Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[NoOne]

Which do you think it'sthe better wayto learn English(your second/foreign language)?

1. learn English through your native language: use a Bilingual dictionary to build your vocabulary, take notes in your native language, parctise your translation skill as much as possible,ect

2. learn English through English: use an English-English dictionary, think in english when you study English, avoid translating,ect

[Corey]

A lot will depend on your personal learning style. However let me say that I believe that learning a language by only doing translations makes it difficult to achieve fluent speech. I know several students who are like this. They have a wide vocabulary and know all the grammar however they have difficulty speaking because they must translate everything insdie their heads instead of intuitively knowing what to say.

Good luck,

Corey
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[NoOne]

I think the second one works better.But it seems more suitble for kids.

I know a girl who lives in China.Her father had some creative ideas about teaching her English.when she was 7,her father hired a private teacher,and told the teacher to speak only English during lessons.The girl learned how to speak for 2 years,then stared to learn reading and writing.Now she is 11 years old,speaks English just like a native English speaker(without any Chinglish error).

But another boy who started to learn English at 6 years old with his mother(his mother is an English teacher)even cannot speak English so fluently...

[Anxious Heart]

Hm, I guess you need first a basic on grammar and vocab, before you are able to start talking and writing only in English. I made the experience in English in comparison to Spanish. My first three years in English were horrible. Grammer and vocab and vocab and grammar and...surprise...vocab and grammar. The I got a new teacher, who thought, that talking, role plays and creative writing are more important, so I started enjoying English lessons. But if I hadn't been taught the basics of grammer and vocab, I woudn't have been able to say, what I wanted to say (you see, I forgot the basics:(, this sentence was certainly wrong...).
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