How do British people understand British English?

Discussion in 'Serious Discussion' started by mdlgaofei, Mar 14, 2016.

  1. SOCRATE_MMXII

    SOCRATE_MMXII MDL Expert

    Jan 25, 2012
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    I'm sorry, but I don't think so. But what better way to know more about a language than read in it?
    If you'll encounter unfamiliar words, you can always use a dictionary.
    You know, idleness is the root of all evil, so...start reading.
    If you're looking for a crash course in language history, I'm afraid you won't find one.
     
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  2. CHEF-KOCH

    CHEF-KOCH MDL Expert

    Jan 7, 2008
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  3. Tiger-1

    Tiger-1 MDL Guru

    Oct 18, 2014
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    yep I agree too, remembering that I' m autodidact in english languange no school in none manner :p
     
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  4. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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  5. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    #25 mdlgaofei, Mar 29, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2016
    (OP)
    Are there any people fluent in both Chinese and English on this forum?
     
  6. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

    Oct 21, 2009
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    There is no Chinese language, m8... ;)

    Here, for the restless lot... :D

    http://english.stackexchange.com/qu...rase-two-nations-divided-by-a-common-language

    Here are good examples, in detail, by "experts" :D

    http://esl.about.com/od/toeflieltscambridge/a/dif_ambrit.htm - like:

    :D

    http://learnenglish.britishcouncil....ferences-between-british-and-american-english - see some precious comments below... :D

    The authoritatively British English source, that is the Cambridge Dictionary :D
    http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/british-and-american-english

    A good 'un... :D
    http://iteslj.org/Articles/Barton-UK-USwords.html

    :g:
     
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  7. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    @gorski:Why no Chinese language?Are there other Chinese people proficient English on this forum?
     
  8. atoxique

    atoxique MDL Novice

    Jan 1, 2016
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    That's a rather odd question??

    What language do you know natively (if it's not English)? How do you understand it?

    From my understanding and my own life experience, you pick it up because your parents speak it, or you take classes on it.

    Because I'm Australian, we use the British spellings (colour, customise, etc) although, like Flipp3r mentioned, many people here are too lazy to change their computers off of English US to English UK, so many people spell certain words the American way. That's totally fine unless you're writing formally, then you must use UK spellings--not Oxford UK or American, but standardised English spellings.

    Ironically enough, those Aussies who spell some American and some British are usually the ones who are very quick to point out that you've spelt color instead of colour but will tell you to stop correcting them when they spell encyclopaedia as encyclopedia...
     
  9. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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  10. SOCRATE_MMXII

    SOCRATE_MMXII MDL Expert

    Jan 25, 2012
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    Chinese language??? OMG!!!
    :eek::eek::eek:
    Dear mdlgaofei, please, please, please study your own history and culture first then dive into English one...
     
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  11. Mr.X

    Mr.X MDL Guru

    Jul 14, 2013
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    :biggrin::worthy::D
     
  12. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    Everything has molecules.Every molecule has smaller things like atom.
    If British people and American think about English,what detailed thoughts will arise?
     
  13. SOCRATE_MMXII

    SOCRATE_MMXII MDL Expert

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    You didn't go all the way: atom is composed of neutrons and positrons and electrons...

    Do Chinese people think in Chinese or in Mandarin? :D
     
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  14. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    Before people speak a language,people think the language.Such as grammar,words,sentence.If people don't think a Language,they must say something wrong.
    If you think English,what detailed thoughts will arise?
     
  15. SOCRATE_MMXII

    SOCRATE_MMXII MDL Expert

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    On the contrary, my dear. Not at all.
    FYI: when a toddler learns to speak, it does it by imitation and example. The toddler can't think in a language he's just learning.
    A teenager or adult learns a foreign language by example. First he/she thinks in native language, then does mental translation into new language, then speaks the new language. Only later on, with practice, one can think in foreign language.
    Thoughts have no language. Expressing those thoughts can be done in multiple languages. Some languages can describe better than others the same idea, thoughts or feelings.
     
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  16. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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  17. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    Some foreigners think English is strange.Such as strange grammars.Perhaps foreigners make misunderstandings. I post this thread to know the special strange things and the keys in English.
     
  18. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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    Aaaahhhh, but it's a secret and we'll never let you in on it - it's a kinda Free Mason's thing, you know... :D
     
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  19. Alley smith

    Alley smith MDL Novice

    Apr 1, 2016
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    British english and american english have some difference like- color or colour and some other written method are changed in both english language..
     
  20. mdlgaofei

    mdlgaofei MDL Member

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    I don't know what you mean.Such as "in on" "kinda free masons". Why can't you tell me the things in English?