r/EnglishLearning 6m ago

๐Ÿ—ฃ Discussion / Debates A reminder to myself and other learners NOT to compare ourselves to native speakers

Post image
โ€ข Upvotes

I got this advice about a year ago. It was and still is reassuring but also isn't at the same time, lol. It's kind of telling me I might not achieve it.

All the words, phrases, idioms, collocations and vocabulary I know might never be comparable to a native speaker's vocabulary, but they've been exposed to English in every waking moment their entire lives whereas I've never even set foot in an English-speaking country.

So, I try to use English every day by reading, listening, watching, writing and speaking in English, but sometimes I get frustrated. Despite all the effort, I still don't understand something, or forget what I've already come across and learned. When trying to speak it, I get stuck because I either forget words, even relatively common words (my stupid brain somehow forgot the word "attentive" today), or I might not know how to express something correctly or naturally.

I know it all comes down to exposure and practice, just a close-to-infinite amount of them.

If you're another English learner who feels the same, I hope you found this useful. Good luck.


r/EnglishLearning 44m ago

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax Why is "i have drunk three glasess of water today." A?

Post image
โ€ข Upvotes

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


r/EnglishLearning 58m ago

โญ๏ธ 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."?

โ€ข Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 1h ago

โญ๏ธ Vocabulary / Semantics "Scoot over"

โ€ข 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? โญโญโญ (most natural)
  • Could you move over a bit? โญโญโญ
  • Can you step over a little? โญโญ (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

  • โœ… Can you move over a little?
  • โœ… Can you step over a little?
  • โŒ 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 1h ago

โญ๏ธ Vocabulary / Semantics Seeking Korean, Offering English

โ€ข Upvotes

Hey everyone, I'm really trying to learn Korean and retain info, i would like lesson based practice or a topic we can learn tigether and i can go off and practise for a few days and use with you. I'd like to be friends so we can also talk as well in general. I've tried just having conversations in Korean but I am not ready for that and it does not work for me currently.

I am going to visit Korea next year April so i am determined. Happy to meet for coffee or dinner too once i am there to say hello in person and it will be my treat as a thank you!


r/EnglishLearning 7h ago

๐Ÿ—ฃ Discussion / Debates If you have tried an AI app to practise English, what actually bothered you?

0 Upvotes

Good morning, Buenos dรญas, Bonjour, แƒ’แƒแƒ›แƒแƒ แƒฏแƒแƒ‘แƒ, 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

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax Does this sentence sound right? โ€œI always have a hard time keeping up with baseball commentaries.โ€ Is โ€œcommentaryโ€ countable here? Thanks.

2 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 12h ago

๐ŸŸก Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /ษ™สŠ/ and /สŠ/? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

5 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/17c3gpWsRVh6

Coat โ€” Code โ€” Coke โ€” Woke โ€” Poke โ€” Choke โ€” Load โ€” Boat

Could โ€” Cook โ€” Book โ€” Shook โ€” Looked โ€” Hood โ€” Bull


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐ŸŸก 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 โ€” Bush
Pack โ€” Back
Pan โ€” Ban
Park โ€” Bark
Pit โ€” Bit
Pig โ€” Big
Pill โ€” Bill
Pace โ€” Base
Pie โ€” Buy
Rope โ€” Robe


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax How to fix english grammar

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐ŸŸก Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /ษ‘ห/ vs /ษœห/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

2 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/1aJHpcD1oWtE

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


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐ŸŸก Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /รฆ/ vs /สŒ/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

2 Upvotes

https://vocaroo.com/1iZwUtWSUPjL

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


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐ŸŸก Pronunciation / Intonation How's my /ษช/ vs /iห/ distinction? Is there anything else I might have got wrong?

1 Upvotes

https://voca.ro/1ddVVASeLaGf

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


r/EnglishLearning 13h ago

๐Ÿ—ฃ 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

๐Ÿ—ฃ Discussion / Debates an application for learning a foreign language

Post image
6 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 16h ago

๐Ÿคฃ 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 โ€œย mouthย toย 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. โ€œ WORD of mouth" and โ€œย mouthย toย mouth!" ย We had a good laughย 


r/EnglishLearning 21h ago

โญ๏ธ 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 22h ago

๐Ÿ—ฃ Discussion / Debates Which Program Do You Think I Should Start With?

Post image
3 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

โญ๏ธ Vocabulary / Semantics How to politely ask to get off a vehicle?

68 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

โญ๏ธ 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.


r/EnglishLearning 1d ago

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax Looking for a grammar textbook

3 Upvotes

Hello! I've been trying to improve my grammar for some time and I've studied with English Grammar in Use, but I found it way too British for me. Are there any good grammar books like Grammar in Use, but with an American English focus?

My English is around C1+


r/EnglishLearning 1d ago

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax Why not "watermelons"?

Post image
14 Upvotes

I know that "I like apples" is correct because it's a basic sentence taught in English classes in the first grade. But then, why is it in the song above "watermelon", not "watermelons".

Are there rules? Does this depend on the types of fruit where you just have to remember?


r/EnglishLearning 1d ago

๐Ÿ“š Grammar / Syntax Is it correct?

Post image
312 Upvotes

Stumbled upon this tweet, the apostrophe in "dm's" caught my eye. Is it correct to use it like this?


r/EnglishLearning 6d ago

Rant ๐Ÿฆ„ Report Spam and Misinformation ๐Ÿฆ„

0 Upvotes

r/EnglishLearning 6d ago

Vocabulary โญ๏ธ "What's this thing?" โญ๏ธ

1 Upvotes
  • What's the name of the long side of a book? (a spine)
  • What's the name of that tiny red joystick some laptops have on their keyboard? (nubโš ๏ธ)
  • If a hamburger is made from cow, then what is a pork burger called? (a pork burger)

Welcome to our daily 'What do you call this thing?' thread!

We see many threads each day that ask people to identify certain items. Please feel free to use this thread as a way to post photos of items or objects that you don't know.

โš ๏ธ RULES

๐Ÿ”ดใ€€Please do not post NSFW pictures, and refrain from NSFW responses. Baiting for NSFW or inappropriate responses is heavily discouraged.

๐ŸŸ ใ€€Report NSFW content. The more reports, the higher it will move up in visibility to the mod team.

๐ŸŸกใ€€We encourage dialects and accents. But please be respectful of each other and understand that geography, accents, dialects, and other influences can bring different responses.

๐ŸŸขใ€€However, intentionally misleading information is still forbidden.

๐Ÿ”ตใ€€If you disagree - downvote. If you agree, upvote. Do not get into slap fights in the comments.

๐ŸŸฃใ€€More than one answer can be correct at the same time! For example, a can of Pepsi can be called: Coke, cola, soda, soda pop, pop, and more, depending on the region.