okay,
I wanted to write the following entry because I visited Oskar's blog and found out that he wrote something about writing in English.
Well, firstly I'd like to explain as of why I wrote most of my entries in my blog using the language English. Of course, since English is currently the international language, so it may be fun to actually write in it. Imagine the possibility of people from around the world came and read your entry in the blog, they interested in it, and eventually might become a friend of mine -or yours, that is-. Also, it is quite common for people who uses internet that they should understand English since most of the information stored in the net are prepared in English. One more thing is that I write easier using English language. I know this might sounds a little bit funny knowing my mother tounge is actually Indonesian. But I just don't know. Ideas and thoughts flow easier when I write (or speak, in certain cases) in this western language. I wrote my Book of Journal, Book of Ideas, and Letters of Record, all of them in English. I felt uneasy when I tried to write (or tell) something in my own native language. Does that mean I am not a good civilian?
Those were several reasons why I had to assume that people who visited my blog and read my posts would already understand the language. This is where it gets quite tricky. If I write in English, I had to sacrifice those who couldn't understand it. I tried not to. That's why I also -sometimes- wrote my posts using Indonesian. You can find them, but not many.
As I read in Oskar's blog, there were quite some people who protested (in form of comments) him since they couldn't understand what he was saying. Well, I got them too. A friend of mine told me already that he couldn't understand what I was writing in my blog and he felt a little bit annoyed. Some people actually complained to me and some others over-complimented me that I was an English expert. Well, thank you, but not at all. I also made mistakes. I am not that expert. Sometimes I still jumbled my sentences and used the wrong grammar or structures. But it is not the grammar that matters, it is your way of writing (and speaking) it. As Oskar already wrote in his blog, that, it's not in the proper or correct grammar nor structures. As long as people can grasp the main idea of what you're trying to say, then it doesn't matter anymore. It is, after all, the main purpose of language itself: communication. Even if you're a language expert yet if you can't communicate your idea well enough, then it would be a waste. Once again, there's no reason to be afraid of practicing your English (including other foreign languages).
Most people are afraid of using or practicing languages since they see to those who're already fluent. Somehow, it made certain people to go downhearted and eventually stop practicing their language skills. As I said before, there's no need to be afraid. There's no reason to feel that way. Nowadays you can find English in almost every aspect of our lives. Television, newspapers, radio, books, and even in day to day life. Once, when I was in my campus, I overheard two students talking in English. Their grammar/structures or even accent was not very good, but at least they were trying and I was so itchy to get into the conversation yet I ended up just listening to them. One of my friend, from Meteorology and Geophysics, doesn't speak English very well. His pronounciation and vocabulary selection aren't very good at all. Sometimes he needed at least one minute to think about the word he wanted to say, yet he kept trying and I actually understood what he was talking about since he also used gestures while speaking.
What did I do or where did I learn to reach this level? That is the most frequently asked question to me by my friends as they wanted to know the effective way to practice their English.
Well, I couldn't say anything, the most effective practice is to practice, I guess. I mean, OK, I did have several courses but I believe most people were also did. Plus, most of the basics for English language were already taught to us from junior high school (maybe) until most of our senior high school. It's all in there and it's all given to you. All you need to do next, is to practice with it.
As of my experience in English language, it go way back to when I was a little kid. I think it was in my early childhood when the only television existed was TVRI. Back then, there were some television programs using English, especially cartoons (kids like cartoon, yes). The next level there was RCTI which presented a kid educational program called Sesame Street. But hey, as of now, there are also numerous kind of children educational programs served in the television. It's even more than it used to. Yes, but the difference is that those programs nowadays have their language dubbed. And that goes for not only kids educational programs. Mostly every foreign programs such as movies, serials, documentaries are all dubbed. Maybe that's why people can't learn faster or better.
Courses? Yes, I did go and take English courses several times. My first one was ESC (English Study Center, was it?). I joined that course by the invitation of a friend in my early year of junior high school. After that I took the course at EF (English First). I did the course for around one year and after that I quit since I needed to prepare myself on facing the national exam.
But everybody's different. Those were my ways, and you might have your own ways. Find it, make use of it. Just train yourself in any way you find comfortable and do it frequently. Just...don't be afraid to make mistakes, even stupid ones. It might turn out quite cool, y'know :-)
I wanted to write the following entry because I visited Oskar's blog and found out that he wrote something about writing in English.
