I need to improve my English

[Tedel]

To make a long story short, I studied English when I was at school and I approved Cambridge's FCE exam when I was 14. Now that I'm 28, I live on writing and I've just received a couple of comments from my website that say that my English is a little "stifted". I understand this as a little old-fashioned too.

So, what suggestions can you give me to improve my English? I don't want to become an expert linguist, but just general ideas that could help me to have a more 21st-century way to speak. mm... I do read a lot, including blogs and other "modern" stuff.

I don't know... I'm open to suggestions.

[Gigabitch]

I suggest that you check the comment on your website. Did they say "stifted" or "stilted"? If they said "stifted", you should tell them to blow it out their ass, because that's not an English word.

I suggest you listen to books read in English. Get a book on CD and listen to it in your car. Hearing the rhythm of the language should help quite a bit. Maybe you could subscribe to a magazine in English, too.

I wish the internet were a better place for you to learn, but I've seen some really appallingly bad English online, some of it from people who are native English speakers. It must be difficult for people to figure out what's right and what's wrong.

[Tedel]

Oh, you're right. It was stilted.

Audio books? That's a good idea, thank you. I was trusting songs only, but music obviously give them another rhythm.

[vashti]

A lot of people in my area tell me they learned English from watching TV - either the news or cartoons - regularly.

[Stalin_Skaya]

I second that, read some English books. Americans on the Internet get surprised when I tell them that I never had an English class in my life.
I just read books, which is the best way to learn. You learn grammar, you learn how to spell...
English is pretty Easy to learn.

[Tedel]

Oh, well, thank you, but I think my English was better before I worked as a translator and felt forced to think the same idea in two languages at the same time. During those days, perhaps my English lost its naturality to see itself a little mixed with Spanish. :S

[DoesntMatter]

Your English is fantastic, I would have never known you weren't a native speaker

[Tedel]

? Are you serious? OK; thanks a lot.

I'll listen to those audio e-books anyway, to refresh. The ugly side of English courses is that they "ain't" teach you slang!

[Gigabitch]

? Are you serious? OK; thanks a lot.

Oh, my God. If you only knew. A certain poster from England on this board may as well have emigrated from Jupiter, for all the sense that comes out of her, and she's not the only one.

[Gribble]

Read books, man. Lots of books. And I'm not talking literature. Fine literature is great. I love it. But what you need is some light reading. Something casual, relaxed. Something with a touch of slang.

Pick up anything by Robert Parker, especially if you like detectives.