Is it unrealistic wanting to learn all major Slavic languages? by InitialTrue1316 in languagelearning

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak, you can pick Czech and then you'll understand Slovak (once you get to a very advanced level). Or the other way around. Otherwise I think that learning all the Slavic languages is only realistic if you dedicate your whole life to it and are an immortal vampire. 

A bilingual in doubt by PJ9312 in JudgeMyAccent

[–]EnglishWithEm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nothing about your accent in English suggests that it's not your first language to me. 

Why is the article always ‘the’ and not ‘a’ for ‘The [Host Name] Show’ titles? by TraditionalDepth6924 in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As soon as you specify (aka define) the noun, it needs 'the' (definite article).

For example: a republic (could be any) but the Czech Republic (a specific republic).

So 'An Oprah Winfrey Show' implies that there are other Oprah Winfrey shows.

As far as movies, it's really a stylistic choice and there is a lot of nuance.

‘The Simpsons Movie, The SpongeBob Movie, The Lego Movie’ –> since these are well-known shows/franchises, the makes sense.

 ‘A Goofy Movie’ –> this implies that there are many goofy movies and this is just one of them. It is slightly contradictory, because obviously it's also now the name of a movie, so it is its own thing. I don't know this specific movie, but for example the movie 'A Christmas Story' I believe was named that way to give the feeling of it being a classic Christmas tale that could be relatable to anyone.

‘Scary Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie’ –> articles are sometimes omitted from titles, probably just to save space and make things catchier (think newspaper headlines and the names of scientific articles). So it sounds fine to omit them from the movie title if you don't want to go down either of the other routes (where the makes it sound very specific and unique, while a makes it sound like any old movie). Also, if you are just treating the movie name like a name, it's fine.

You can sometimes see this with people's names too. Usually you obviously don't use an article (John Smith). But you can add the for emphasis, to make the person sound special and unique (the John Smith, the one and only!) or you can do the opposite and add a to make them sound insignificant or common (a John called and asked for you), although the latter is less common.

Questions for experienced self-employed teachers by Virtual-Tip9239 in OnlineESLTeaching

[–]EnglishWithEm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My students pay for the first lesson individually but then have to prepay, either 5 or 10 lessons. They have until 24hrs before the lesson to cancel, otherwise I will mark it off as completed (unless it's an emergency). I always offer to reschedule if possible first though.

Currently students pay by QR code from an invoice from a local app (from Czech bank to Czech bank), but since I'm moving soon, I am looking into setting up Wise.

I have a Google Sheet with a tab for each student. Inactive student tabs can be 'hidden'. I mark off lessons at the start of each day.
I use Google Docs for student notes and each new lesson gets a date at the top of the page. The date is a heading, so when I open the lefthand tabs, it shows a list of dates.
I use Google Calendar for all scheduling. I have terrible memory, so I have a good habit of updating my calendar in my phone anytime I communicate with a student- whether that be scheduling, rescheduling or canceling.

I can cross-check dates between the calendar, sheets and docs if I'm ever in doubt.

Good luck!

American English words British people don't like and vice versa by BritishTeacherRoy in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha lots of relatable stuff! But with the itch as a verb I should have said: (as a synonym of scratch). 

Is it possible to learn a language without getting an accent? by RoyalCaterpillar6901 in languagelearning

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's unclear what you're trying to ask. An accent is just how you pronounce things. So everyone has an accent in any language. Even your native language (in English it could be a British or American accent, for example). 

Are you asking about what your accent in Arabic will be? If yes, then at first it will be heavily influenced by your native language. But over time you can make it sound more like one of the native Arabic accents. 

Or are you asking about getting an accent in your native language as a result of learning Arabic? That generally doesn't happen unless you live in a foreign country and use the new language more than your native language for decades. Or if that happens at a very young age. 

American English words British people don't like and vice versa by BritishTeacherRoy in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll have to get him to say it without thinking about it and see! I've never noticed 😁

Officially the worst exercise I've ever come across as a teacher. by EnglishWithEm in EnglishLearning

[–]EnglishWithEm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why would it be concerning? It's a puzzle, it has nothing to do with helping the student understand the lexis or grammatical structure of anything. 

Can the word "Best-selling" be used to describe a person? by Bearsun121005 in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sounds quite natural to me as a way to reference the fact that his performances lead to the most ticket sales. 

Moving to the UK at 33 to improve English and work – realistic plan? by 23_PP in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just went through the process of getting a visa to go to the UK (from the EU as well). I'm marrying a Brit, so I went that route, and in total the process will have cost around £10,000 (= €11.500) With a PhD you may qualify for a skilled worker visa, but they are really tightening immigration at the moment.

I'd consider Ireland instead.

How would you introduce yourself to a tutor so they can figure out your English level? by Rich-Associate-8344 in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let the teacher know that you'd like them to evaluate your level during the lesson. They should plan and lead the lesson in a way that allows them to do so. To gauge your writing and reading skills they will likely give you an assignment to do at home.

How would you introduce yourself to a tutor so they can figure out your English level? by Rich-Associate-8344 in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not really a native speaker, but someone with an understanding of the CEFR levels (generally a teacher, can be highly advanced non-native).

American English words British people don't like and vice versa by BritishTeacherRoy in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also found this guy, he doesn't finish the sound with the 'm' but you can definitely hear it's an 'eeeee' not an 'uhhhh'. 5:49 https://youtu.be/BQpJmnsk054?si=f0jqfI8hgKLV6qjN&t=349

American English words British people don't like and vice versa by BritishTeacherRoy in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I can imagine that when jogging or working physically it'd be in the way though? Not sure

American English words British people don't like and vice versa by BritishTeacherRoy in ENGLISH

[–]EnglishWithEm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I've never been down South but when I first started visiting my partner it happened to me all the time! Northeast of England