Comments

I feel so sad that you will say good bye to us. We will miss you, everyones in BBC is agreeing with me,isn't one?. The first time I make comment on BBC site is on your blog, so I will never forget you. In Viet Nam, the summer is coming. The sun, hot weather Instead of the cold of winter. In the street, many beautiful girls wearing beatiful summer clothes. They look so cool. You know that Viet Nam have four season, spring, summer, autumn and winter. I like autumn best, because in this season you will see yellow leaves fall to the ground, as it means yellow autumn. The weather is not cold nor hot. But sometimes winter come back in autumn beacause of monsoon. But I think from this moment, winter never have a chance to come back. Learning grammar is one of the most important part when you learing English. In my country, we always concentrate on learing grammar. But that's not very good way to do, in some near years, we chance our method in teaching E very much suchs as the more concentration on listening especialy on speaking, more comunication is made is English class. I think the change in English Education is probably right. I don't know how much time I spend studying grammar a week. I usually use a grammar book, both in English and VietNamese as a guide. And when reading, I try to analyse structure to learn grammar.But I don't know how to learn grammar effectively. So I'm looking forward hearing your advice. Wishing you have a good week.Bye.

Dear Samantha, Here are my comment, i. Did you learn English at school or university mainly by studying grammar? At high school, we learnt grammar every week, but the teacher taught it in native language (i/o in english). We learnt grammar based on what is mentioned in book as guidance. ii. Do you use a grammar book in English as a guide, or a grammar book in your native language? When I was in college, english learning are comprised in several subject which cover : reading, conversation, listening (audio), writing. There is no specific subject for learning grammar. We discuss it during all session. iii. On average, how long do you spend studying grammar each week? (a few minutes / half an hour / a few hours?) I learn grammar only a few minutes or max. about an hour each week. iv. Do you find that studying grammar has any noticeable benefits to your use of English? I'm sure the answe is yes. When I heard someone talk in english in correct grammatically, I could understand such grammar and as benefit I can use it foro expressing the same understanding when I talk with other people, but since I have not understand fully its frame about grammar and its function, it's still difficult for me to understand or even to practice in daily conversation. So many time I use many in 'simple present tense' to talk for any meaning of the time. I know realize that I must to learn something that I want to be profficient for longer time and more frequently to get good result. I earger to have your comment on how to learn grammar on your next blog. Best regards, Nia

My English learning totally lacks grammar learning. I know this is a big mistake. But I find learning via grammar pretty boring. For me it is more attractive to read newspapers, and then search for the unknown words, expressions in Merriam Webster online dictionary, or other online dictionaries. I used to frequent http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com too, a site which I recommend to other learners because the lesson plans are well organized, and has audio file attached too, so we can improve our accent too. My major problem is regarding accent. I noticed I have a passive vocabulary gathered via reading, but when I need to talk freely I talk more simply using very common words, no expressions, and no phrasal verbs. If u could give some advices how to learn grammar in not a boring way I would be more then pleased. This idea of learning / teaching English via blogging is also a wonderful opportunity, because needs exactly the time which I can allow easily to my daily improving my English- session.

Dear Samantha, - I learnt English at school mainly by studying grammar; - I use a grammar book in English as a guide; - on average, I spend studying grammar a cuple of hours a week; - I find that studying grammar has a noticeable benefits to my use of English: BUT: I find studying grammar incredibly boring and grammar is, no doubt, my weakest area of English language. Is there a way to make studying grammar more interesting and amusing? If so, let me know, please...

Good Morning Samantha. This is a brief message to you 'cause I'm going to work in few minutes. I've learned english at school at first. The school was great but the english was very poor there so my father paid a course for me when I was child. My father was a teacher but he never taught me anything. When I had a doubt and asked for help. He came with a "truck" of opened books and said "search". So I was good to create my own methods to study . In that course I learned basically grammar and I threw myself into english language. I stopped my studies when I reached the uiversity because I was involved in many activities there. After that I made another one to up date but I got on with english by myself by watching tv, internet, reading. I usually spend many hours per day studying...hum..studying is not the best term...dealing with english.

I started learning English by following an English course called "BBC English". It consisted of 12 books and 24 cassettes. It took me two years and a half to finish it. When I finished that course, I found myself a bit lost about what to do then. I began to read the books of: Oxford Bookworms Library and Penguin Readers from level 4 to level 6. At the same time I bought The Oxford Practice Grammar to continue my learning. It's hard to me to study this grammar but I do my best. I devote little time with the grammar. I try to read a unit every night, but in this I have to say that my self-discipline is not good enough. The only thing I can't face at the moment is to practise my speaking. However, I'm happy of having learnt what I have learnt so far. I whish you the best Good bye

