Study recommendations?

[ookami]

Hello,

I'm starting to study English again... Actually, my whole study plans are: to read some short-stories (like Saki's ones), and to listen to BBC London, as I already do.

But I'll need a wider field in order to practice listening and pronunciation...
And even to practice some cold grammar, at a slow pace, though.

Do you have some recomendations? Maybe some online tool I can use to practice pronunciation or to go over grammar?

It's hard to find English teachers in Buenos Aires on January and February .

Thanks!

[poli]

If pronunciation and language rhythm concern you, I always recommend listening (or perhaps singing along with) balladeers popular in mid-20th century American music. In particular, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald were masters of American English pronunciation and cadence.
If you can pronounce English the way Fitzgerald pronounced it in songs by Cole Porter or Lorenz Hart, you will be way on the way to mastering English.

[ookami]

Thanks poli. I listen (and sing) a lot of that kind of music... Nat King Cole, Julie London, Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Brenda Lee, Perry Como, Big Bands... Glenn Miller & his Orchestra, etc. Actually, I'm not able to listen to most of actual music, I prefer car noise!

I'm open to other suggestions.

[poli]

Well, if you are comfortable American pop music for the 1930's through the about 1955, and think you can imitate that cadence and accents of people like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole *but Frank in particular), you may no longer need courses. Conversations with English speakers would surely help.

By the way, your use of actual is not common in current English. These days actual means real. It is most frequently used or overused in the adverb form meaning in fact. In fact current or contemporary are the better choices in your comment.

[ookami]

Thanks poli!

There I was using "actually" as "en realidad":

actually adverb
› really
en realidad, realmente
She actually saw the accident happen.

Is it not correct?

Regards,

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think Poli was rather talking about "actual music", for "nowadays/current/contemporary music".


As for your original question, if you want to review grammar, you will find a good manual in your nearest bookstore. Choose those used in language schools so you'll have plenty of exercises for practicing.

[ookami]

Ups, I didn't see that "actual", now I understand.

I have a lot of those 2 x 1 English books: student book + practice book. But they are rather for traditional classes than for self-taught. (ej. exercises are not solve, explanations are vague, etc.)

Either way, I'm going to search for something like a compendium of English grammar and essential vocabulary, just to revise old knowledge once in a while.

Thanks Angélica!

[poli]

In my college years, the best English professors swore by E.B. White's Elements of Style.

It's a small book dedicated to writers who wish to maximize their communication skills. First published in the early 20th century, it's frequently updated, compact and rather inexpensive at least in the US.

[ookami]

Excellent poli! That's very usefull. I'm going to study it and then I'll tell you my experience.
Here I can buy it in digital format... But I'm soon travelling to London, so maybe I'll find it in some London (or Spain) bookstore. Thanks!

*question: is "maybe I will ..." correct? or is it reiterative?

[Rusty]

... maybe I'll ... is perfectly fine.


traveling (AmE); travelling (BrE)
useful (correct spelling in both places)

[poli]

Originally Posted by ookami

Excellent poli! That's very usefull. I'm going to study it and then I'll tell you my experience.
Here I can buy it in digital format... But I'm soon travelling to London, so maybe I'll find it in some London (or Spain) bookstore. Thanks!

*question: is "maybe I will ..." correct? or is it reiterative?

As Rusty stated, "maybe I will" is correct and natural -sounding, but the London (or Spain) bookstore needs a tweak. A London bookstore is OK, but Spain should be Spanish. You can say Madrid bookstore. England bookstore is wrong, but English bookstore is right.

[ookami]

Thank you both!

[ookami]

Can you recommend me some online radio with clear pronunciation in order to practice? I'm only familiar with BBC London and Kiro Radio.

Thanks in advance!

[poli]

National Public Radio (NPR) often presents well educated Americans on talk shows that may be an alternative to BBC. Some programs like "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition" can be interesting.

[ookami]

Originally Posted by poli

National Public Radio (NPR) often presents well educated Americans on talk shows that may be an alternative to BBC. Some programs like "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition" can be interesting.

Thanks poli, I'll listen to it and I'tell you latter!

[Roxerz]

Originally Posted by ookami

It's hard to find English teachers in Buenos Aires onduring January and February .

Why is that? I would assume that it's nice and warm during that time since you're in the opposite hemisphere. I am interested in going to Buenos Aires in the future to travel and practice my Spanish even though I have heard the accent and the slang is much harder to understand for a native English speaker.

I agree on listening to NPR.

[ookami]

Originally Posted by Roxerz

Why is that? I would assume that it's nice and warm during that time since you're in the opposite hemisphere. I am interested in going to Buenos Aires in the future to travel and practice my Spanish even though I have heard the accent and the slang is much harder to understand for a native English speaker.

I agree on listening to NPR.

January and February = holidays. The "Ciudad Autónoma of Buenos Aires" lowers a lot its rythm, and people travel to anothers cities with beaches or mountains, or to other countries, or to their native towns, etc. Institutes generally close their doors till March or April. But you surely will find a particular teacher, or an institute with summer courses.

From the other hand... warm and nice may depend on what you are accustomed... Don't forget Buenos Aires is VERY humid, and 35 º C with 99% of humidity can easily be 45 º C of termic sensation and... humidity makes everything very uncomfortable.

Look at this table of how humidity can affect how you fell the temperature.

It's common around here to have between 50% and 99% of humidity, all year round, so if you live in a place with low humidity, when reading that in Bs As's winter you have 12ºC, take at least 5ºC , and in summer if you read 30ºC, add at least 5ºC!

When informing the temperature, the media always use the "sensación térmica" (heat index in EEUU). For example today we have 27ºC and near 30ºC of ST, with 50% of humidity. 30ºC of ST is the important one.

About the accent... I can't say a lot about it, but I've heard that you get use quite fast to our pronunciation, and then it's just Spanish. About our slang... I think it will not be a problem... I mean... we can talk without it.


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Argentinian best known radio
Another classy one
Another one
Retro music, but sometimes they talk
Both, music and chat

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I'm listening to NPR, thanks! Another one to recommend? with a different approach?

[poli]

January and February = holidays. It's when the rhythm slows down in "Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires". People travel to other cities with beaches or mountains, or even other countries, or to their home towns, etc. Schools generally close their doors until March or April, but surely you can find a teacher or institute with summer courses.

On the other hand, warm and nice may depend on what you are accustomed to. Don't forget Buenos Aires is VERY humid, and 35 C(I cannot find the degree symbol on my keyboard) with 99% humidity can create a heat index of 45C. Look at this table to see how humidity effects the heat index.

It's common around here to have between 50% to 99% humidity all year round, so if you live in a region with low humidity, the heat index may make temperatures unbearable for you.

Sensación térmica is the term we use for what is known in the USA as heat index. For example, today temperatures will reach 27C, but humidity will make it feel like 30C. The ST is a more important gauge than the actual temperature for measuring comfort.

About the accent, I can't say a lot about it, but I've heard that you can get used to our pronunciation quite quickly.
About our slang, I think it will not be a problem. I mean we can talk without it.


Nice English but it needed some tweaks. Quote didn't work, so I hope I didn't make too many transcription errors.

[ookami]

Thank you a lot poli! those corrections really help me!
I realize I've serious expression and grammar problems. I need practice, practice, and more practice.

Regards

[Doncruz]

What I do is combine something I love to do / learn and then search for that in english.
Ex, I love anything astronomy, so instead of reading or watching it in spanish I just look for it in english. I never read or watch anything random or just because is there, I tried it before and I got really bored too easily. It just got to be fun and I'd do it for hours.