Search from various English teachers...
Profile
I am a retired high school science teacher living near Vancouver, BC. I like to play with many languages but I am trying to force myself to focus on learning some Spanish I will be using on a trip to Costa Rica early next year. Me gustaria capaz hablar un poco español. "¡Buenos Días!", "Gracias", "Yo quiero una horchata grande, por favor.", "¿Donde están los baños más cercanos?", etc. German, Mandarin & sometimes French distract me the most. Ich habe Hoffnungen ein Tag auf deutsch fließend zu werden, et peut-être même couramment le français - si je vis assez longtemps! Mandarin - NOT A HOPE, but it fascinates me anyway ( 我的女兒住在台北。) I do volunteer work helping immigrants, etc., learn English, currently through English Corner and online. I am a LiveMocha refugee. 8^)
Learning
German
Language Skills
EnglishNative
French
Chinese (Mandarin)
Spanish
Italian
Lesson Feedback
Lesson history
 Last monthLast 3 monthsAll time
Completed lessons000
Attendance rate100%100%100%
Teacher reviews
No record
Activities
  • Commented

    Great idea in any language!  I still recall

    Nous habite dans un sous marin vert,
    un sous marin vert,
    vert comme la mer …

    from French class 40 years ago

    (En Français c'est ne pay un sous marin "Jaune"!

     

    Oh, #2:  Singers sing slowly

    (Rule: ALWAYS tell these thing to "Lee":  "Singers sing slow, Lee"  8^)

    0 voted
    May 21, 2015
    0
  • Corrected

    你好!
    Since your English seems very good, I have written this up in a complete style (that is, not a style for a beginner)

    Erik has done a nice job so I won't "re-invent the wheel" (Idiom: "unnecessarily repeat what has been done already")

    .

    "pay" / "have been paying" Erik is right, however you could use "… have paid …" It's (it is) a simpler tense to use, but it's (it is) not as good as Erik's

    .

    "… attention to animal testing". , not "… attention to the animal testing". It's (it is) better to omit that "the"

    .

    its and it's
    I always double-check this one myself.
    Usually the apostrophe is used for a possessive before a final s (John's comment = 約翰的評論).
    It is also used for contractions (I'm John = I am John = 我是約翰)

    .

    But what about something like "its" ? It could go either way. "it's" could be 1) the contraction (= it is = 它是) OR 2) the possessive (belonging to it = 它的)
    *** When it could be either one, it is the contraction. it's = it is ***
    *** And, the possessive does NOT have an aprostrophe. its ***

    .

    While I'm on possessives and final s, let me give you a link: http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/apostrophes/apostrophes-with-words-ending-in-s/

    .

    There is a mistake that is getting more common in Canada and the US: It is to use an apostrophe for a plural. I saw a hand printed sign in a fruit market: "Apple's 75¢ each." It should be a simple plural: "Apples 75¢ each".

    .

    I hope this is useful and I hope that I have used "的" correctly because I know that I am not clear on its use in 普通話. "的" usually seem to follow the possessor (約翰的書) but sometimes it seems to precede the possessor I think. However, I can't think of an example.

    .

    祝您好運氣!

    0 voted
    May 6, 2015
    2
  • Corrected

    Physics

    I like physics. With help of physics, people know what is thelightning, thunder, light, and rain are. Why rivers freeze in winter, why ripe fruit falls* from the trees. Even the flight of a bird is a description of the physical process. Physics is a life, is a nature. So** I have entered the Faculty of Physics at EKSU.

     

    * This one can go either way.  It is correct to say "ripe fruit fall from trees" and it is correct to say "ripe fruit falls from trees".  In this second case, "fruit" is being used as a collective noun and this is the more common usage in my experience.

     

    To pursue this further gets rather messy as "fruit" can be singular, plural or collective.  To further complicate things, "fruits" is also used as a plural.  And then one can get into whether one is using "fruit" as a countable plural or not.  As the point of your Note is Physics and as I am a retired high school Physics teacher, not an English teacher, I suggest we leave it at that.  I am almost 'in over my head', as we say!  8^)

    Here are some links if you REALLY want to pursue it!

    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Collective+plural

    http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/singular-vs-plural/plurals-of-odd-words/   { search for "fruit", about half way down }

    http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=%2f2007%2f3%2f15%2flifefocus%2f17021531&sec=lifefocus

     

    ** "So" is correct but is rather casual.  "For that reason" or "Therefore" or even "Consequently" are also possibilites

    I like your view of Physics and its perspective on the world around us!  Oтлично!

