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How would I go about perfecting my English?

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Naked Snake

Member
I'm often told that my English is exceptionally good for someone who is not a native speaker, but I know it is far from being perfect or even close to it, and I was wondering what would be a good way to improve my command on the language even further? Specifically writing, because I think I'd like to work as a magazine editor or something similar some day.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
 
E

evil solrac v3.0

Member
um, as someone whose english is also his second language, i say just practice with other people, read (cant stress that enough). books, magazines, porn, whatever. and i dont know if you ever went ahead with those plans but go to school. it'd be great if it was an all english speaking environment but....
 
J

JackFrost2012

Banned
COCKY and FUNNY!

... er, actually, I had no idea you were a "non-native" speaker. You write way better than most people on the board. I just suggest you read a lot and read difficult things.
 
A

aku:jiki

Member
JackFrost2012 said:
... er, actually, I had no idea you were a "non-native" speaker. You write way better than most people on the board. I just suggest you read a lot and read difficult things.
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This was the post I was going to make. Vestal stole my idea. I'm going to sue!

But, yeah, I'd like to stress the 'difficult things' part of the above post. Your basic english is flawless, adelgary, so all you'd really need is a more expansive vocabulary. This forum and the internet in general will give you practice to keep your skill up, well-written and wordy books will help you level up!
 
A

aku:jiki

Member
adelgary said:
Okay, start recommending good books then! :p
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I recently re-read 1984, and besides being an amazing book (
aside from the pages out of "the book", they're too obvious and, well, dull and "factual"
) and a brilliant political commentary with warnings that are still very valid today, it is also written in 1940's (british?) english. I was amazed at how many words I didn't know in it.

So that's one recommendation from a self-taught (read: TV) non-native speaker to another, hopefully you'll feel the same if you do read it.
 
7

7imz

Member
adelgary said:
Okay, start recommending good books then! :p

It's funny, I have read very few books in my life (relative to some of you).
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history, fantasy, politcal science... anything :p
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
aku:jiki said:
I recently re-read 1984, and despite from being an amazing book (
besides the pages out of "the book", they're too obvious and, well, dull and "factual"
) and a brilliant political commentary with warnings that are still very valid today, it is also written in 1940's (british?) english. I was amazed at how many words I didn't know in it.

So that's one recommendation from a self-taught (read: TV) non-native speaker to another, hopefully you'll feel the same if you do read it.
Click to expand...

I have been interested in that book for a while now, I might as well pick it up.
 
B

bjork

Member
Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd is an interesting read... tells about how pirates actually lived, and has bits that are directly quoted in the old-style English, with things like "for ye who be lesseth than mine" and such...

... and it's about pirates.
 
J

JackFrost2012

Banned
Ill Saint said:
James Joyce's 'Ulysses'.
Michel Foucault's 'The Archaeology of Knowledge".

A couple of very tough books.
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Dude, we want to improve his English, not kill him.

I think the most important thing is to find books you're INTERESTED in. It doesn't matter how difficult/challenging/rewarding a book is ... if you don't like naval warfare history and consequently can't be bothered to finish reading it, you're not going to improve.

I recommend some Mark Twain; he's a classic American author and pretty damn funny, to boot. Orwell is also a good suggestion. Hemingway would probably be a good challenge - his words aren't challenging, but the way he uses them is. If you like genre fiction (sci-fi/fantasy) I can make a large number of suggestions, as well.
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Actually I have been wanting to make a book-suggestions thread for a long time now. Something like "What do you consider must-read books in one's lifetime?", and feel free to suggest obvious classics that you might think everyone have read by now, because chances are that I didn't read them.

Non-fiction books are most welcome, since I have read very few of those. I'm also very interested in philosophy.
 
I

Ill Saint

Member
"What do you consider must-read books in one's lifetime
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I'll just stay out of this one. Heh. (But I do really recommend Ulysses!!)

Edit: Oh, well if you are interested in Philosophy, start slowly... it'll likely do your head in initially, but if you persevere, it'll be really rewarding.
 
