How to learn English?

[Floyd]

Lets place here info about our experience of learning English, what books, techniques we use, where to start from? It can help a lot of people.

[John_@M]

First of all, what level of english u mean?
Answer to this question and I'll tell u(if i would be able) what experience.

[Xman]

Dear Floyd whom will help these all if they need the information you mean in armenian language ? I think those who already knows english enough to read these posts, they dont need this topic, dont you think so ?
but in general i think the first step must begin inside of person, after it
one must work with dictionary.
but the best book for beginers is Murphy blue, or pink

[Obelix]

Originally Posted by Floyd

Lets place here info about our experience of learning English, what books, techniques we use, where to start from? It can help a lot of people.

I've never tried to "learn" english, however it is my firm belief, that to know english (and probably this applies to any other language) you should live in an english speaking society. People often cram themselves with books and stuff like that, but the result is always far from perfection.

[august]

Originally Posted by Obelix

I've never tried to "learn" english, however it is my firm belief, that to know english (and probably this applies to any other language) you should live in an english speaking society. People often cram themselves with books and stuff like that, but the result is always far from perfection.

You are right to a certain extent, but what if you lack this Englsih-speaking society? What if at this stage even talking to native speakers is impossible?

And believe my experience, the result is NOT always far from perfection when you study by books and is NOT always perfect when you learn the language by ear - hearing other people talk it and trying to reproduce their way of speaking.

The ideal way of learning the language is to combine both - grammar and books and real practice with native speakers. But, unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world

[Floyd]

Originally Posted by John_@M

First of all, what level of english u mean?
Answer to this question and I'll tell u(if i would be able) what experience.

Sure I'm about begginers and intermediate level!!! If person comes to this topic for info, he do a begginer, or on an intermediate level.
Besides I think it will help even visitors with advanced knowledge, if someone can provide useful info for them...
I myself use
Michael Vince "First certificate English" for grammar

B.J. Thomas "Intermediate vocabulary"
B.J. Thomas "Advanced Vocabulary And Idiom"
Stuart Redman "English Vocabulary In Use/pre-intermediate & intermediate"
Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell
"English Vocabulary In Use/upper-intermediate and advanced" for a grammar

[Floyd]

Originally Posted by Xman

Dear Floyd whom will help these all if they need the information you mean in armenian language ? I think those who already knows english enough to read these posts, they dont need this topic, dont you think so ?

Sure I'm not. What if they want to improve their english not only to view and understand these posts?
I myself came to my level only with help of the person who just gave me the right direction to go on(that includes books, ways of studying etc.).
I thought it will be useful here too.
What about Murphy, I completely agree with you...it's the right spot to start from if you are a begginer.

[Floyd]

Originally Posted by Obelix

I've never tried to "learn" english, however it is my firm belief, that to know english (and probably this applies to any other language) you should live in an english speaking society. People often cram themselves with books and stuff like that, but the result is always far from perfection.

Yes it is very useful to communicate with native speakers...but you have to have some basics...
Besides I'm sure many people here who masters English haven't learned it only from "living in an english speaking society".

[Obelix]

Originally Posted by august

You are right to a certain extent, but what if you lack this Englsih-speaking society? What if at this stage even talking to native speakers is impossible?

And believe my experience, the result is NOT always far from perfection when you study by books and is NOT always perfect when you learn the language by ear - hearing other people talk it and trying to reproduce their way of speaking.

The ideal way of learning the language is to combine both - grammar and books and real practice with native speakers. But, unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world

Of course learning solely by ear is not an answer. I would say it's more of a chance: some people are able to gain a lot from it, some people can get nothing.
I think it's because english is a very flexible language, that people learning it have a problem grasping this whole flexibility. Instead they focus on some particular grammar rules which at best insures that their speach is gramatically correct, but you can always spot that person by his manner of speech. I have had several english teachers tell me that a perfectly sound phrase is gramatically wrong, simply because they had never heard such a form.
It's now been some 14 years since I've left the states, and even now it takes me some time before I can regain my fluence in both written and oral language. )

[august]

Don't confuse grammar and spoken language Any English techer, of any nationality, would tell you that say the phrase "it's me" is grammatically wrong, which is true, because it is the formal subject of teh sentence which means the real subject of the sentence should be in nominative case. But everyone knows this phrase is normal - for the colloquial language.

I gather you were lucky to learn the language as a child, in a native speakers' community. When a grownup finds himself in a native speaking community, his chances of learning to speak the language properly - and not only to speak but also to write - are much fewer.

Anyway, I am absolutely positive - both as an English-speaking, as a former student of English and a former teacher of English - that studying grammar is a necessity for a foreigner, because grammar is the skeleton you build all the other skills on. And grammar is even more crucial for students after 12 - their lingustic skills are already shaped by their own native languages and you have to kinda fit another language into the picture

[Hrach_Techie]

play a bit guys here http://forum.armkb.com/showthread.ph...930#post335930 before opposing each other's views ... it should help you out with the intricacies of the English language

[_Harut_]

took after-school private classes in armenia for a year... lived in the us for 7 years...

[Nikita]

Bonk is the best.
Interesting


I think N.A.Bonk has written her book for USSR people.

[Floyd]

Originally Posted by accemic26

Bonk is the best.
http://www.multikulti.ru/Strategy/info/Strategy_info_221.html
I think N.A.Bonk has writed her book for USSR people.

I don't think so...it's very hard to study english with Bonk...I've tried it several times...it is so boring. It draws parallels between Russian and English grammar, and it's hard to digest for those who doesn't master the russian one.
And it's vocabulary is not so comprehensive...
It's only my opinion, based on my own experience

[derWolf]

This isn't my own experience, but nevertheless I'll tell you a story…
Seven years ago I was teaching English. A rich family hired me to help their 10 y.o. son. They wanted to transfer him to an English school (here in St.Petersburg), but he hadn't studied English before.
So he was declared as a beginner. Imagine my surprise, he could speak and understand English quite well! He was fond of the Beatles, and he used a full collection of their songs with texts as a primer. Perhaps, this case can help somebody.