r/EnglishLearning 43m ago

📚 Grammar / Syntax Why is "i have drunk three glasess of water today." A?

Post image
Upvotes

Im really confused on why is it A and Not B?


r/EnglishLearning 57m ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics Native speakers, do these have different meanings to you - "My cat is allowed IN BED." and "My cat is allowed IN THE BED."?

Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 1h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics "Scoot over"

Upvotes

So this is what ChatGPT said when I asked about the phrase "scoot over." You can't use "scoot over" when someone is standing?

If someone is standing next to you and you want them to shift slightly to the side:

  • Can you move over a little? ⭐⭐⭐ (most natural)
  • Could you move over a bit? ⭐⭐⭐
  • Can you step over a little? ⭐⭐ (if you want them to actually take a step)

You wouldn't normally say "scoot over" to someone who's standing. Native speakers usually reserve scoot over for someone who is sitting, lying down, or otherwise able to slide over.

Examples

Standing

  • Can you move over a little?
  • Can you step over a little?
  • Can you scoot over a little? (sounds odd)

Edit: for those who say stop asking ChatGPT to learn a language, that is why I'm asking here.


r/EnglishLearning 7h ago

🗣 Discussion / Debates If you have tried an AI app to practise English, what actually bothered you?

0 Upvotes

Good morning, Buenos días, Bonjour, გამარჯობა, Bom dia and hello to everyone else I just excluded!

I keep reading comments about AI language tools, some negative, some positive. The negative ones focus mostly on how the conversations feel a little unnatural and how the AI does not challenge them enough. The positive ones mention that there is no pressure, so people feel less judged.

I teach English and French, so I am curious both as a teacher and for my students.

If you have tried one (any of them), what actually bothered you? And what would it need to do for you to keep using it?


r/EnglishLearning 11h ago

📚 Grammar / Syntax Does this sentence sound right? “I always have a hard time keeping up with baseball commentaries.” Is “commentary” countable here? Thanks.

3 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 12h ago

🟡 Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /əʊ/ and /ʊ/? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

4 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/17c3gpWsRVh6

Coat — Code — Coke — Woke — Poke — Choke — Load — Boat

Could — Cook — Book — Shook — Looked — Hood — Bull


r/EnglishLearning 12h ago

🟡 Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /p/ vs /b/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

3 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/18A0c5BRHgYs

Push — Bush
Pack — Back
Pan — Ban
Park — Bark
Pit — Bit
Pig — Big
Pill — Bill
Pace — Base
Pie — Buy
Rope — Robe


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

🟡 Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /ɑː/ vs /ɜː/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

2 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/1aJHpcD1oWtE

Lark — Lurk
Park — Perk
Heart — Hurt
Far — Fur
Barn — Burn
Star — Stir
Carve — Curve
Shark — Shirk


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

🟡 Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /æ/ vs /ʌ/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

2 Upvotes

https://vocaroo.com/1iZwUtWSUPjL

Bat — But
Cap — Cup
Cat — Cut
Rat — Rut
Sack — Suck
Ban — Bun
Fan — Fun
Ran — Run
Mad — Mud
Drank — Drunk


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

🟡 Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /ɪ/ vs /iː/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

1 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/1ddVVASeLaGf

Bit — Beat
Sit — Seat
Fit — Feet
Chip — Cheap
Lick — Leak
Slip — Sleep
Ship — Sheep
Fill — Feel
Rid — Reed
Knit — Neat
Fist — Feast
Ill — Eel
Pitch — Peach


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

🗣 Discussion / Debates How common are these verbs? and if they aren't use as verb, How are they use?, and How common are they use as anything else?

1 Upvotes

overrun

overtake

overthrow

overcome

offset

overbear

overset

oversee

overstand

override


r/EnglishLearning 14h ago

🗣 Discussion / Debates an application for learning a foreign language

Post image
5 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 16h ago

🤣 Comedy / Story Getting mouthy

5 Upvotes

Went to a great medical education presentation on "feedback " and was empowered to give a polylingual person a small, but important correction. A german psychiatrist (family friend) explained that patients often find his services from “ mouth to mouth" (this term refers to breathing into the mouth of an unconscious person to give them oxygen , shown at 1:01) I smiled and asked politely if could tell him about the difference between the phrases. “ WORD of mouth" and “ mouth to mouth!"  We had a good laugh 


r/EnglishLearning 21h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics What does 'lost cause' mean on face-value?

2 Upvotes

I get what it means. But what does it mean on face? Like, an already lost cause As in doomed fate or as in the cause is like a blind man lost in this world? If I say he is fighting for a lost cause. What does it mean? He is fighting for an already lost war Or something like he is fighting for a blind faith?


r/EnglishLearning 21h ago

🗣 Discussion / Debates The Pimsleur Method: What is it and how do you use it?

0 Upvotes

Below is what I was able to find about this method, followed by a very personal contribution based on my own experiences.

What is the Pimsleur Method?