B

ballhog

Member
Read older stuff, with flowery speech. Translations are often better written, as far as correctness of speech, as they are "written" by academics and not authors, who are fat and can't spell. Crime and Punishment is a good start.
 
B

BuddyC

Member
It's been previously expressed, but I'm suprised to learn you're not a native English speaker, adelgary.

Just keep at it, you already write english more better (;)) than a majority of the board.

Reading books is a good idea too :)
 
C

Chrono

Banned
0156027321



Not sure if it'll help your english-- but it's a good book. :D
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Okay I feel like stroking my ego a bit... Not only I am not a native English speaker, but I also lived all my life in one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, and went to the worst public schools too, where English education only starts from 5th grade, and by incompetent teachers no less. Heck, my university professors had laughable English.
 
A

aku:jiki

Member
adelgary said:
I have been interested in that book for a while now, I might as well pick it up.
Click to expand...
You'll feel pretty smart when watching movies and stuff too, because you'll be awestruck by what an influence the book has had. Everyone has borrowed something from it! Equilibrium, for one, is pretty much 1984 without all the brilliance (but a hell of a lot of style -- I ain't hatin'!).

The only other of his I've read is Animal Farm, which I read in Swedish, so... I found it to be a rather uninteresting read anyway. Felt like it was a little too obvious if you have basic, modern political knowledge.

Other than that, though, I'm pretty much in the same situation as adelgary, except I'm trying to move into reading more swedish. Never was a big reader, but I've finally found it enjoyable, which is something I've been longing for, well, forever.
 
C

Chrono

Banned
adelgary said:
Okay I feel like stroking my ego a bit... Not only I am not a native English speaker, but I also lived all my life one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, and went to the worst public schools too, where English education only starts from 5th grade, and by incompetent teachers no less. Heck, my university professors had laughable English.
Click to expand...

So how did you learn english? From school or on your own?
 
E

Ecrofirt

Member
I always just assumed you moved to the middle east at some point in your life.

You seem to have a very strong grasp of the language, probably a far batter one than I do, and I'm a U.S. citizen.
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Chrono said:
So how did you learn english?
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I'm not sure, I get that question all the time. I guess I used to read a lot of gaming magazines, and later this bloody forum :p

I think I'm pretty good with languages in general, I also speak good Russian, and Chechen/Chechnyan, in addition to Arabic of course. I would really like to learn Japanese, French and Spanish some day.
 
W

White Man

Member
Michel Foucault's 'The Archaeology of Knowledge".
Click to expand...

As far as entry-level Foucault goes, I'd recommend "Discipline and Punish" or the first volume of "History of Sexuality." They're a good mix of interesting topics and heavy theory. "madness and Civilization" gets interesting points, too, but that's more factually flawed than the previously mentioned works.

But, uh, anyway, you'd probably want to stay away from that stuff unless you have interest in heavy-handed theory concerning the nature of power.

Joyce? Well, skip Ulysses and Finn's Wake, but Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and The Dubliners will give you a good workout without becoming all that esoteric. Ulysses isn't even all that bad.

Oh, and read something by Dickens. Anything.
 
B

bobafett

Member
adelgary said:
Jordanian.
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Well, congratulations for your english then. But I'm curious, have you lived in a english speaking country or learned the language in Jordania?

I suggest you taking some philosophy or sociology classes. This is high level english.
 
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nitewulf

Member
Start reading, anything by O' Henry, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Douglas Adams, and Wodehouse. These authors will teach you style and wit. If you want to develop vocabulary, start reading some Stephen King and Edgar Alan Poe as well. Joyce, Faulkner etc arent going to help you develop a mastery of the language, IMO, and their writing is pretty advanced, they should be read for purely humanistic reasons.
Start with modern classics like Gatsby, Catcher in the rye, Old man and the sea etc.
 
N

nitewulf

Member
bobafett said:
Well, congratulations for your english then. But I'm curious, have you lived in a english speaking country or learned the language in Jordania?

I suggest you taking some philosophy or sociology classes. This is high level english.
Click to expand...

Jordania? where is that, next to Armenia?
 
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