Well, firstly I'd like to explain as of why I wrote most of my entries in my blog using the language English. Of course, since English is currently the international language, so it may be fun to actually write in it. Imagine the possibility of people from around the world came and read your entry in the blog, they interested in it, and eventually might become a friend of mine -or yours, that is-. Also, it is quite common for people who uses internet that they should understand English since most of the information stored in the net are prepared in English. One more thing is that I write easier using English language. I know this might sounds a little bit funny knowing my mother tounge is actually Indonesian. But I just don't know. Ideas and thoughts flow easier when I write (or speak, in certain cases) in this western language. I wrote my Book of Journal, Book of Ideas, and Letters of Record, all of them in English. I felt uneasy when I tried to write (or tell) something in my own native language. Does that mean I am not a good civilian?
Those were several reasons why I had to assume that people who visited my blog and read my posts would already understand the language. This is where it gets quite tricky. If I write in English, I had to sacrifice those who couldn't understand it. I tried not to. That's why I also -sometimes- wrote my posts using Indonesian. You can find them, but not many.
As I read in Oskar's blog, there were quite some people who protested (in form of comments) him since they couldn't understand what he was saying. Well, I got them too. A friend of mine told me already that he couldn't understand what I was writing in my blog and he felt a little bit annoyed. Some people actually complained to me and some others over-complimented me that I was an English expert. Well, thank you, but not at all. I also made mistakes. I am not that expert. Sometimes I still jumbled my sentences and used the wrong grammar or structures. But it is not the grammar that matters, it is your way of writing (and speaking) it. As Oskar already wrote in his blog, that, it's not in the proper or correct grammar nor structures. As long as people can grasp the main idea of what you're trying to say, then it doesn't matter anymore. It is, after all, the main purpose of language itself: communication. Even if you're a language expert yet if you can't communicate your idea well enough, then it would be a waste. Once again, there's no reason to be afraid of practicing your English (including other foreign languages).
Most people are afraid of using or practicing languages since they see to those who're already fluent. Somehow, it made certain people to go downhearted and eventually stop practicing their language skills. As I said before, there's no need to be afraid. There's no reason to feel that way. Nowadays you can find English in almost every aspect of our lives. Television, newspapers, radio, books, and even in day to day life. Once, when I was in my campus, I overheard two students talking in English. Their grammar/structures or even accent was not very good, but at least they were trying and I was so itchy to get into the conversation yet I ended up just listening to them. One of my friend, from Meteorology and Geophysics, doesn't speak English very well. His pronounciation and vocabulary selection aren't very good at all. Sometimes he needed at least one minute to think about the word he wanted to say, yet he kept trying and I actually understood what he was talking about since he also used gestures while speaking.
What did I do or where did I learn to reach this level? That is the most frequently asked question to me by my friends as they wanted to know the effective way to practice their English.
Well, I couldn't say anything, the most effective practice is to practice, I guess. I mean, OK, I did have several courses but I believe most people were also did. Plus, most of the basics for English language were already taught to us from junior high school (maybe) until most of our senior high school. It's all in there and it's all given to you. All you need to do next, is to practice with it.
As of my experience in English language, it go way back to when I was a little kid. I think it was in my early childhood when the only television existed was TVRI. Back then, there were some television programs using English, especially cartoons (kids like cartoon, yes). The next level there was RCTI which presented a kid educational program called Sesame Street. But hey, as of now, there are also numerous kind of children educational programs served in the television. It's even more than it used to. Yes, but the difference is that those programs nowadays have their language dubbed. And that goes for not only kids educational programs. Mostly every foreign programs such as movies, serials, documentaries are all dubbed. Maybe that's why people can't learn faster or better.
Courses? Yes, I did go and take English courses several times. My first one was ESC (English Study Center, was it?). I joined that course by the invitation of a friend in my early year of junior high school. After that I took the course at EF (English First). I did the course for around one year and after that I quit since I needed to prepare myself on facing the national exam.
But everybody's different. Those were my ways, and you might have your own ways. Find it, make use of it. Just train yourself in any way you find comfortable and do it frequently. Just...don't be afraid to make mistakes, even stupid ones. It might turn out quite cool, y'know :-)
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