Hi dear Samanta ? Here in IRAN , is the begin of spring and start of Iranian new year , so " happy new year " . unfortunately in tow past month , I was very busy at work and home ,so I couldn't give good responses to your interesting Blogs . Any way I 'v read all Blogs but with delay ( sometimes I was reading a week Blog on one day ! ) .And about grammar : Your Blogs have more grammar points than other teacher that we 've had before . Thanks for all your useful lessones . Here are my answers to your questions : Did you learn English at school or university mainly by studying grammar? Answer : unfortunately our system for teaching English in schools was terrible ,and have not changed yet . Our teacher only teach us grammar and spelling and after about eight years, in the end of high school pupils hardly can speech any sentence in English correctly . Any way these years there are many good private institutes that teach English with better educational methods and all parents send their children to these English institutes . ii. Do you use a grammar book in English as a guide, or a grammar book in your native language? Answer : I hardly ever use an grammar book, but if I need , I have a grammar book in my native language . iii. On average, how long do you spend studying grammar each week? (a few minutes / half an hour / a few hours?) Few minutes . Answer : to be honest , I must answer only a iv. Do you find that studying grammar has any noticeable benefits to your use of English? Answer : Surely it has many benefits but I use to be lazy , and I know for learning English we must learn grammar , writing , listening and … , all at the same time . Best wishes in Iranian new year " Noroz 1386 " Kiss you lovely sons for me Bye

Hello Samantha. Certainly changing the clocks is some challenger for us. OK, move on to your questions: 1. After graduated from school and then university actually I didn’t know grammar and not only, because of our education system. I think the reason was our international relations (I lived in former Soviet Union and now in Ukraine). All people knew that they won’t need English in future because we didn’t have any relations with people from other countries. Therefore in schools and universities we of cause had this subject but attitude was respective and education system the same. Now time has changed and many people need knowledge of English. But they should study it from the beginning. The main bad thing in our educational system is just an absence of grammar studying. 2. I use a grammar book in English as a guide. 3. Half an hour. 4. As for me it is very noticeable. This is the base of successful studying especially you don’t have a contacts with English speakers. With the best wishes, Yuriy

Hi Samantha, how time flies. I'm sorry to read that you'll be leaving us this week. Your blogs are one of the most dynamics I've followed. I very said you'll have to go. The tasks you left for us always helped us improve our english. Let me answer the questions now. I started learning English at school. But like Adriana said it's not so easy to learn a language at school. Groups are large and the teacher's work becomes very difficult. So I also had to go to a English school to learn. But it depends a lot on the students. My two brothers went to the same school but neither of them got to develop their use of English as I did. And that's only due to the amount of interest I had which was a lot larger than theirs. I do have a grammar book, but now I don't use it as often as I should. maybe just a few minutes a week or less. But I do think it's important to study grammar and it does help us make better use of the language. Make our sentences clearer and our speech flow better. That's it. I'll try to refer to my grammar book more often from now on. Good bye for now.

Samantha: Sorry to say adieu to you, but it quite understandable that no-one is able tutor without a break for a length of time. Best wishes to you... We also moved our clocks forward in Finland over the gone weekend. We call it daylight saving. For your questions Samantha: I personally first learned English at school for six years, later on I went to live abroad and English become my everyday language. In my experience it was very beneficial knowing English grammar beforehand. Thirdly it is important to be familiar with one´s own mother tongue, I mean including grammar, it helps a lot when learning a foreign language. In my opinion, which is based upon personal experience, it is very important to know grammar. Warmest regards to all.

Actually, when I was a student at the school and college, I did not like English classes and English teacher. My parents put me in the tuition class to learn English grammar. It did not yield good results. Truthfully I did not take much effort to learn English language in my early days rather than blaming English teachers. But now I realize the mistake I have done and want to compensate. More over I felt ashamed when I joined job after completing my studies. Now I am using Essential English Grammar and The Good Grammar Book by Oxford university press on my own to improve my grammar. Definitely good grammar gives me confidence when I speak and write English. I know that I am not following grammar when I speak and write in mother tongue. But when I communicate with English my mind certainly goes on that. That was taught in my school days. That made me aversion of this language. Now I realize that apart from learning grammar many other things involved in the process of learning the languge.

How to learn grammar? I'm a good example, I think. Indeed I 've done so many exercises in my life and I'm the worst efficient. The most difficult is not to do mistake viva-voce. Everything is so systematic, automatic when I speak verbally. Often my reflex are wrong. I think it's due to lack of practice, it is to say quick practice. There is no keyboard with a "Erease" touch. To be efficient I have to repeat 3 times the exercise. 1 the next day, 2 the next week, 3 the next month... such a labour! If I don't do this I forgot everything. ye

Hello, Samanta I read your blog that your writting.it is too clear and understandible so I read esaly also I learn many things there and take note to use my writing because I am a student but at the same time I am both mother and housewife.That is the say, I have been learn english for 5 years but I do not what I want leves so I find your website bbc and blogs so I usually read because of learn new things.I think, this blog working big opportunities to developt my english.

I'm self-educated in English. Now having mastered enough words I try to read a gramma book in English, but sometimes I still need Polish explanation. In general I read gramma rarely, I prefer reading simplified version of the wide world known novels or books written in the original. I realized that is very important and essential for proper usage of English, but I find the most difficult to force myself to read it systematically. I am very sorry to hear that this is our last week. You are my first English teacher and I'm under impression that you'll have big influance on my future English achievements if I have any :):) regards to All!

