguments so why not do the same in english?
I'm surtanly gonna come back here becauze I think reading is a great way to improve your vocabulary, something I realy need to do, what remembers me tha I've got to buy the Lord of the Rings in english
I'm gonna ask you to do the dame with my post, plz correct it. Thank a lot.

 

[Sauron_Body]

Ah, whatever...

This place wasn't made to hang out, it's like a Regras e FAQ's where you troubleshoot and people correct you...

But we could make it like a Geral but speaking another language.
We could do padronized topic names like in the Writer's Club wink

[Language][Topic to be discussed]

And they are written in their langage, like:

[English][Why is my hair green?]

or

[Français][J'adore les avions]

or

[Deutsch][Hier kommt die sonne]

and stuff like that...

Whaddaya think?

 

[Coiote]

i think it's a good idea...
but what about the moderators??
they'll have to speak all the languages we use in the topics hehe
it would be nice if the mods say something about it ....

 

[Cildraemoth]

But we could make it like a Geral but speaking another language.
We could do padronized topic names like in the Writer's Club wink

[Language][Topic to be discussed]

And they are written in their langage, like:

[English][Why is my hair green?]

or

[Français][J'adore les avions]

or

[Deutsch][Hier kommt die sonne]

and stuff like that...

Whaddaya think?

The idea is good. But I wonder if there will be enough people who will partecipate. Like Joy indicated, she tried to create a discussion in English (the foreign language spoken by the greatest number of people here, for sure), and few people partecipated.

But I'd be willing to try that. There are a couple of languages I need to practise.

As for the moderator issue Coiote raised: I don't think it is really necessary for the moderators to speak all the languages. If there is a problem in one of the threads, someone can indicate the problem to the moderator and she (or he) will do what is necessary.

 

[RottEN GeNeRAtiON]

If you see around, the topics do not improve. Most of them go around "I do not speak very well" or "I would like to improve my English/Deutch/German/French/Japanese here"

That's exactly what i was worried about, because some topics only discuss about dictionaries and schools, nothing in the foreign language

 

[inominavell]

there´s no need in that.
Why?

I have a Topic, eg.:

Doubts About Verbs !

Well, people that are going to read the topic already know that it´s in english.

gotta?