# Hello!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250 "2014-10-03T04:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sharma2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@sharma2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharma2)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/1 "2014-10-03T04:44:09Z")
Hello I am sharma. My boss laugh at my study of the English. He say clients not understand of my responds. I work hard but I am 48 years and late enter to language. I ask of raise he say no! All people from training get raise one gets supervised job and me no! He show for me from three bad emails but others have a mistake to! I need the better english! Help 😃 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/2 "2014-10-03T05:00:31Z")
**Moderator Action** Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, **sharma**. The General Questions forum is for questions with factual answers. Post where you introduce yourself belong in our MPSIMS forum. I will move this thread for you. Moving thread from General Questions to Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS). ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/3 "2014-10-03T13:26:34Z")
Sharma, it sounds to me like you need to take some English as a Second Language classes. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/4 "2014-10-03T16:04:43Z")
Start watching some English TV shows, you’ll be both entertained and educated! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/5 "2014-10-03T16:13:01Z")
Welcome! Welcome! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/6 "2014-10-03T18:40:05Z")
Welcome to the SDMB. I always heard it recommended that you should watch American soap operas to learn English, but I don’t know if there are many of those left. Try news channels, too. Again, welcome! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/7 "2014-10-03T18:45:44Z")
**Welcome, sharma2** - Where do you live and what is your native language? StG ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/8 "2014-10-03T19:00:10Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > you should watch American soap operas to learn English. Try news channels, too. Soap operas are good for beginners. News is for more advanced students. In soap operas, each actor speaks one at a time, slowly, and in simple vocabulary, and with correct grammar…Very useful for beginners, such as someone who is still having trouble with verbs in third person singular present tense (“He say”). Also, in conversational language, there are natural pauses between sentences, which makes things easier for a beginner. In newscasts, the presenter reads texts much more quickly than normal conversation, with no pauses. (You’ve probably never noticed this if you watch the news in your native language…, but if you are a beginner, you’ll find news much more difficult to understand.) ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/9 "2014-10-03T19:02:09Z")
You are certainly way better at typing in English than I am at typing in any other language! I would see if you could find a class specializing in ESL (English as a Second Language) specifically for business. Learning the nuances of the language as a whole will certainly help, but there are some very specific things in terms of typing business letters and emails that would be difficult to learn otherwise. [This is a random example](http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/esl/) of an ESL class tailored for professional purposes, but you might be able to find one offered online or in your area. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/10 "2014-10-03T19:44:41Z")
Hi Sharma! Q: Did you Really kill Greg and bury him under a fruit tree in your parents backyard? Wait, that was Dharma. Nm. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/11 "2014-10-03T23:08:57Z")
Hello, sharma2, and I hope you feel welcome here. We’ll be happy to try to help however we can. Do you have access to a dictionary that includes \*\*\*both \*\*\*English -\> (your native language) AND (your native language) -\> English? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/12 "2014-10-03T23:50:55Z")
Hello Sharma! In learning Irish I have also found TV shows to be quite helpful. Another resource is audio books. (Many are available free of charge on youtube, or at [https://librivox.org/](https://librivox.org/) ) If you listen to them in the background as you are doing other things your brain will slowly begin to recognize what sentence structures “sound correct” and which do not. And yes, conversing on here will help too; please just keep in mind that we are not all terribly strict about our grammar. ---
**Author:** ![sharma2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@sharma2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharma2)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/13 "2014-10-04T22:52:10Z")
I read all the welcome! Thank you! Everyone are so nice with their writes for me. I do take the ESL class. I study Tuesday when finish work and Sunday in afternoon. My friend at the ESL tell me on straightdope. Hello Farida!! TV is very high money in Canada, but I watch on the youtube with practice. Can I ask question. Do you understand my writes? I work very hard but my boss laugh. Because my english bad. But one woman arrives 915 and one has food on desk! Thank you for the advises. I keep practice. I work hard and soon I will laugh not my boss. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/14 "2014-10-05T03:49:04Z")
