It's a good reminder that I still need a lot of work to improve my English skills, especially as I want to be a professional writer.
Many people urge that the English language is hard and complicated. But in my perception, it's not as hard as Japanese, my first language.
The grammar in the English language is more structured and logical. Like subject plus verb plus object.
The subject can be ommitted in the Japanese language when someone describe her or his own action to audience.
For example, I booked flights to Melbourne today. In Japanese, 'I' can be ommitted and actually omitted almost all the time.
The complicated one is like 'lunch boxes or sandwiches?' without any context. It happened to me on one occasion in 2005 at work in Japan when then colleague asked me at lunch break. I thought that she asked me if I had a lunch box or sandwiches for my lunch, but she wanted to know my work area for the day at the food factory making both lunch boxes and sandwiches.
Having been studying and speaking English for almost 18 years this time (my English skills had gone at once because of no opportunity to use), it's not easy but it's interesting that motivated me. But I faced the big walls times, I admit.
When I booked an airport shuttle van and made an enquiry to the airport for my lost property over the phone over a decade ago, I was asked to hand the phone to someone who spoke English as their first language because they found hard to cpmmunicate with me. It was not nice at all, but I had to do so as they were busy so had less time dealing with my limited English skills. These incidents motivated me to improve my English skills so that I would have no such an issue in communicating.
What makes me annoyed more is being judged and criticised my English skills by someone (Japanese) who have much less ability to speak English. They just want to be better by criticising others with much better English skills and it's not appropriate or reasonable. In my opinion, native English speakers should feedback my English skills and advise me what to do.
Can I tell you how I want to improve English? Describing unfamiliar English words with other English words is much appreciated and how I would like. Many people think translating into Japanese is easy and good for me, but I admit I dislike it. Please do not do, I would say in such occasions. Even some people translated from English to Japanese without asking me, when I took time to understanf what others said in English, but it was really annoying! I only feel I am stupid. Just allow me some time to understand and respond! Please tolerate slow processes!
Believe me - other Japanese people who don't speak as much as me were able to communicate quicker towards Asians who don't speak English much. I guess they spoke body and feeling languages. But I am bad at such skills. I am a literature man. Such Asians didn't understand my structured and logical English. Then why do I have to be criticised in such cases? Was it my fault? I am just curious to know opinions made by native English speakers.
The communication and languages are interesting but can be complicated. What do you think?
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