My relationship with English First, I want to talk about my relationship with English. Our acquaintance took place still at school, and all at once did not go very well. We studied according to some k

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Elena

My relationship with English First, I want to talk about my relationship with English. Our acquaintance took place still at school, and all at once did not go very well. We studied according to some kind of experimental program, when language learning begins not with the alphabet and reading rules, but with memorizing words, and it was not allowed to write down transcription and translation. As a result I could not learn to read in English for a long time. English was always my second foreign language. The first and favorite was French. You know, how a second language is taught, even in language universities. The teachers change frequently, and mostly they're not the best. The role of the teacher is certainly very important. For example, I was very lucky with the French teachers. And I had a very good English teacher in my first year. But as for me, I did not strain too much. For some reason I have never loved English very much and I don't exert myself by studying it. I think this is partially due to America's omnipresent influence and the constant presence of English in our lives. I was driven by a feeling of contradiction. Everyone says that English is essential for work, travel and life in the modern world. But I tried to learn at least a little the language of the country I am going to, than to tighten up English. After graduation I worked as a French teacher for several years. When I changed jobs, I didn't give up French. Besides, I began to independently learn Italian and Spanish. But I completely abandoned English. I hadn’t studied English for so many years that I already thought that I had completely forgotten it. But now when I started learning English again, I realized that I remember a lot, everything just went into passive, the vocabulary is not active. It's especially difficult for me to speak English. So, after a long time, when it was necessary to choose a language for language practice, I did not choose French, or Italian, or some other language, it was English that I wanted to study. I returned to it as to a good friend. And I regret now that I neglected him for so long.

Corrections · 14

My relationship with English

First, I want to talk about my relationship with English. We first became acquainted while I was still at school, and immediately things did not go very well. We studied according to some kind of experimental program, when language learning begins not with the alphabet and reading rules, but with memorizing words, and we were not allowed to write down transcription and translation. As a result I did not learn to read in English for a long time.

English doesn't really have that usage for "acquaintance". You could use: "Our acquaintanceship started ", or "our relationship started", or more prosaically "we first met", though I have suggested "We first became acquainted" because I think this stays quite close to you wording and works well.

I feel we need the "while I was"; I know this is implicit in your wording, but in English this is better made explicit I think.

For your "all at once", I feel that "immediately" is worth considering. But I may be misunderstanding. In my version, an alternative would be "From the very beginning things did not ..." If your meaning is that things went OK, and then there was a sudden incident when they started to go badly (which is what I think your wording might mean) then we would have to rethink.

Because I have suggested changing the structure of your subject, then I need to add the "things" as to introduce "did not go well". If you were to choose "Our acquaintanceship began .. " you could leave out the "things". So you might choose: "Our acquaintanceship began while I was still at school, and immediately did not go very well. "

There is no grammar issue with "it was not allowed", but I feel "we were not allowed" is a more natural choiice.

"I've suggested changing "could" to "did" since I think this is clearer; the many possible meanings of "could" were not helpful here. You could choose "I was not able to learn to read ..." if you prefer.

English was always my second foreign language. My first and favourite was French. You know how a second language is taught, even in language universities. The teachers change frequently, and mostly they're not the best. The role of the teacher is certainly very important. For example, I was very lucky with my French teachers. And I had a very good English teacher in my first year.

I've suggested "my" for "the" a couple of times here just for style: there is no error in your version. You don't want the comma after "You know".

But as for me, I did not strain too much. For some reason I have never loved English very much and I don't exert myself by studying it. I think this is partially due to America's omnipresent influence and the constant presence of English in our lives. I was driven by a feeling of contradiction. Everyone says that English is essential for work, travel and life in the modern world.

There are no errors here. "Try too hard" is a possible alternative for "strain too much". You might consider a "when" for "by" in "I don't exert myself when studying it."

"Partially" is fine; often people would use "partly" but your choice is attractive.

But this next sentence is tricky.

But I tried to learn at least a little the language of the country that I am going to, rather than to tighten up my English.

This introduces a new story element - you are going to France, and I think it helps with flow here to add the "that", although as you know it is not strictly necessary. Similarly I have suggested adding the "rather" to bring out that this was and is a conscious choice of focus on your part.

