The novice begins to

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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#1

Сообщение Beginner »

Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm a beginner in English. Not hundred per cents 'beginner' because I learned English at school and at the University many years ago. Also I spent (attended) the Elementary English course many years ago. But it was even easier than school. Sometimes I can understand common meaning of 'intermediate level' texts and audio dialogues. I tested my grammar several times by (in,an) Internet. The result had been 'pre-intermediate' level. So why do I consider self (myself, me) beginner? I think a speaking skill is the main skill when you study English. But I almost don't speak.
I have been struggling (fighting, striking, grappling) with specific illness many years and now I'm not in the optimal conditions of my mind. It is more associate with emotional field, energy, able to communicate and ability to focus attention. It isn't delusions, agression and something like that. Well, I don't want to write about it here, you know... . And for this reson too I try to training my mind learning English.
This text is my first step for overtaking mental block and start to transform my thoughts into text. Because there are many different mistakes possible in this text you haven't to correct them (its). I think it is boring and not interesting for you, for that persons who have high level in English, to edit beginner's texts. I think many of us is here more for a rest but not for the addition work. But if somebody will want to do it, well, I'll be glad.
I've written this part of message and ... the wish to check it by google.translator has appeared. But I think it is ...mmm... I don't know this word, when you have strong desire(?), when you see a cake and want to eat it... if you'll do it you'll fall in a sin; religion ). I think do that isn't right for me. Let mistakes will be on a light.

Only one answer I'd like you to give me. If I've memorized, for example, several new words and ... Can I...mm..
I try to find an Internet service which can generate comprehensive text from words that I'll suggest for it. Is it exist?

And several thoughts about... .
There are many details in English Tenses for me, for native Russian speaker. It seems the acts, events divide from each over. Apart(?). Fact, process. Continious or complete. It is a little bizzare. Not very hard but unussual. I mean, if English speakers have such features in their language it must reflect (in,to,for) their consciousness. It must (be) influence () their sense of self. They, probably, have (an)other sense of time. Maybe they can better planing their life and better see 'action and results' that allow them be more succses in business. Don't you think so?

Barely I had started to recall and learn English I noticed I'm very enjoy reading about learning English, to read your disputes and discussions, perhaps more then (to) learn English :). I see only one exit - to read about learning English on English.

Oh... , answer a tests is much more easier than transform own thoughts on words )
So don't wish me luck, wish me 'brake a leg' ).
Well, thank you and good buy.
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#2

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 09 апр 2020, 00:47 Oh... , answer a tests is much more easier than transform own thoughts on words )
That's true. Even if it's easy for you to read English texts, writing is another matter. Each skill is different from the others and needs special training.

When you are reading, you may not pay much attention to the language itself. You are more interested in what is said than how. That's natural. Your subconscious mind can still learn from such reading, but there seems to be a limit to such learning. At least it seems so to me, from my experience. When I started writing in English, I had to switch from fast reading to slow, so that I could recognize the grammar, words and word collocations used by the author to express this or that idea. Sometimes they are amazingly similar to Russian, but only sometimes.

By the way, I've found that such very slow and focused reading is good for training my ability to concentrate my mind. I can see that it makes my thinking stronger and clearer. Every skill improves from practice. Either you make effort and progress, or you degenerate, or stagnate at best.

Yes, there are quite a few mistakes in your post, yet it's understandable, more or less.
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#3

Сообщение Beginner »

Thank you for responding. For beginners, it is important when someone answers them. Pays attention to their messages. When this happens, you feel that you are not alone in your path, that there are people whose interests coincide with your own.
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#4

Сообщение acapnotic »

That's important to all of us, since we are all social animals. Without positive feedback, we lose interest in what we do. In conversation, positive feedback is obviously replies from others. If what I write isn't interesting to any forum member, then why bother writing here at all? I can just as well write to myself in some text editor and store my writing in a file. It's not as thrilling, to be sure, but it'll save me from disappointment because there will be no expectation of an answer.

Your second post has no mistakes, as far as I can judge. Actually it's recommended that learners should aim at short but error-free texts at first. Maybe you've come across this advice yourself, but anyway, here it is: How to avoid making mistakes in English. I think it makes sense. Though maybe it's not universal. Maybe the best technique differs for different learners. However, the author of that article is a successful English learner, so his advice is worth heeding, I believe.

I haven't followed that advice fully, so I must have taught myself some bad English. But I think that's inevitable. Even my writing will always have Russian accent, so to speak. But in the beginning we have to deal not with accent but with grave mistakes that can make our messages unintelligible, and that's another matter.
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#5

Сообщение Beginner »

Acapnotic: Yes, there are quite a few mistakes in your post, yet it's understandable, more or less.