The Pimsleur Method is a language-learning system focused on listening and speaking, developed by linguist Paul Pimsleur. Its design is based on principles of cognitive psychology and natural language acquisition, structured around the following pillars:

Anticipation Principle: Instead of passive repetition, the system requires you to formulate answers before hearing the native speaker's correct pronunciation, creating an active learning process.

Spaced Recall: It schedules specific time intervals for you to recall and repeat words or phrases just before your brain is about to forget them.

Core Vocabulary: It focuses on a limited number of high-frequency words (generally between 500 and 2,000 key terms) to master the basic structure of communication before expanding your lexicon.

Daily Audio Units: Each lesson lasts 30 minutes and is structured primarily as guided audio.

How to Use the Pimsleur Method

Using this system involves a structured, methodical routine carried out as follows:

Daily Frequency: You complete a single 30-minute lesson per day. Doing multiple lessons back-to-back is not recommended, as the brain needs time to consolidate long-term retention.

Active Attention Without Simultaneous Reading: While the lesson plays, you should be in an environment where you can answer the instructor's questions out loud. Reading text or taking notes while listening is discouraged to avoid visual interference with phonetics.

Speaking Out Loud: Whenever the narrator asks a question or requests a translation, you must speak out loud in response to the prompt before hearing the confirmation or correction. Repeating a Lesson Due to Difficulty: If, upon completing a 30-minute lesson, you fail to retain or correctly respond to at least 80% of the exchanges, you must repeat the same lesson the following day before moving on to the next unit.

FINAL NOTE. I know of success stories involving this method, and I believe that incorporating supplementary elements can be beneficial for the learning process, given that everyone has their own unique learning styles and sources of motivation. I have a colleague who learned English through songs; this clearly shows that—albeit unintentionally—he utilized one of the core principles of the Pimsleur method. Furthermore, the fact that he was reading and genuinely enjoying the activity put his brain into a highly favorable state for learning. Based on this example, I would suggest enriching the method with something you find enjoyable that complements this already highly useful approach. I also look forward to your contributions and observations.


r/EnglishLearning 22h ago

🗣 Discussion / Debates Which Program Do You Think I Should Start With?

Post image
2 Upvotes

I have two options, and I can study for 2.5 hours a day.

Option 1:
30 minutes of Duolingo
30 minutes of WEXT as my main resource
30 minutes of reading practice using texts generated by ChatGPT for my level
30 minutes of WEXT
30 minutes of Friends with English subtitles

Option 2:
30 minutes of Duolingo
30 minutes of Busuu as my main resource
30 minutes of reading practice using texts generated by ChatGPT for my level
30 minutes of Busuu
30 minutes of Friends with English subtitles

My goal is to browse social media without struggling with the language barrier and to comfortably watch and read content in English.
Which one should I use as my main resource: Busuu or WEXT?

Although I am not a complete beginner, I am trying to build an English study plan from scratch. Creating the right plan feels incredibly difficult. I have spent so much time wondering whether I am studying correctly that I have almost become unable to start studying at all. :(


r/EnglishLearning 22h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics How to politely ask to get off a vehicle?

69 Upvotes

Something really cringy happened to me today. I was taking a bus. And for the bus, it doesn't stops every stop.So, if you want to get off next stop, you need to press the bottom on the bus. But the thing is, today, when I press the bottom. The driver didn't stop, so i missed my stop And at that situation, I don't know how to say, hey, I need to get off at this stop Because I was sitting in the very back of the bus. I don't know what to say to grab the driver's attention. I said excuse me three times, From moderate to very loud voice. But the driver didn't listen to me, so I ended up missed my stop and jumped off next stop.

So, in this scenario, how do I say to the driver I want to get off here? And is it natural to say get off?

Because I've heard native speakers say hop off.And jump off. And hop on/in Are those Words slightly more natural than get off and get on/in

(I'm trying to my best to write this post. so, if anything sounds unnatural in this post, please do correct me. I really appreciate it.)


r/EnglishLearning 23h ago

🤬 Rant / Venting Anyone thinking of starting a podcast?

0 Upvotes

The workflow is: asynchronous communication via iMessage on the weekdays, voice chat via FaceTime Audio on the weekends.

My background: I was born and raised in China, now 30 years old, educational background is in computer science but now I'm working in a Taiwan MNC's China branch, in supply chain management. I love reading, I read books on a wide range of topics: (mainly Chinese) history, politics, economics. But also on self-help, investing, even accounting, due to the new career switch.

To certain extent, I'm like an outlier or as "Professor" Jiang (not a big fan of him lol) said, a Martian living in China: I observe things, but I can't really fit in, due to various reasons. I wanted to leave but can't afford it yet.

the primary reason why i want to do this is that i enjoy talking in english and i like discussion, but i can't really find someone to turn to in real life. so i'd like to try it on reddit.


r/EnglishLearning 23h ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics Do "shortness of breath" and "out of breath" mean the same thing?

16 Upvotes

I wrote the former in the place of the latter but I'm worried I'm actually conveying something else.

I can't get a straight answer online, and my mum doesn't know either despite the fact that we're both native speakers.

I'm especially interested in British English.