h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello dears

What are the difficulties which you face while studying English as a second language? will be pleased with your participations.

Hmmm... I'll think about that.

I guess it's also a question about what your native language is.

Hi mmh5,

I´m Spanish and as Tavarom says your mother tongue has a lot to do with those difficulties.

This is the first time I´m going to try to answer such a question, funny, despite it´s a lot of time I started to learn English.

First, the difficulties were lack of good teachers and learning situations. 'Filling the gap' was the most exciting activity those days.

A problem I still face is the lack of oral practice. Sometimes I do not write the ending -ed of past participles because I do not pronounce them with the needed emphasis! Spanish has not words ending in consonant*, still less double consonant.
To that you have to add that I was born and raised in the south and in an area where people lisp (It´s a phonetic characterist, not a speech problem)It means that we use the sound you have in the 'TH' of THing, instead of 'S'.

Now I live in Madrid and do not lisp, I use the standard Spanish. ( I only lisp when I go to my hometown)

I would say that the difficulties have had to do with the means to learn it, I mean exposure to input, not with the language itself. I think English is easy to learn and use.

Probably the phrasal verbs

Nowadays there are lots of ways to improve your English because of the Internet. You only need will and time.

When it comes to talking the most difficult thing for me is the English 'r'. I don't have much practice in talking anyhow.

How about words ending with five consonants? It's one of our *strengths*

Thanks Tavaron, Maria and Incy for your replies; Ireally benefited from you all.

When I worked with a native Spanish speaker she told me she had trouble with all the "frazzle verbs".

It was only when i saw her guide-book on phrasal verbs that I understood what she meant!

What did she mean?

I find phrasal verbs tricky in German, too. I never know whether I need an ein or a zu or an um or a mit.

The prepositions we use with verbs are really quite arbitrary often.

frazzle Indeed.

I have to make an effort of concentration when I pronounce sunshine. I practice it singing "Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet..."

R is fine for me. Actually, it´s my speciality I can pronounce the French one too. In Spanish you´ve got the vibrant and soft varieties, like in perro and ardor.

I think this page can be interesting for people who like teasing others with word games :

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/

What's a phrasal verb?

right, thanks Vip. I didn't dare to ask.

The French r is much easier for me because it's almost like I usually say it.

My main problem with English at the moment is a condescending co-worker who insists on speaking really slowly and using short words to "help" me. I probably speak English better than German - and better than he does!

"What's a phrasal verb?"

This should jog your memory:
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

I cant say R in any language. I wish I had the Scottish R that even the English dont have.

~Theres been a murrrrderrrr!~

mm... English as second language .. yes, Hippos frequently try that.

one challenge is to get to understand native English speakers .. I found native English usually speak a bit of a dialect .. foreigners speaking English are often easier to understand.. for us foreigners that is ..

and then there's the Scottish .. would they be native English speakers? probably not eh? well, they can be real hard to understand .. (apologies to Robert McV, Eric D, and several others for suggesting they are in some way related to anything English).

then there's learning to speak English .. most of the examples on tv are ( ) Americanish. Copy their vocabulary and pronunciation could be a bit awkward.

thank you all; you all enriches the discussion
hope more and more opinions and discussions

many thanks.

Ed : "I cant say R in any language. sadface I wish I had the Scottish R that even the English dont have.

~Theres been a murrrrderrrr!~"

It all depends on the curl of your tongue. Being Scottish may help

"What are the difficulties which you face while studying English as a second language? will be pleased with your participations. "

As a trained (but not greatly experienced) TEFL, I found the big problem tends to be in pronunceation (sp?) rather than understanding. It's like a citizen from the Outer Orkneys trying to chat to a Cockney. The language is the same, but the Dialect makes understanding impossible.

Knowing when to use what preposition - the possibilities are endless.
Right by me, right for me, right with me, right at me... right past me?

"By", "on" and "at" are especially tricky. By the sea, on the sea or at the sea? By Monday or at Monday (whatever that means)? Or rather on Monday?
At will and by leave, but on purpose and with gusto?