After graduation I worked as a French teacher for several years. When I changed jobs, I didn't give up French. In addition, I began to learn Italian and Spanish on my own. But I completely abandoned English.

I don't think you really want "besides"; my impression is that your meaning is more "In addition .." I've suggested switching from "independently" to "on my own", though your version is not an error and this is not important. I prefer the adverb position at the end in this usage, though - and this has the additional benefit of taking away your not-wrong (but disliked by some grammarians) "split infinitive" - the positioning of the adverb between the "to" and the "learn."

I hadn’t studied English for so many years that I already thought that I had completely forgotten it. But as I started studying it again, I realized that I remembered a lot. Everything had just gone into passive memory; the vocabulary was not available to me for active use. It's especially difficult for me to speak English.

Again you had no errors. I've suggested what I think are slight style improvements - to give both better flow and I think, better clarity. But do ignore any suggestion that you don't like, of course.

So, after a long time, when it was necessary to choose a language for language practice, I did not choose French, or Italian, or some other language. It was English that I wanted to study. I returned to it as to a good friend. And I regret now that I neglected it for so long.

Very sweet. I hope your renewed love affair goes better than the first time around; sometimes things happen that way :) I feel you do need the new sentence after "language", but you could replace that with a semicolon if you like. In English we don't really give a gender to languages, so "it" is better than "him" - though "him" does have a certain charm!

https://www.lexico.com/grammar/split-infinitives

Apology and update

What was I thinking? I can only apologise.

"Acquaintance" in the two senses of 'a relationship less close than friendship' and of 'the circle of a person's acquaintance' is of course staple usage for the wonderful (if late eighteenth century, and a little more formal than much modern English writing) Jane Austen.

Jane Austen's novels, although few, are extremely influential still today among writers of certain kinds of literary fiction. And this, in my opinion, is far from a bad thing: sharp wit, acute insight into character and relationships and an elegance of style are hardly failings.

It is my belief that, today, 'acquaintance' is used more with the sense of a specific person - "he is an acquaintance" - but that the other usages remains valid. 'Acquaintance' in those other meanings does, I think, flirt with the almost-archaic - but. in Jane Austen style, it does so most attractively.

Incidentally, Austen has the distinction (alongside Shakespeare) of having inspired one of Hollywood's most successful (and funniest) teen comedies. The film Clueless is (loosely) based on her Emma, as 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming of the Shrew.

And Austen's jewel, Pride and Prejudice, is one of the novels that have been adapted very many times for the screen.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200716-how-clueless-transformed-the-movie-makeover

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Things_I_Hate_About_You

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65922/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-pride-and-prejudice

My relationship with English

First, I want to talk about my relationship with English. Our acquaintance took place while I was still at school, and did not go very well. We studied according to some kind of experimental program, where language learning begins not with the alphabet and reading rules, but with memorizing words, and it was not allowed to write down transcription and translation. As a result I did not learn to read in English for a long time.

English was always my second foreign language. The first and favorite was French. You know how a second language is taught, even in language universities - the teachers change frequently, and mostly they're not the best. The role of the teacher is certainly very important. For example, I was very lucky with the French teachers. I also had a very good English teacher in my first year.

But as for me, I did not strain too much. For some reason I have never loved English very much and I don't exert myself in studying it. I think this is partially due to America's omnipresent influence and the constant presence of English in our lives. I was driven by a feeling of contradiction. Everyone says that English is essential for work, travel and life in the modern world. But I rather tried to learn at least a little of the language of the country I am going to, than to tighten up my English.

After graduation I worked as a French teacher for several years. When I changed jobs, I didn't give up French. I began to independently learn Italian and Spanish. But I completely abandoned English.

I hadn’t studied English for so many years that I thought that I had completely forgotten it. But now when I started learning English again, I realized that I remember a lot, everything just went into passive, the vocabulary is not active. It's especially difficult for me to speak English.

So, after a long time, when it was necessary to choose a language for language practice, I did not choose French, or Italian, or some other language, it was English that I wanted to study. I returned to it as to a good friend. I regret now that I neglected him for so long.

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