Learning English

[egolessvegan]

I just purchased Rosetta Stone Language Learning Success Program for my wife. It is a computer program that concentrates on listening, reading, speaking, and writing. It is a little pricey but supposedly the best learning tool on the market.

Ken

[Trigg]

Let us know how well it works Ken. i may be interested in such a thing.

[rogerluli]

Let us know how well it works Ken. i may be interested in such a thing.

Glad to hear you've finally decided to learn English Triggster...

[egolessvegan]

Just a little spin off on the language learning aspect. My wife has been in the US for just over 3 months now. The first month she was here we sat down practically every day and spent a half hour to an hour doing some English learning exercises out of a few books. There was great improvement day to day. Now for the past 2 months she has been uninterested in putting in time. I have completely backed off and left the decision in her hands when she wants to begin the process again. I bought The Rosetta Stone Language Learning Success and she has yet to even sit in front of the computer for 5 minutes. My reason for bringing this up is, has anybody else encounted this situation with their fiancee. Obviously the more English learned the more possibility of more conversation. At this point my fiancee is very limited in her knowledge of English and I believe this is retarding our progress within the relationship.

[frank1538]

Just a little spin off on the language learning aspect. My wife has been in the US for just over 3 months now. The first month she was here we sat down practically every day and spent a half hour to an hour doing some English learning exercises out of a few books. There was great improvement day to day. Now for the past 2 months she has been uninterested in putting in time. I have completely backed off and left the decision in her hands when she wants to begin the process again. I bought The Rosetta Stone Language Learning Success and she has yet to even sit in front of the computer for 5 minutes. My reason for bringing this up is, has anybody else encounted this situation with their fiancee. Obviously the more English learned the more possibility of more conversation. At this point my fiancee is very limited in her knowledge of English and I believe this is retarding our progress within the relationship.

Jingwen complains that she is too old to learn another language. Personally, I think it's an excuse for not wanting to attend ESL classes which are filled with predominantly younger folks. Fortunately, my puntonghua is passable, so communication is not a problem for us. One thing I keep telling her is that if she wants to be naturalized (which she said she wants), she'll have to learn English.

 

Right now, she's picking up a word or two here and there. She reminds me of my grandmother with her language skills - fluent in her naitive tongue with a smattering of English. With the family set to grow with the birth of her daughter's son, I suspect that she'll also learn a lot as the baby starts to learn English (in addition to Chinese and Spanish).

[egolessvegan]

Frank, I know several Chinese words also and my wife and I communicate in Chinglish, but it is very limiting. At times she gets frustrated that I cannot fully understand what is being communicated.

If she wants to drive and get a job other than the Chinese restaurant English will be required, yet there seems to be a lack of motivation to actually learn. I find this very disappointing. It is almost like she is saying it is not necessary for us to talk.

When I address the situation she gets upset and defensive. So now I am just waiting for her to see the light.

Ken

[Guest Gene]

Just a little spin off on the language learning aspect. My wife has been in the US for just over 3 months now. The first month she was here we sat down practically every day and spent a half hour to an hour doing some English learning exercises out of a few books. There was great improvement day to day. Now for the past 2 months she has been uninterested in putting in time. I have completely backed off and left the decision in her hands when she wants to begin the process again. I bought The Rosetta Stone Language Learning Success and she has yet to even sit in front of the computer for 5 minutes. My reason for bringing this up is, has anybody else encounted this situation with their fiancee. Obviously the more English learned the more possibility of more conversation. At this point my fiancee is very limited in her knowledge of English and I believe this is retarding our progress within the relationship.

Maybe she is "uninterested" due a little homesickness or that she is overwelmed with it all. How about a little insight from our Resident Psychologist Trigg

[tywy_99]

My wife and her daughter are going thru alot of the same things as I see posted here. Please don't anyone feel like their alone in this. As with everything else, it's going to take time and a lot of patience and understanding.

 

At first, I got them both into a free community college ESL class but that didn't pan out. It was geared mainly for the hispanic citizens and my wife and stepdaughter were the only non-hispanics in the class. That 'approach' came to an end when my wife said, "I come here to learn English but everyone is speaking Spanish."

 

I was concerned from the beginning over this. I emailed the Greensboro Chinese community site and put the question to them. The reply was that they will learn to speak good English in a year or a year and a half.

Well, it's been over 1 1/2 years and they both still struggle with it. My wife gets frustrated quite often and gets embarrassed over it. She is always saying, "My poor English, my poor English." I do my best to boost their confidence and help them in any way with their English which I often do. My wife has dozens of cassette tapes and books she brought with her from China and she listens to them quite often.

 

Aside from the struggle, I have noticed quite an improvement in both of them over the last 18 months. My stepdaughter knew almost no English when they first came here. Now, her English has improved alot. In fact, I think she can understand spoken English more then she can speak it. She often translates what I say to my wife when she can't understand. My wife said just the other day, "I used to translate English for her and now she is translating for me."

