A New Successful Discussion on Languages and Accents

Thursday, 07 February

Topic: Languages and Accents

Leader: Pasha

Fun Fact of the Day: "18th President, Ulysses S. Grant was fined $20 for speeding in his horse and carriage" (ibtimes.com).

Topic:

1. What is "language"? What languages have you studied? How well can you read, write, and speak in each of them? How old were you when you began these studies and what methods did you use to learn them? Do you think that age affects a person's ability to learn a new language?What do you think is the best way to really learn a language?

2. Which language do you think is the most difficult to learn and why? Do you think it is ever possible to speak a foreign language like a native? If so, how can you achieve this fluency?

3. What do you find most difficult about learning English? Why do you want to improve your English? Do you attend club fot personal pleasure, or to increase your English abilities for work, school, travel, etc.? What motivates you to study this language?

4. Do you think you learn more English inside or outside the classroom? What do you do on your own to improve your English? In what major ways is English grammar different from the grammar of your native language?

5. Do you like to listen to music in other languages? Do you make an effort to understand the words? Are some languages more beautiful to listen to than others? If so, which ones? Are there any languages that you really do not like the sound of? Why? Similarly, how often do you read in another language? What kinds of things do you read and why?

6. Have you ever had a solid friendship with someone who had a different first language? What languages do you use to communicate? How does language affect relationships? How is your personality different when you speak another language? For example, are you more or less outgoing? Do you think you can be fully true to your character?

7. How do people who come from different regions of your country speak differently? What kinds of judgments do you make about people based on their accent or dialect? What is the difference between "accent" and "dialect"? Do accents and dialects tell you about someone's education, background, or income? What do you think about your own accent?

Schedule: Please put topic ideas in the Suggestion Box!

Saturday, 09 February at 10:30

Thursday, 14 February at 5:30