Hi, Samantha. In Japan we used to have the daylight saving just for 4 years in the past, but we haven't had the system since it was abolished. but I know what it is. I experienced it when I was in NZ, and I was almost late for my work because I wasn't used to it. so I feel lucky not having that in Japan. Now I'd like to answer your questions. yes, I mainly learnt grammar in the English class at school. I don't know about now, but when I was a high school student, which is ten years ago, it may be said that almost everything I learnt there was grammar. I think it was a good thing learning grammar at school because it's fundamentals of learning English. on the other hand I feel it isn't really useful to learn only grammar. I mean it was like just for exams, and I could read and write a certain level of English, but couldn't speak at all. I use a grammar book in English now. I used to use Japanese ones, but I changed it to English as my English improved. Actually I havent spent much time for studying grammar these days. I know I should,though. Overall, I think the balance is important because studying grammar only is boring though grammar is essential to my use of English. all the best.

So it's not just me who suffers from this annoying business of putting the clocks forward. As I love sleeping I find it really difficult to adjust! And for me this measure is only welcomed along the coast where people really profit from long daylight hours! Well, as for how I learned my English, I must say that grammar never appealed to me, although it played its role! I was always fascinated by vocabulary, idiomatic expressions,sayings, collocations, phrasal verbs. I find grammar books usually boring and some of the exercises suggested are really tedious and so silly! However, I do have a grammar book that I consult every now and then, which is by Michael Swan. I find his explanations very useful and practical.In my opinion for you to learn a language you have to have a good balance of all different skills such as vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading,writing, and grammar of course! But to focus just on Grammar, that would definetely kill my motivation!!Language is to be used not studied!

Hello Samantha,I think, I'm new in here. This is a first time for me to come in the blog. I'm not sure how it work, but I'm trying to understand it. First of all I'd like to say good bye to you, too, even I have less understood now. But I doubt something about the blog. What will happen in this blog? So, I’d like to answer your question. Firstly, when I studied English at school in every level, mainly, I studied grammar a lot. Next, I use English grammar books in my language and in English, that means I have two books. The third, recently, I don’t spend a time to study grammar much but I try to use it in real life, talk, read, writing, and speak. The last answer for your question, I think, grammatical is necessary when I use. Even though there are some teacher in my country taught me ‘when we speak we don’t need to think about grammar much’, in my opinion, we have to think about it and try to use in the right way as we can, at least 70-80%. This is the first time for me, I would be familiarly with this blog much more in the other webpages. I wish you have a very happy at all the time that you breath… With my best regards Joey

Hi Samantha! It´s still too early to say good bye! We have three days ahead! About your questions, I´ve been studied English for eigtht years. In the most English courses in Brazil the focus is on the conversation, however the grammar is only a small box explanation that "we have to follow" without any other comments. If you need to know more about some subject you have to ask for some extra information. The teaching of English at public school is very poor. The only grammar that we learn there is the to be verb, and just in the present tense. I also have bought a grammar book to help me clear my douts, and at least half an hour a day I try to study some points that I have more difficults.I think learning the grammar brought lots of improments in my English, though I still have a lot to learn. I think when you know the grammar you have more confident in your writing,comprehension,conversation,etc. You just do not follow what is inside the box, you understand what that small explanation means. I really enjoy your today´s blog theme, because I do want to improve more my grammar skills. Best wishes, Ana Paula.

Hello Samantha. When I was in high school, I had learned many grammars while learning every day’s lessons. I can say that I have learned the most common grammars. I think the most difficult thing for me is how to use them correctly in my writing and speaking. Actually, I didn’t have a grammar book, I learned it from the text or article and our teacher also gave us many examples. Yes, I find that studying grammar has many noticeable benefits to my use of English. If we can use the grammar in a correct way, it’s a big improvement in learning English.

Dear,Samantha.i would like to make it short for you to read my question.I have determined to learn grammar but quit after a while at last.So i wonder how to learnig grammar interestingly and absorbingly.Look forward to your precious answer.

Hi Samantha, I'm writing again to tell you that I recorded a participation in the bbc's webcast program yesterday. It will go on air tomorrow. If you have a chance, give it a check. I mentioned the blog and said how good it is to read it and post our messages here and what a great way to improve our English and be in touch with other English learners from all over the world. Don't miss it. Bye.

hi samantha ...we are the same as you,we put the clocks forwarde too. 1.i learned english in english school and started from early age and definetly it wasnt by learning grammer..i remember that we had to memorize different diolougs and expresions,but after a while i changed my school and theeir method wasn't the same their method was by grammer . i think my first school was better cos i still remember the dialougs which i had learned .. 2.a grammer book in english 3.half an hour 4.yes ofcourse ....how can we speak without knowing and learning grammer!!??

hello all english learners.'if you want you will get'actualy this is used in our culture any way i'm pleased to say english is more likely to accure by just recognition of what is learnt while teacher instruction.but unfortunatly,ofcourse minority of our country teachers do not pay attention that. they just spend the time.what i wantto suggest is this if you want to learn good,focus on structure.

I want to ask the skills of writing a composition.

Hello' I read the comments of all the reader. I never learn English as child. my main problem is grammer.Please give me advice,