 

It's a struggle, sure. But stick it out. Things will improve but nothing is free. It's going to take a great deal of effort from everyone involved.

 

-good luck%%-

[frank1538]

So now I am just waiting for her to see the light.

Ken

Give her a credit card and watch how fast she learns parts of the English language. When I added Jingwen to my account, she refused to use it. Now that she has learned how, new words in her vocabulary include "credit card", "charge", "where", "sorry" (as in "sorry, wo mai le hen duo" - Sorry, I bought so much); "how much?".

 

Give her time. She'll eventually realize that English is an essential part of life in America. Jingwen has been here more than a year, and she is just now beginning to see this.

 

One question. Did you promise her that you guys would return to China one day? Jingwen and I are planning to move there, and I think this knowledge allows her to slough off, thinking that she won't need to know English when we return.

[warpedbored]

Interesting thread. I can relate to some of it. BIng took classes at the local community college here in Portland and it helped her a lot. Fortunately it wasn't geared just toward hispanics. There are Russian, Chinese, hispanic and other people in the classes as well. Her English skills have improved dramatically since she got her a year ago. She still gets frustrated when she can't find the words she wants to say and I am guilty of being lazy and not correcting her grammar as often as I should. Sometimes it is just easier to converse in Chinglish rather than interupt the flow of conversation to correct her grammar. I have never pushed her. I let her learn at her own pace when she wants to. So far she has exceeded my expectations.

[Orrin]

There is a series of English training books called "New Interchange" that I can recommend very highly. I used them quite successfully in my classes in Zhuhai with my high school and adult classes. I understand also that this series is being used at several of the CC and state sponsered ESL programs here in Utah.

[jkobman]

I teach in a local high school. The important thing is "language/cultural immersion" - a fancy way of saying - no CCTV, speak English, kindly/gently help them correct misspoken sentences, write EMail and Word documents in English, read books from the library (Sarah is reading all of the US state book - they are about a 4th grade level - she reads, we discuss them, I ask questions), she is taking ESOL classes and will probably take the GED class/test in the next year. (and I write a lot of run-on sentences - written motor mouth!).

 

I encourage her - she works hard and is making a lot of progress - also, "Hooked on Phonics" is good. Word-attack skills. 4th grade books and workbook pages (a teacher friend or the teacher supply store) -

 

send me an EMail and I will be happy to give you my 2 yuan!

 

Jeff

[se_lang]

Classes are fine and I would certainly recommend that. However, as an adjunct I would suggest reading, watching tv and just plain old face to face conversation. Tutors can also be helpful, but most helpful if they happen to speak Chinese as well.

 

Li was an English teacher in China, so her English was and is excellent. However, in preparation for living in the states, I wrote up the draft of a book of idioms and slang expressions, complete with example dialogues and vocabulary drills. It helped her quite a bit.

 

Everyday English is loaded with slang and idiomatic expressions and it really makes things tough for folks trying to figure out what we are talking about.

 

A former Candle member, R2D2, had a great time for awhile posting cowboy idioms and then having Li question me for hours about what he meant.

 

Still have that book I wrote in fact. If enough folks are interested, I'll try to dust it off and polish it up a bit and make it available to Candle members.

Mick I thought you was going to publish that book.

[se_lang]

I teach in a local high school. The important thing is "language/cultural immersion" - a fancy way of saying - no CCTV, speak English, kindly/gently help them correct misspoken sentences, write EMail and Word documents in English, read books from the library (Sarah is reading all of the US state book - they are about a 4th grade level - she reads, we discuss them, I ask questions), she is taking ESOL classes and will probably take the GED class/test in the next year. (and I write a lot of run-on sentences - written motor mouth!).

 

I encourage her - she works hard and is making a lot of progress - also, "Hooked on Phonics" is good. Word-attack skills. 4th grade books and workbook pages (a teacher friend or the teacher supply store) -

 

send me an EMail and I will be happy to give you my 2 yuan!

 

Jeff

I would have to agree with the Chinese TV thing it is all my wife watches but at the same time it is all the Chinese culture she really gets here except the few trips to China town so I wont deprive her of it but maybe have her watch some English TV with me.

[jkobman]

...and (more run of the mouth).....

I found the "learn English" books from China are not really good English. The libraries and book publishers have high interest books for low readers. Comic books are also good. The newspaper is written on about a 6th grade level.

 

You have to emphasize -

listening skills (Sarah talks to people at church and our other friends)

reading skills (library books, newspaper ads)

writing skills (write and EMaisl or letters in English)

 

ESOL teachers say that it takes several years to become really proficient in English, but each day our wives and kids can improve.

 

(OK OK, I will shut up!!)