Newcomer on the forum: hello!

[Euriell]

Hi there!
Pleased to join you on this forum. I've been looking for a place like this for ages, as I'm really eager to discuss with people in English on any subject, in order to keep my English alive
I studied English and I spent a year in England a looong time ago now! I have family in London (my sister) and in Ireland (my father).
I used to learn German and Italian at school, but I'm pretty bad at both now I guess, and I must say I'm more interested in speaking English.

I'm keen on reading (I love John Irving, my favourite author!), dancing and acting. I often run and hike as well! Of course, I love speaking English, practising, just listening and learning!
I just happened to find this forum by chance, and I'm very happy to have been that lucky, as I had been looking for such a community for such a long time!

So see you around here!

[MurielB]

Welcome Euriell I am looking forward to exchanging with you.

[gerardM]

Welcome Euriell

Thanks for your words.
As for me, I do love American language and paused learning Italian, German, etc. to spend more time with Am En.

> I've been looking for a place like this for ages
That's it, here you are and I'm very happy to have the opportunity to discuss an any subject.

[Euriell]

Thx a lot Gérard and Muriel!

I tend to have more a British English profile, simply because that's where I've spent more time. When I was a student, I spent a year in England, it was more simple and also cheaper...But then, as we all know, now we're flooded with American TV series and movies, so I guess as lots of people I've got a kinda mixed English. (And when I studied English at university, we were all really into Friends series...)

And as I've suscribed to TIME and my favourite author is John Irving, I guess I'm just mixing the two kinds of English all the time!

Nice to be round here anyway, and I'd gladly learn some more Am. E!

Cheers!

[gerardM]

Hi Euriell,

> I've got a kinda mixed English
That's what I want to avoid.
Okay to speak British English when I'm with Brit friends but I want to be aware of it and not have a mixture.

> now we're flooded with American TV series and movies
Yeah but there was also a period of British singers...

Now young Brits speak what they call mid-Atlantic English and seniors in England are horrified

> I'd gladly learn some more Am. E!
There're oodles of differences in vocabulary, grammar, culture, pronunciation; moreover there're tricky words existing both sides but with completely different meanings.

I never put a foot in the UK and won't probably do, for several reasons.
Unknown members of my family are in the States and I've many friends there.
I subscribed to The National Geographic -Am version...

[Euriell]

Food for thoughts in your answer

> I've got a kinda mixed English
That's what I want to avoid.
Okay to speak British English when I'm with Brit friends but I want to be aware of it and not have a mixture.

>>>>Well, I'm really aware of it, be it when I use different vocabulary or whenever I can have small changes in pronunciation. But anyway, I think it's part of the game, languages are endlessly moving, changing. For instance now, in British English when they use the comparative, there are stricter rules than in Am. E. where you can (in oral language) do as you wish (at least people do). They will say cuter or more cute for instance, simplifying the grammar rule. So some Brits could say there is a loss. However, while reading Charles Dickens, I noticed that he did just the same. And he can be relied on as far as mastering Brit. E. is concerned!


> now we're flooded with American TV series and movies
Yeah but there was also a period of British singers...

>>>And also pretty good tv series, very funny and humourous, as only Brits can do (making fun of themselves like crazy!). I love Little Britain for instance. I really prefer the British accent though. I should say British accentS.

Now young Brits speak what they call mid-Atlantic English and seniors in England are horrified

>>>I know my brothers and sisters live in Ireland, and it's often quite horrible

> I'd gladly learn some more Am. E!
There're oodles of differences in vocabulary, grammar, culture, pronunciation; moreover there're tricky words existing both sides but with completely different meanings.

>>>I remember an American language assistant at school. When I once used the word "jumper" in the British way (=sweater), she said it was not that, it was not true, because for her a jumper was a pinafore dress. Even when I showed her in the dictionary, she was still suspicious. She really had no idea there could be any other way than hers
A teacher at university once told us that the American way of speaking (orallyà would probably be closer to old english, I mean English spoken a long time ago. I don't know whether it's true. We'll probably never know until we build up a time machine!

I never put a foot in the UK and won't probably do, for several reasons.
Unknown members of my family are in the States and I've many friends there.
I subscribed to The National Geographic -Am version...[/quote]

I also have family in New Jersey, but I've never met them. My grandmother was from a small village in Brittany (Gourin), where a lot of people immigrated at the turn of the 20th century. So her sister went there and settled down.

