Wow that Harry Potter shit is incredibly bullshit! Are kids these days really to retarded to know that a 'motorbike' and a 'motorcycle' are the same fucking thing? No Americans have ever hear 'cinema' before? Fuck! That's ridiculous.
Novels and learning English
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I think it depends on the age of the person. Is everyone a child here? I suggested another author because frankly, while a certain someone in my family may get excited everytime a new Harry Potter book appears, I don't.
Isn't it boring to follow everyone, to be a reading clone? What are your goals? Do you want to be yourself and a good speaker of English or are you trying to be the most boring person who speaks English in any given country, simply following the herd to the bookstore.
Even spies are not so boring, I think. No, I would not know...
Isn't it boring to follow everyone, to be a reading clone? What are your goals? Do you want to be yourself and a good speaker of English or are you trying to be the most boring person who speaks English in any given country, simply following the herd to the bookstore.
Even spies are not so boring, I think. No, I would not know...
K.T. who are you to say what's boring and what isn't? I'm sure most people WILL find it interesting, it's not like it isn't popular for a reason, and it is very popular among adults also. If you have 'alternative' tastes, good on you, that's great, but that just means if someone decides to read a book you recommend they're MORE likely to be bored than if they read Harry Potter, because your favourite books are less appealing to the majority (otherwise THEY would be the richest author in history, and not JK Rowling). It's a matter of statistics. And it's not just an English thing, these books have sold well all over the world, and have encouraged countless young people to learn English so they wouldn't ahve to wait for the translation. JK Rowling's service to the promotion of English has surely been greater than any Shakespeare or Mark Twain, or any English Academy (if there were one).
And besides it was recommended because it is written at an appropriate level for learners of English.
And besides it was recommended because it is written at an appropriate level for learners of English.
So I'm pretentious because I suggest something that isn't "magical" and has a different kind of vocabulary? Cornwall is popular too.
Say you are a business person who wants to improve his/her English, is Harry Potter the book you want to discuss during a business lunch? It may come up, that's true..."Do your children like Harry Potter or something like the Narnia books? I'm trying to get them to read more..."
I know adults read these books-secretly or not, lol.
I know that JK Rowling is popular, that Harry Potter is popular, but don't you just get sick of it all after a while and long for something different?
Say you are a business person who wants to improve his/her English, is Harry Potter the book you want to discuss during a business lunch? It may come up, that's true..."Do your children like Harry Potter or something like the Narnia books? I'm trying to get them to read more..."
I know adults read these books-secretly or not, lol.
I know that JK Rowling is popular, that Harry Potter is popular, but don't you just get sick of it all after a while and long for something different?
I agree with guest2, movie and radio drama scripts are fantastic to learn English.
You can combine them with the movies and the radio dramas they refer to in order to create an incredibly effective textual, audio and visual learning experience, a veritable multi-pronged attack on your proficiency shortcomings.
Scripts of radio drama, though, are mostly OTR ("Old-Time-Radio") stuff. It's material from a rather distant age, many decades ago, you know. So the language used in those broadcasts and their scripts is not that up-to-date. Having placed such caveat, I still recommend them to ESL learners, as they are nevertheless very useful anyway.
You can read movie and radio drama scripts for free online. There are several dedicated websites. You may want to perform a search in Google on "movie scripts" and "OTR scripts" to give them a look.
With happy Yuletide wishes,
Achab
You can combine them with the movies and the radio dramas they refer to in order to create an incredibly effective textual, audio and visual learning experience, a veritable multi-pronged attack on your proficiency shortcomings.
Scripts of radio drama, though, are mostly OTR ("Old-Time-Radio") stuff. It's material from a rather distant age, many decades ago, you know. So the language used in those broadcasts and their scripts is not that up-to-date. Having placed such caveat, I still recommend them to ESL learners, as they are nevertheless very useful anyway.
You can read movie and radio drama scripts for free online. There are several dedicated websites. You may want to perform a search in Google on "movie scripts" and "OTR scripts" to give them a look.
With happy Yuletide wishes,
Achab
Well, to be honest, I am not into reading scripts. I actually enjoy watching sitcoms/movies with Subtitles. Watching cartoons with subtitles is an area that I have not touched upon yet. I'd give it a shot, I guess!
I think our brain is tired of performing same tasks over and over again. I should vary my content so that no more bordeom sets in. My problem is that my source of input revolves around novels only. It is time for me to use a cornucopia of resources for improving my language proficiency. Also, my main problem is spoken so I think I should listen to radio a lot.
Thanks for your useful advice. Much appreciated.
I think our brain is tired of performing same tasks over and over again. I should vary my content so that no more bordeom sets in. My problem is that my source of input revolves around novels only. It is time for me to use a cornucopia of resources for improving my language proficiency. Also, my main problem is spoken so I think I should listen to radio a lot.
Thanks for your useful advice. Much appreciated.
I used "Harry Pottor" series as an example because they are recorded audiobooks as well. I can try listen-read method so that I can learn to pronounce each word correctly in the books. I can't say this for novels of other authors.
TommyHawk,
If you're into watching close-captioned movies and TV series, go ahead! I think it's the most effective strategy to learn English.
Listening to an audiobook is also A-OK, provided that you do it while checking its paper-and-ink version at the same.
It's hard to go wrong with methods that involve a more or less simultaneous multi-pronged approach to some "study" material, like a textual and audio approach, or like a textual, audio and visual approach.
By the way, why do you say that your input revolves around novels only at the moment? Watching close-captioned stuff *is* input, what else could that be?
With every good wish,
Achab
If you're into watching close-captioned movies and TV series, go ahead! I think it's the most effective strategy to learn English.
Listening to an audiobook is also A-OK, provided that you do it while checking its paper-and-ink version at the same.
It's hard to go wrong with methods that involve a more or less simultaneous multi-pronged approach to some "study" material, like a textual and audio approach, or like a textual, audio and visual approach.
By the way, why do you say that your input revolves around novels only at the moment? Watching close-captioned stuff *is* input, what else could that be?
With every good wish,
Achab
Achab - Input stems from movies is still input but I don't consider it meaningful input. I mean, I can't lecture or talk eloquently if my input is soley based on movies. I hardly learn decent words from watching them. I watch them for my own pleasure as a hobby. If I learn something in the process, then that's great!
TommyHawk,
I don't know about lecturing, but you can certainly learn to talk eloquently with close-captioned movies. After all, think about it: Aren't there some characters in this or that flick delivering eloquent and persuasive speech?
I regard close-captioned movies and TV shows as the cornerstone of a sound method to learn a foreign language.
Having said that, I agree that you should probably start reading novels.
Why focusing on a single strategy when you can build a veritable portfolio of learning tools? Just make sure that whenever you're to augment your learning algorithm with a new strategy it's an effective one that you're adding.
With every good wish,
Achab
I don't know about lecturing, but you can certainly learn to talk eloquently with close-captioned movies. After all, think about it: Aren't there some characters in this or that flick delivering eloquent and persuasive speech?
I regard close-captioned movies and TV shows as the cornerstone of a sound method to learn a foreign language.
Having said that, I agree that you should probably start reading novels.
Why focusing on a single strategy when you can build a veritable portfolio of learning tools? Just make sure that whenever you're to augment your learning algorithm with a new strategy it's an effective one that you're adding.
With every good wish,
Achab
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