Learning English: Things NOT To Do

In previous posts, there have been plenty of tips on the best ways to learn English. There has been plenty of advice and tips to make the best of your language learning progress and get the results that you desire. That being said, this post covers tricks or learning techniques that do not help you when learning English. As I have said before, these are just from my own experiences. I am aware that everyone reading this post has different goals and learning methods that work for them. Therefore, I will try to keep this post as general as possible. If you would like help in creating personalized learning tactics that serve you best, email us now at levelupproficiency@gmail.com

All that being said, it is time to delve into what has hindered my English learning progress:

I. I Relied on the Dictionary… For Everything

Yes, as the title states, I was at a point where nothing else really mattered for me other than using the most advanced vocabulary that I was capable of at the time. In my mind, fluency was all about the words and the grammar I used.

Yes, these factors are important, but gaining “fluency” in a language is a lot more than the superficial rules and regulations. It is all about understanding the context in which language is used and grappling with all of the nuances that come with them.

Aristotle, termed these nuances as the “Ethos” (the appeal to ethics) , “Pathos” (appeal to emotion) and the “Logos” (appeal to logic). While these terms are often used for rhetorical analysis, I think that these terms also apply really well in order to explain my point.

With every new word that you lean in the dictionary, there has to be a consideration as to how they fit with Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals. For example, when you consider using a new word you learned in the dictionary, you have to think about whether it fits the “pathos” or the “logos” of the situation. These considerations are not only useful for big speeches, but they are also useful if you want to convince others of your proficiency in English.

Therefore, it is safe to say that the dictionary works very well as a supplementary aid, but I would not take it as absolute fact. There is a lot more to words in the English language than can be covered by a simple pocket dictionary and it is worth taking that into account.  

II. I Was Obsessed With Grammatical Correctness: Oh, How It Failed…

In addition to my obsession for using the perfect word, I was also harboring an obsession with grammar and its usage at the same time. I always made sure to use periods and commas in the correct way, I was under the impression that grammatical accuracy was the key to communication. However, this does not make very much sense when we look back at the previous point of taking context into account.

Being grammatically current makes no difference if you do not pay attention to the needs of the contextual specifics. Language is more than just the physical form on the page; it is a process of creating meaning and communicating in order to fit into the surroundings that you are in. So, you have to think about the purpose of your language and the situation that you are in.

So, this point will play as an expansion of my previous one when I say that grammatical and other superficial perfection is only one part of the process of learning a language. There has to be thought about what comes beyond the language itself and the purpose of it.

This point again aligns itself with the last one when I say that obsessing over the grammar has actually landed me in situations where I was never actually understood. This fault of mine showed itself primarily when I was starting to get the hang of essay writing at the college level. While my essays were grammatically and structurally accurate, my essay still managed to miss the mark as I have always managed to overlook the context of the essay.

While every comma and period was placed correctly, the citations were incorrect; while I used intricate words at least five syllables long, I had managed to neglect the actual meaning of the sentence. While the fancy words looked good on paper, they made my sentences look more confusing. Thus, I ended up receiving a lower grade than I anticipated.

It was after going through this trend for a semester that I realized that grammar and elaborate vocabulary are of no match compared to the context and the overall cohesiveness of the paper. It was then that I began to look at learning language as more complex than what it seems to be.

III. Nothing Else Matters As Long As I Follow the Rules, Right?

Again, I think that this point summarizes the last two in the sense that the rules are more complicated than they seem to be. This is especially true when it comes to language (especially grammar). Based on my observation, the rules are not always the same in every case and there are always exceptions that should be taken into account.

Rules are there for a reason, that is absolutely true, but aren’t the caveats, whether hidden or obvious, considered to be a part of the rule system as well? In that sense, it would be a wise decision to take the rules and their intents and consequences into account.

Going back to the conversation of language and its rules, it is important to understand where the rules apply and where they have changed. For example, consider the “plural” form of nouns. It is often considered a general rule that adding the letter ’s’ at the end of a noun makes it plural. however, we all know that the same rule does not apply for all nouns such as octopus.

Being aware of these intricacies puts you in a place where you are not only familiar with the most basic and general, but to also understand the most conspicuous caveat and rule change. When you reach this stage, it is easy for you to adapt to different contexts and situations of using language.

In my opinion, it is a big no-no to not reach this stage when working on your language proficiency. In fact, I think that it would be productive to put all your effort possible to reaching the aforementioned stage of awareness. The journey is not an easy one, but it is one worth taking. As mentioned above, contact us now if you would like to learn the secrets required to get you where you need to be with your English fluency and learning.

R.M, 2nd Year English Masters Student