What does this phrase mean? It means that it is clear why there are a lot of errors (because I am a beginner) or the meaning of the text is clear more or less?
Still, I will check my messages through a translator. I first write the text by hand, then translate it into English, then type it in Russian in the translator. So I think I will learn about my mistakes and at the same time leave a more or less competent text on the forum.
How long do you think it will take to get to level B1 if you train for at least 2 hours a day?
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#6

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 22 апр 2020, 00:14 What does this phrase mean? It means that it is clear why there are a lot of errors (because I am a beginner) or the meaning of the text is clear more or less?
Nice catch. Yes, there is ambiguity there because 'it' can mean both 'он' and 'это'. I saw it too when I posted, so I contemplated, for a while, replacing 'understandable' with 'intelligible' to make it more clear that I meant your text and not the fact that it had mistakes, but then I thought that the intended meaning was the more natural of the two, so you would most likely understand me correctly.
Beginner пишет: 22 апр 2020, 00:14 How long do you think it will take to get to level B1 if you train for at least 2 hours a day?
I don't know. My own learning has lasted for decades by now, on the one hand, but on the other, most of the time I used to get enthusiastic for a month and then drop it for a year or two, so it's hard to tell how long it actually took me to get where I am. Besides, I have only a very vague idea of all these ABC levels.

The use of translators makes certain sense, but you can't rely on them fully. Sometimes they produce nonsense. However, if you keep your sentences simple and short, they are more likely to be translated correctly.
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#7

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 22 апр 2020, 08:28Nice catch.
I took it as a compliment. That's how attentive I am! )
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#8

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acapnotic пишет: 22 апр 2020, 08:28 o get where I am
Oh, how I wish I were where you are! ) But I still have a long way to go... .
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#9

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 22 апр 2020, 23:15 I took it as a compliment. That's how attentive I am! )
Yes, absolutely! :)
Beginner пишет: 22 апр 2020, 23:17 Oh, how I wish I were where you are! ) But I still have a long way to go... .
Take up your cross and follow me. (c) Well, maybe not exactly, because my regular dropping out of the learning process likely led to a huge waste of time and energy because I had to re-learn the material that I had forgotten. There is a good saying describing this: use it or lose it. As soon as you put something aside, you start to forget it. It's like going up a river in a boat: if you stop rowing, you begin to move back. You don't stay where you were. That's why regular practice is vital. By the way, your posts give me an opportunity for a bit of writing practice, so don't see my replies as a gift from me to you, let alone a sacrifice on my part. No, it's cooperation, not charity. :)

Of course, you need some strong motivation for continued learning effort. Obviously I didn't have it most of the time. Even though I had a love of English for some mysterious reason, I didn't see any practical application of my knowledge of it. It was just a toy and also something to boost my self-esteem. That changed only with the coming of the Internet. But I wish I had had it in the beginning, when I was a big fan of sci-fi and could have greatly improved my English by reading it in the original. Unfortunately I had lost my interest in it, as well as in fiction in general, by the time that I got connected to the Web. So I've mostly read programming documentation and some random arcticles and blogs here and there.
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#10

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 16 апр 2020, 08:31 How to avoid making mistakes in English[/url].
Great thanks for this link. It is that what I need.
Последний раз редактировалось Beginner 26 апр 2020, 21:35, всего редактировалось 1 раз.
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#11

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 23 апр 2020, 09:23 That changed only with the coming of the Internet.
I imagined a decrepit, bearded old man sitting at a computer :). Don't be offended if anything... .
And what does your nickname mean? It sounds mysterious, hypnotic for me. No one dictionary gave me a translation
You mentioned that you love of English for some mysterious reason. I think at the beginning of your study English text seemed for you a mystical symbols which recuired decryption. Or you were an English speaker at last life, if you believe in reincarnation of souls.
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#12

Сообщение Beginner »

As a child, I thought people were smart if they were good at mental arithmetic or knew a foreign language or could program. (I'm sure you are just such a person). I don't know how to program, I don't calclate well. The only way for me to become as smart is to learn a foreign language :) .
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#13

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 26 апр 2020, 21:32 I imagined a decrepit, bearded old man sitting at a computer :). Don't be offended if anything... .
Well, that's pretty accurate, except for the beard. I'm rather old (53) and in a poor health condition, so my life is mostly over. I'll be lucky if I live another 10 years.

Interestingly, my father is still alive and is 92, but I didn't inherit his health. Besides, he has senile dementia, which makes living to his age not a very good idea to me. After watching his decline for 5 years, I don't think I'm going to wish anyone a long life anymore. Not without the precondition that they stay in their right mind till the very end, which can't be guaranteed to anyone, no matter how intelligent they are today.
Beginner пишет: 26 апр 2020, 21:32 And what does your nickname mean?
It means a non-smoker. At least I used it in that sense.
Beginner пишет: 26 апр 2020, 21:32 I think at the beginning of your study English text seemed for you a mystical symbols which recuired decryption.
Maybe, but it's hard to recall because it was so long ago. In the 5th grade or so, we had to choose between English and German, and my father advised English to me because, he said, it was an international language. I'm grateful to him for that advice. I've tried to start learning German, just for a change, but I didn't like it. Not my cup of tea, definitely.
Beginner пишет: 26 апр 2020, 21:48 I don't know how to program, I don't calclate well. The only way for me to become as smart is to learn a foreign language :) .
Programming is also good if you need something to train your brain with. Besides, you'll have to read in English a lot. Or you could move from Windows to Linux on your PC, if you have one, as I did recently. Now I have to read a lot of manuals in English. :)
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#14

