MIDWEST LANGUAGE SERVICES - BLOG
How Important is Good Grammar?
As someone who owns a company that provides translation and interpretation services, I feel the need to give a disclaimer here. The following article is about language learning for adult students of English. This is not for professional interpreters or translators.
Good grammar helps people communicate more clearly - until it doesn’t. I am a word nerd and think grammar is important. The essence of what we do it to teach people English to help facilitate clear communication. Most of the people we work with have studied English in their native country and can write quite well. Speaking is another story. I have learned that people hold others to different standards than they do to themselves. When reading an email, article, blog post, etc. from an American, I expect impeccable grammar. I also hope for perfect English (but don’t often hear it). When reading or listening to non-native speakers of English, or as we in the language industry call LEPs (Limited English Proficient), I expect to hear errors. I don’t think I am the only one.
There are those who find it difficult to speak to people who have thick accents - whether they be native English speakers from other parts of the United States, other countries, or LEPs. Many people can understand what someone is trying to say with thick accents and imperfect grammar. We fill in the blanks with words that make sense within the given context of the situation.
If one’s goal is to speak with perfect grammar, then the road is long and lots of practice is going to have to take place. Living in the country where the language is spoken every day is helpful if one takes the opportunity to interact with people and not hole themselves up in their new house or apartment for weeks on end. If one wants to communicate, which should be the goal of taking language classes of any kind, perfection is not necessary. I don’t know if it is a cultural difference or a difference among individual students, but I have noticed that adult students from Japan often try to formulate perfect sentences in their heads before uttering them aloud. Thinking before speaking is generally considered a virtue, but in some cases, it’s a hindrance to communication. On a sentence per minute basis, I once taught a woman from China who worked in the automotive industry. She could speak multiple imperfect sentences per minute, yet was able to communicate very quickly and effectively.
There must be a fine line between speaking with fewer grammatical errors and daring to speak imperfectly.
Moving to the United States from France
Audrey Ruel is a journalist from France who now lives in the Midwestern United States. In this article, she shares her expectations of life in America and some of her observations along with a bit of advice. The article has been shared with Audrey’s permission.
Audrey Ruel is a former journalist from France who takes one of our English conversation classes. I asked her about her expectations about moving to the United States and what the reality has been. The following is what she shared with us:
Living in a foreign country since January 2019 has been a new experience for me. It was on my dream board to have the opportunity to spend more than vacation time outside of France. We have had this opportunity thanks to my husband's work. We moved with our two young daughters. We thought it would be a good experience for them too, and speaking English will help them throughout their entire lives. We moved 3 months before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we were lucky because living in the countryside during this period has been easier than it would have been in the big city where we previously lived in France (Nantes).
I didn’t expect there to be a big gap between French and American cultures because we are both Western and we know about each other, but I was wrong! If you spend more than vacation time in a foreign country, you will understand the way of life of the local population, and I can now say that it’s really different here from my country!
For example, my husband and I were really surprised at the beginning to see people going to restaurants at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. In my country, dinner time is from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. American people wake up earlier, eat earlier, and go to school earlier, (and consequently go to sleep earlier), compared to France.
Before moving, I was anxious about not speaking English well. I knew that the American accent was hard to understand, and I thought I could stay alone a long time or stay only in the French community, but I can now say that it’s really easy to form new relationships with American people. You can easily find a club or association where you can volunteer your free time and meet nice people. School is also a good place because they hold a lot of events with students and parents. You also have opportunities in your church community. My Hoosier neighbors are such nice people that I really enjoy having small talk with them.
Living in America
We asked Audrey to share her expectations of what it would be like to live in the United States, the reality, and any advice she might have to newcomers.
Another big challenge when you move to the USA is to buy or rent a house. Real estate prices are really high compared to Europe and for less quality. Take your time to find a good place. Hopefully, we will be here for more than one year. We really enjoy our place. My family and I adore traveling in this huge and wonderful country.
If I have advice to give, it would concern official documents. As a foreigner, there are a lot of documents to be careful with. If you can have a new passport when you move, that can help, because when the passport expires, you have to ask for a new visa, etc. If you don’t want to have immigration problems, take care of all those forms, and be as smart as possible.
My last point is about electricity! In Europe, it is 220 volts, and in the USA it is 110 volts. You have to be aware of that point when you are packing all your stuff if you come from Europe.
Golf Courses in Indiana
Do you enjoy playing golf? Golf is a popular sport in the United States.
Here is a list of golf courses in Indiana:
Letter to Newcomers from a Current Student
One of our students, Akiko, will be be returning to Japan very soon. After teaching a class about phrases used to offer advice and suggestions, I asked the students to write to a letter to people who would be moving to the United States. This gave an opportunity for Akiko to use her English skills while leaving a legacy here for newcomers who might look for advice about things to do while living in Indiana. Here is her revised letter.
Dear New Friend,
My name is Akiko and I’m from Japan. I’ve been in Columbus, [Indiana] for three years. I would recommend going to watch sports such as baseball, basketball, and football. There are many professional sports teams in the U.S.A. Live games are exciting.
My favorite game is basketball. Any team is fine, but I like the Indiana Pacers. You should check the Pacers home page [so] that you can get information about where you can watch the games, get tickets, and ticket prices.
You should take an English class or workshop. Don’t stay in your house alone. I would recommend Midwest Language Services.
Best regards,
Akiko S.
Our Students Learned How to Make Reservations and Appointments Today
Our students no longer have reservations about making reservations. We introduced frequently used sentences and phrases. The students learned about frequent mistakes non-native speakers make, and then we practiced making reservations. They also learned the difference between reservations and appointments.
Come join us in Columbus, Indiana for one of our classes. Do you have friends who would like to join you? Let us know!
Join us for English conversation classes on Wednesdays from 1:15-2:15 PM.