Do you enjoy the National Geographic? It must be quite interesting, with nice pictures. I quite like Time: there are lots of interesting articles.

[gerardM]

> They will say cuter or more cute

This is not a similar case but it makes me think of something else...
My Australian friend often uses "betterer" as an adverb/adjective to still emphasize (our French "plus mieux").
I met other people using this.
Dictionaries have an entry: "Often used when trying to trump someones (sic) belief that one thing is better than another."
I even met "more betterer"
NB: "betterer" does exist as a noun: "A person who or thing which makes something better; an improver" (Oxford dictionary).

> I remember an American language assistant at school. When I once used the word "jumper" in the British way (=sweater), she said it was not that

Clothes are a domain for which words are very different b/w Am and Br En, even tricky for example with "pants".
Other examples are in "modern" domains "created"/"developped" after US independence (as if there were no links between both sides of the Pond): clothes, crops, car parts, fuels, roads, etc.
... an English employee just arrived in the States asked her colleagues: "Could anyone please hand me a rubber?" - all of the Americans around put their noses down into their work...

> She really had no idea there could be any other way than hers
How many people in the UK? How many in the US? Do you care much about weird use of words in Senegal sometimes?

> A teacher at university once told us ... English spoken a long time ago. I don't know whether it's true.
I'm dubious.
This is an explanation of the differences in French between Quebec and France but IMHO not between American and British English.

> I also have family in New Jersey, but I've never met them.
LOL your "I've never met them" makes me frown; Americans use the past.

> Do you enjoy the National Geographic? It must be quite interesting, with nice pictures.
God yes!
I spend much time on forums and social networks. After so many mistakes in the words (yes I know, "people rule"), I like to read very good American: there I can meet oodles of words I don't even know. I'm used to underlining the words I have to check -whether I never met or I suspect there're meanings I don't master- and my pages are grayed (Am spelling) out.
Pictures are wonderful, articles are interesting, English level is wonderful and... my first subscription was a gift of a very appreciated American teacher.

> I quite like Time: there are lots of interesting articles.
Yes but I consider Time an anti-French magazine.

[Euriell]

... an English employee just arrived in the States asked her colleagues: "Could anyone please hand me a rubber?" - all of the Americans around put their noses down into their work...

>>>I like that one

> She really had no idea there could be any other way than hers
How many people in the UK? How many in the US? Do you care much about weird use of words in Senegal sometimes?
>>>I don't know about Senegal, but I love to learn new French words from different regions or countries (Do you know the animated series "Têtes à claques" from Quebec? It's really nice with very different expressions. Really nice). Same with Belgium: I had an epic dinner with a Belgian colleague, LMFAO....



> I also have family in New Jersey, but I've never met them.
LOL your "I've never met them" makes me frown; Americans use the past.
>>>>Yeah, I know. In Brit. E. they consider you're talking about your experience, not about something really dated (which is impossible since I've never been there!)
BTW: In England, they sell T-shirts saying "been there, done that, got the T-shirt!"...I guess they don't have them in the US then

> Do you enjoy the National Geographic? It must be quite interesting, with nice pictures.
God yes!
I spend much time on forums and social networks. After so many mistakes in the words (yes I know, "people rule"), I like to read very good American: there I can meet oodles of words I don't even know. I'm used to underlining the words I have to check -whether I never met or I suspect there're meanings I don't master- and my pages are grayed (Am spelling) out.
Pictures are wonderful, articles are interesting, English level is wonderful and... my first subscription was a gift of a very appreciated American teacher.

> I quite like Time: there are lots of interesting articles.
Yes but I consider Time an anti-French magazine.[/quote]

I'm okay with that In fact, since Mr Marcron has been elected, they've been quite cordial. I mean, they are really anti-Trump, so....They go for the nice French guy with the nice smile!

Just to go on, I think in fact what is fantastic is really the power of English: oodles of people speak English so you can communicate with so many people! That's so great. (I like the "oodles" expression, sounds just funny!!!). Brit. E or AM. E. I think both sound just wonderful. Have you noticed how nice English sounds? It's so musical. Whenever I go to England and I come back to France, I find French as hard as German or Polish. It sounds more, I don't know, aggressive? ...