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acapnotic пишет: 27 апр 2020, 08:30 he has senile dementia
acapnotic пишет: 27 апр 2020, 08:30 After watching his decline for 5 years
what can I say, a sad story...
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#15

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acapnotic пишет: 27 апр 2020, 08:30 I'll be lucky if I live another 10 years.
You will have to live longer than 10 years, because it will probably take me longer to learn the language. You are the only one who responded to my message (selfish thoughts) :)
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#16

Сообщение tourist »

Beginner пишет: 09 апр 2020, 00:47 I don't know this word, when you have strong desire(?), when you see a cake and want to eat it..
the term is temptation )
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#17

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 30 апр 2020, 21:50 You will have to live longer than 10 years, because it will probably take me longer to learn the language. You are the only one who responded to my message (selfish thoughts) :)
Well, if only for that reason. :) But why do you think it'll take you so long? Is your willpower so weak? Some psychologists, though, say that willpower doesn't even exist, that it's a misconception.

I read just yesterday that determination is actually transformed aggression. A socially acceptable form for it. If you are aggressive by temperament, you must be a determined person, i.e. have a strong willpower. You may not even seem aggressive now if that trasformation went smoothly when you were a child.

But only about 5% of children are really aggressive. Probably they are the ones that grow into great leaders, saints, heroes, and the like. Or into famous criminals, if their socialization fails.

Perhaps they are the people who can learn a language to a native-like level in a couple of years. Because they set a goal and go to it through all obstacles. They are unstoppable.
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#18

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tourist пишет: 30 апр 2020, 22:26
Beginner пишет: 09 апр 2020, 00:47 I don't know this word, when you have strong desire(?), when you see a cake and want to eat it..
the term is temptation )
tourist пишет: 30 апр 2020, 22:26 Yes, that's the word I was thinking of. But I have unfortunately succumbed to the temptation.
the term is temptation )
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#19

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acapnotic пишет: 01 май 2020, 08:58 But why do you think it'll take you so long? Is your willpower so weak?
I meant that it will take more than 10 years to acquire the ability to speak English, since I don't speak a foreign language to anyone. It was half-serious.
About aggression. I didn't say I was aggressive. But perhaps there is truth in the fact that if the manifestation of activity and feelings of guilt are connected inside a person in childhood, it can lead to the suppression of feelings, lead to neurosis... .
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#20

Сообщение Beginner »

"Willpower", an interesting word. Not 'power of will', not 'will's power' but 'willpower'.
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#21

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 01 май 2020, 21:20 About aggression. I didn't say I was aggressive.
No, I didn't mean you had said that. It was just general speculation about something I had just read. Just like in Russian, in English the word 'you' doesn't always mean the person you are talking to. Usually the context makes it clear.
Beginner пишет: 01 май 2020, 21:20 But perhaps there is truth in the fact that if the manifestation of activity and feelings of guilt are connected inside a person in childhood, it can lead to the suppression of feelings, lead to neurosis... .
Probably so. One of the definitions of neurosis is alienation from self. Your real self is suppressed and you instead create an idealized image with which you identify. You live the life of that imaginary character rather than your own. Of course, there is no true satisfaction in such a life. Because you are actually a slave. Your life doesn't belong to you.
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#22

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acapnotic пишет: 04 май 2020, 19:29 is alienation from self
Exactly noticed. You seem to know a lot about psychology .
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#23

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner, not as much as I'd like to. Or need to, since I'm a neurotic myself. You need some kind of map, to get out of the maze. But also you need hope. However, if all you've ever known is that maze, it may be hard to believe there is something outside.
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#24

Сообщение Beginner »

You may not want to answer,but I will ask about dementia. How did you notice that your father has dementia? Did it happen unexpectedly, or did you recognize it from certain signs? Does the person understand what is happening to them? And how does the relationship between such a person and others change?
I assume that at the initial stage, there are just more conflicts.
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#25

Сообщение acapnotic »

No, it wasn't more conflicts. I think it depends on the person's character. My father isn't conflict prone. He is rather detached and self-contained, and his chief desire is not to be bothered. This attitude is not without flaws either, because I think it leads to trying to cope with problems by ignoring them.

I guess the first signs often go unnoticed. It's natural for a person so old to become more forgetful and less quick at figuring things out. But gradually it developed into a much more serious condition. Now it's hard for him to remember what happened just a few minutes ago or to understand simple statements like "It's raining outside". It may require me to say them several times for him to grasp the meaning.

Yes, he has sometimes expressed his understanding that his head is failing him. But no intention to do anything about that. Apparently he saw it as a natural and inevitable consequence of his age.
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