How can English instruction of native speakers better improve their fluency in formal, written English?
-
Inspired by comment discussion from , I'm attempting to ask the question I think its original, anon, asker really wanted addressed. I am fluent in both spoken and formal written English, but I only came to my full fluency in the latter after studying non-English languages (Latin and Homeric Greek) in high school. There were numerous aspects of grammar, like how verbs work, or the distinctions between the MANY words English has that are verbally identical but actually separate words*, that only made sense to me after my Latin teacher had to explain how to do something in Latin by picking apart English and showing me how we ALREADY, instinctually, did it in our native language. I know many, many fluent language-loving English speakers whose experience is similar to mine: formal English instruction in their grade school, high school, and college lives simply never picked apart and explained their instinctive, natively-fluent intuitions about the language, which leads to characteristic errors in use of the written language. Has English instruction changed? Did people who went to school before, say, WWII, understand their native language better than I did, and if so, why? I know teaching Latin and French used to be commonplace in elementary-school students (of a certain social class), which is one way to get around the blind spot in English instruction. Why is the first rule of English class in the US, to paraphrase the movie Fight Club, "We don't talk about the English language?" Instead teachers assume you know what you're doing and then make apparently disconnected criticisms of your writing (instead of explaining the underlying rules that connect them all up and make it make sense). --- * your/you're, all the meanings of set -- we have a LOT of homophones with radically separate etymological histories.
-
Answer:
My suggestion: read more good books. HINT: Twilight is not a good book.
Barry Purcell at Quora Visit the source
Related Q & A:
- How can I keep track of receipts better?Best solution by Quora
- How can I make my YouTube Profile better?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- How can you make your BMX look better?Best solution by wikihow.com
- How can we mount surround sound speakers on the wall?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- How can I make my G6 look better?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
Just Added Q & A:
- How many active mobile subscribers are there in China?Best solution by Quora
- How to find the right vacation?Best solution by bookit.com
- How To Make Your Own Primer?Best solution by thekrazycouponlady.com
- How do you get the domain & range?Best solution by ChaCha
- How do you open pop up blockers?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.
-
Got an issue and looking for advice?
-
Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.
-
Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.
Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.