PS: I had a friend called Fanny, she was devastated when she learnt the meaning of her name in the US. And she was gutted (Brit slang= really disgusted) when she found out the meaning in the UK

[MurielB]

I also have family in New Jersey, but I've never met them.
LOL your "I've never met them" makes me frown; Americans use the past.
>>>>Yeah, I know. In Brit. E. they consider you're talking about your experience, not about something really dated (which is impossible since I've never been there!)
BTW: In England, they sell T-shirts saying "been there, done that, got the T-shirt!"...I guess they don't have them in the US then

I Euriell I have also learnt the British present perfect which is a link between present and past. I know that the Americans use the past instead. Anyway it seems weird for me.

[MurielB]

I had a friend called Fanny, she was devastated when she learnt the meaning of her name in the US. And she was gutted (Brit slang= really disgusted) when she found out the meaning in the UK

My daughter's name is also Fanny but when she is in the US or the UK she calls herself "Stephanie". A good tip for your friend isn't it ?

[gerardM]

Hi Euriell,

...
Just to go on, I think in fact what is fantastic is really the power of English: oodles of people speak English so you can communicate with so many people! That's so great. (I like the "oodles" expression, sounds just funny!!!). Brit. E or AM. E. I think both sound just wonderful. Have you noticed how nice English sounds? It's so musical. Whenever I go to England and I come back to France, I find French as hard as German or Polish. It sounds more, I don't know, aggressive? ...

I do prefer the music of Italian.

"Oodles" is a sacred word I love. I had an American lover, Carole; at the same time I was taking individual lessons with Norma, my American teacher (you can understand why ). Carole liked this word very much and as I asked about it, she told me to use it with Norma: effectively, Norma was surprised and asked me where I learned this word.
"Oodles" is used in America with the definition: "informal - very large amounts".
"Oodles" is not much used in the UK, defined as "old-fashioned informal - a very large amount of something pleasant".
Said by the Oxford dictionary - "Origin: Mid 19th century (originally US): of unknown origin."

PS: I had a friend called Fanny, she was devastated when she learnt the meaning of her name in the US. And she was gutted (Brit slang= really disgusted) when she found out the meaning in the UK

I understand your friend could be devastated.
Good idea for Muriel's daughter.

[Euriell]

Hi Euriell,

I do prefer the music of Italian.

> When I lived in England, one of my roommates was from South-Tyrol, this part of Italy that was once part of the Autro-Hungarian Empire. So she was learning English in England. She used to live near Carcassone so she spoke French with a Southern accent. And of course she spoke German and Italian. The German she spoke was very harsh. So she would tell me "German is for everyday life, work, business, and Italian is for love". I studied it for two years and it's true that it is a very smooth language.

"Oodles" is a sacred word I love. I had an American lover, Carole; at the same time I was taking individual lessons with Norma, my American teacher (you can understand why ). Carole liked this word very much and as I asked about it, she told me to use it with Norma: effectively, Norma was surprised and asked me where I learned this word.
"Oodles" is used in America with the definition: "informal - very large amounts".
"Oodles" is not much used in the UK, defined as "old-fashioned informal - a very large amount of something pleasant".
Said by the Oxford dictionary - "Origin: Mid 19th century (originally US): of unknown origin."

Thanks a lot for the historical and personal explanation Gérard I'm a book addict. I love reading so much, so I'm obsessed with words. Some of them are so beautiful. I like the ones like oodles that have a music of their own, even when they're not spoken but only written.

PS: I had a friend called Fanny, she was devastated when she learnt the meaning of her name in the US. And she was gutted (Brit slang= really disgusted) when she found out the meaning in the UK

I understand your friend could be devastated.
Good idea for Muriel's daughter.

Yes, Muriel, good idea indeed! Except that my friend was really, plain Fanny For me it was the opposite because I had a very bad family name (so I married very young to get rid of it )) but in England, it wasn't a problem anymore!

[MurielB]

Hi Euriell
when you don't like your family name, you can change it can't you ? You don't have to get married early. When i was a student i had a friend whose married name was  Poubelle. I lost sight of her and when I came across her again, she was Mrs Pouvelle. which a lot better.