    0 voted
    November 2, 2014
    0
  • Posted
    El perro, Izzy Esta tardes nosotros conseguir un perro pequeño (nombra "Izzy") durante tres dias. Espero ir a dar un paseo con el perro cada dia. En la foto: Mi esposa, Lynn y Izzy. Izzy es el perro de la hermana de mi esposa.
    November 2, 2014
    7
    0
  • Answered
    Interesting to see the answers! I had the sense that it is a Northern Dialect thing & this seems to be the case. . Like 男孩 - I learned it as "nánhái" but the northern pronunciation seems to be "nánhár". . But then you Aussies leave out "r"s and put them in in English already (我加拿大人 8^). Met a fantastic Aussie traveling Europe a few weeks ago; "Mac". No, after several days I decided his name was "Mark" My inlaws are Brits - same game! In Canada we pronounce the "r" in "Mark". . But then who am I to criticize? I STILL can't pronounce "日" as in "生日" ! LOL ! . BTW, I'm impressed with your 普通話 . I'm miles behind you; keep up the good work!
    0 voted
    November 1, 2014
    0
  • Corrected

    Festival*s*

    There are many traditional festival*s* in China/. Such/*, such* as the Spring festival, the Lantern festival,* *the Dragon boat festival, the Mid-autumn festival, the Double-ninth festival, etc. Of course the Spring festival is the most important one, just like the western /new year/*New Years Day*, the Christmas holiday. I like the atmosphere of new year in the street. The stores *are* decorated with neon lights and flowers, everywhere {ring with the happy song} [I am not sure what you mean here] *… rings …*. All the people seem to be friendly and pleasant.
    The Spring Festival is for family reunion*s*. Many people who are not living with their family in the same city [ Finish this thought.  Maybe { … city *can see their families*. }. In other words, /in/*during the* festival they have enough time to stay with their family. Usually we have 10 days for relaxing, so for some other people, they spend the festival holiday to travel.
    Nowadays, many Chinese young people prefer western festival*s to* /than/ Chinese traditional festival*s*. I don't think that is good. Every festival has its history and culture. We should have /a/*an* open /mindedness/*mind* to accept the western culture and then we also should preserve our traditional festival*s*.

    很多節!我不知道 龍舟節 或 雙九節。

    Your English is VERY good.  Watch out for plurals:  One festival, two festaval*s* !  I know this is not how Chinese think - that is why you have to be so careful!!
    For me, it is the opposite; I WANT to put an "s" on 節 that is, I WANT to write 節s I must say "No!" to myself. 
    可悲的是我只知道一點點普通話。
    再見

    0 voted
    October 31, 2014
    1
  • Posted
    Buenos dias los costarricenses! Temprano proxíma años, mi esposa y su hermano y su esposa y yo vamos a viajar a Costa Rica durante varias semanas. Me gustaría estudiar un poco español para hablar con los costarricenses. Yo no NECESITO hablar español lo sé, pero es divertido y muy ayuda. Si tu capaz me ayudar con español, te voy a ayudar con inglés. Perdona mi pobre español por favor - es por eso que necesito ayuda! Mi Inglés es MUCHO mejor! Estoy Canadiense, estoy jubilado y me gustan los idiomas! Hasta pronto! Written with a lot of help from señorita Translate Google 8^)
    October 31, 2014
    6
    0
  • Posted
    Time to switch! Back from Germany so German goes on the back burner and it's time to learn a little travel Spanish for a trip to Costa Rica a few months hence! Mi guesteria habla un poquito Español. Donde estan los baños muy cercanas? As you can seem I have a LOT of work ahead of me ...
    October 19, 2014
    0
    0
  • Corrected

    My new challenge

    I have great jop job. its It's { = it is } my dream jop job.
    and the only thing that can make me continue in this  jop job. ,
    it's is my ability to speak English very well.

    So my new challenge is, every day I want to talk (/speak) English with anyone who would love to talk with me.
    And, I also want to taking take a lessons online from this side site.

    https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0DlscK73tVAUHBFSVlPTjhTMlk&usp=sharing&tid=0B0DlscK73tVATERVRzlLbFdEWmM

    So, who's gonna do that this with me ?  (This last sentence is slang) or

    So, who is going to do this with me?

    0 voted
    July 1, 2014
    0
  • Corrected
    0 voted
    July 1, 2014
    0