**Sharma2** - I’m going to take your post above and rewrite it the way most Americans and Canadians would write it. See if you can tell the difference. > [@](#): > > I read all the welcome! Thank you! Everyone are so nice with their writes for me. > > I do take the ESL class. I study Tuesday when finish work and Sunday in afternoon. My friend at the ESL tell me on straightdope. Hello Farida!! > > TV is very high money in Canada, but I watch on the youtube with practice. > > Can I ask question. Do you understand my writes? I work very hard but my boss laugh. Because my english bad. But one woman arrives 915 and one has food on desk! > > Thank you for the advises. I keep practice. I work hard and soon I will laugh not my boss. > Reply With Quote My translation: I read all the welcomes! Thank you! Everyone is so nice in their posts to me. I take ESL classes (plural). I study Tuesday when I finish work and Sunday in the afternoon (or just “Sunday afternoon”) My friend at the ESL class told me about the Straightdope. Hello, Farida!! TV is very expensive in Canada, but I watch Youtube videos to practice. Can I ask a question? Do you understand what I write? (or “Do you understand my writing?”) I work very hard, but my boss laughs at me because my English is bad. But one woman arrives at 9:15 and one has food on her desk. (Are you saying that these people are violating work policy?) Thank you for the advice. I will keep practicing. I will work hard and soon I’ll be the one laughing, not my boss. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/15 "2014-10-05T12:27:02Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > **Sharma2** - I’m going to take your post above and rewrite it the way most Americans and Canadians would write it. See if you can tell the difference. > My translation: > > I read all the welcomes! Thank you! Everyone is so nice in their posts to me. > > I take ESL classes (plural). I study Tuesday when I finish work and Sunday in the afternoon (or just “Sunday afternoon”) My friend at the ESL class told me about the Straightdope. Hello, Farida!! > > TV is very expensive in Canada, but I watch Youtube videos to practice. > > Can I ask a question? Do you understand what I write? (or “Do you understand my writing?”) I work very hard, but my boss laughs at me because my English is bad. But one woman arrives at 9:15 and one has food on her desk. (Are you saying that these people are violating work policy?) > > Thank you for the advice. I will keep practicing. I will work hard and soon I’ll be the one laughing, not my boss. That was a very kind thing to do, **StGermain**. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/16 "2014-10-05T13:28:03Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > In newscasts, the presenter reads texts much more quickly than normal conversation, with no pauses. (You’ve probably never noticed this if you watch the news in your native language…, but if you are a beginner, you’ll find news much more difficult to understand.) I never noticed that before - but you are correct. They do. > [@](#): > > Can I ask question. Do you understand my writes? Yes, I can understand you fairly easily. Keep it up! In six months your boss will be coming to you for advice. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/17 "2014-10-05T16:03:19Z")
Another suggestion is watching the TV show “Wheel of Fortune.” A friend from Romania learned English from WoF and soap operas. She said that she learned the slang expressions that way. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello/700250/18 "2014-10-06T01:49:26Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > **Sharma2** - I’m going to take your post above and rewrite it the way most Americans and Canadians would write it. See if you can tell the difference. > My translation: > > I read all the welcomes! Thank you! Everyone is so nice in their posts to me. > > I take ESL classes (plural). I study Tuesday when I finish work and Sunday in the afternoon (or just “Sunday afternoon”) My friend at the ESL class told me about the Straightdope. Hello, Farida!! > > TV is very expensive in Canada, but I watch Youtube videos to practice. > > Can I ask a question? Do you understand what I write? (or “Do you understand my writing?”) I work very hard, but my boss laughs at me because my English is bad. But one woman arrives at 9:15 and one has food on her desk. (Are you saying that these people are violating work policy?) > > Thank you for the advice. I will keep practicing. I will work hard and soon I’ll be the one laughing, not my boss. > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > That was a very kind thing to do, **StGermain**. > mmm Agreed. Would it be within the guidelines of the SDMB to spontaneously turn this into a “Help **Sharma2** Improve His English Language Skills” project? I’d certainly be happy to participate. **Sharma2** , if you will reveal your first language to us, it might assist those who share that language in identifying certain habits of syntax and usage that may be impeding your progress. And welcome to the SDMB. 🙂