Hi..I would like to improve my English, but I don't know what to write and with whom I want to speak. So I think how if I share something that I had read. I don't have many friends because I quite shy person, and I don't know how to make friends.So bought a book recommended by someone. I just want to share the gist from the book especially for those who face same problem as me.The title of this book is ' How to win friends and influence people' by Dale Carnegie. I think this book is worth to read especially for those who involve in business or to make friends. Even though quite tired looking dictionary at last I finished the book. Here I summarized one part from this book, that is "six ways to make people like you" :principle 1 - become genuinely interested in other peopleprinciple 2 - smile :)principle 3 - remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.principle 4 - be a good listener. encourage others to talk about themselves.principle 5 - talk in terms of other person's interests.principle 6 - make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.So far I think, I just used principle 1,2 and 4 :), I have problem in principle 3. I hard to remember a person's name and their face :(If you have anything to add or to share, feel free to do so. Just forgive me for my grammatical errors and my sentence structure if i used them wrongly.
thanks sara and jose. During my primary school, English was teaching as a subject, so i was learning grammar first for very unfamiliar language at that time. I really phobia at this language, I can't speak even single word.And also i still don't understand the basic grammar. But when I grown up, I realize that this language is very important. Now gradually, i start to read, to speak in English. I feel enjoy now learning english compare during my schooling days. Even though my english still not very good but i can feel the improvement.
For most of the no native english speakers one of the biggest problems is to speak, that's because we have not the oppotunity to speak with native English speakers, so we do not develope our speaking.
Some say that you can learn to speak English watching pictures and listening much English and that grammar is not important, but when you do an exam grammar is important at any level, other problem is that the English spoken in pictures, songs and in the street, has so little with the English you learn in the classrooms and the English you need in exams.
Hello dear zaizura .thanks for your comment.
As the it says through English stories, articles, conversations, movies, and novels you can learn the grammar rules subconsciously. You know ,
naturally, children begin listening to their parents when they are babies. They are
often greeted, spoken to and admired without any response expected. Though nobody knows if the baby understands the spoken words, the process continues. Children automatically acquire such language over some time, and later on gradually produce it through actual experience. The production may be incomplete at first, but successful at last .So when you read for example, an English story you don't think about the grammar really. Sometimes it's difficult to learn the language directly, but by reading English text or watching English movies more and more you learn it, It will feel automatic
Dear Zaizura (lovely name :-)
I am terrible with names, too, and getting older this is not getting any better. Something that helps me is the old thing: try to use the name three times at least when you speak to the person, like "nice to meet you Zaizura" "is this the right way to pronounce your name Zaizura?" (when it is a name that I am not so familiar with) and later something like "have you read another book by Dale Carnegie, Zaizura?"
By the way, it is a fairly old book but it is still as true as ever.
I too have to remind myself of principles 5 and 6 regularly ...but I have a friend who starts sooo many sentences with "what I like about you Ruth is....." or " I admire you for". And I have to admit, WE DO LOVE to hear sentences like those, I shall now go and tell my husband "what I like about him" ...haven't done it recently ..always works a treat, though.
I would be glad to exchange emails with you Zaizura....kind regards
Ruth
Comments
Some say that you can learn to speak English watching pictures and listening much English and that grammar is not important, but when you do an exam grammar is important at any level, other problem is that the English spoken in pictures, songs and in the street, has so little with the English you learn in the classrooms and the English you need in exams.
As the it says through English stories, articles, conversations, movies, and novels you can learn the grammar rules subconsciously. You know ,
naturally, children begin listening to their parents when they are babies. They are
often greeted, spoken to and admired without any response expected. Though nobody knows if the baby understands the spoken words, the process continues. Children automatically acquire such language over some time, and later on gradually produce it through actual experience. The production may be incomplete at first, but successful at last .So when you read for example, an English story you don't think about the grammar really. Sometimes it's difficult to learn the language directly, but by reading English text or watching English movies more and more you learn it, It will feel automatic
http://my.opera.com/tdjmd/blog/show.dml/3138642
I am here, and thanks for drop by my blog. I glad to hear any comments/sharing from you.
I am terrible with names, too, and getting older this is not getting any better. Something that helps me is the old thing: try to use the name three times at least when you speak to the person, like "nice to meet you Zaizura" "is this the right way to pronounce your name Zaizura?" (when it is a name that I am not so familiar with) and later something like "have you read another book by Dale Carnegie, Zaizura?"
By the way, it is a fairly old book but it is still as true as ever.
I too have to remind myself of principles 5 and 6 regularly ...but I have a friend who starts sooo many sentences with "what I like about you Ruth is....." or " I admire you for". And I have to admit, WE DO LOVE to hear sentences like those, I shall now go and tell my husband "what I like about him" ...haven't done it recently ..always works a treat, though.
I would be glad to exchange emails with you Zaizura....kind regards
Ruth