Learn English

I can help with English in exchange for Cantonese. Discuss here about learning English in exchange for, whatever your first language is.

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Leon on July 4, 2009 at 8:32am

My first languag is Cantonese and I am brought up in an environment where only standard English is taught so I speak like reading a newspaper in plain English at intermediate level... it sounds quite awkward sometimes I speak like this.

Permalink Reply by Dean 信立 on July 4, 2009 at 3:35pm

This is quite common in Hong Kong, someone needs to say something and it sounds like the 'perfect text book English' which you don't even see on Television programs or from first language speakers of English. In the Mainland there is a magazine and series of book called "Crazy English", almost worth going to Shenzhen to get it, the audio that goes with it is much more the kind of thing we use when speaking English (also teaches terms you wouln't learn in school, but that I would consider very common).

But another step is, don't freak out, you English is formal? Oh well, use it and learn how others speak with the founation you have already. Making some friends where you need to speak English could be a good way to do this (and cheaper then a tutorial centre, who will probably teach you the same rubish you learnt in your academic setting).

Permalink Reply by hksusanita on July 11, 2009 at 6:05pm

Yay, Dean! I may have to get that "Crazy English" since you have been highly recommending me to go to Shenzhen. hahah Maybe we can have a English-learning trip going to Shenzhen?

Permalink Reply by Dean 信立 on July 11, 2009 at 9:52pm

I don't mind going to Shenzhen with you, if you don't mind coming. Could go to Book City and get some 'interesting' English material. I think much of what I've seen in HK only bores my students and makes them hate learning English.

Permalink Reply by Joe Xu on July 14, 2009 at 7:06am

I'm a native Mandarin speaker..And I can speak "Standard American English" if there is such a thing. ;p
Speaking of "crazy english", it was started by a guy named Li Yang. I went to his summer camp years ago. I remember that his basic doctrine is "speak as loudly, clearly and quickly as possible" when practicing.

Permalink Reply by Kenny on January 4, 2012 at 11:50am

a native Cantonese speaker, live in HK many years, want to polish oral English and Mandarin to advance level, be happy to make friends and explore HK with different cohorts, casual hangout, etc. PM/Skype/QQ me if interested.