When I taught English here (1985-1990) I would sometimes make a speaking error after a long day. But to be honest, I think my language ability has improved with time. I have interesting conversations in English with informed and intellegent people. In fact, when I am in the States I find that many people speak as if they never went to school at all. But maybe that is just America.
I think, however, if you spend the bulk of your time speaking like a child (to children or students of English) you will get into the habit. One reason I got out of teaching was because I didn’t want to spend most of my day talking like a retard.
I remember when I first come Taiwan, whenever Taiwanese say “I like to playing computers” sound very strange to me. Now, I say it on regular basis. Somewhere in back my mind, I think this not way we say in US. 
But seriously, does anyone who is “fresh” know how people talking about liking to play computers a lot? I sure can’t remember.
Although I don’t use it, I always liked, “What are you talk?”
In that case, that’s one career move that fell flat on its arse 
.
I said “talking” not “acting.” 
I spend all day teaching children who are behind in their English. I gave up speaking English fluently and just hope I can pick it back up when I go home to visit my family.
You never give up your native language fluency. That’s just silly. Read a little bit for a change and you’ll keep your vocabulary easily. 20-30 pages a day of a good novel or non-fiction book of good quality should keep you in top linguistic shape.
Me not know what you talk about. I read Forumosa all day.
Oops, you were talking about quality literature 
Seriously, reading, it helps. It really does. In the last 5 years I have devoured every book I could get my hands on and I almost never read at home.
BTW, I saw an English Buxiban in Taichung city thats Chinese name translated very close to Imani. Made me think… could it be???
Reading has helped your written English? You wouldn’t know it from this sentence! 
Of course, we know all know you did it on purpose.
Sorry, I grew up in Israel, moved to Canada, now I live in Florida.
Oops, that’s my avitar not me. I just type without thinking.
And here’s a guy that complained about the pedants. 
At least you’re honest about this 
… a guy who complained…
My English has most definitely gotten worse.
I could not remember how to say "cross the street
Taken from another website I am on…
-
Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
-
Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
-
And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.
-
It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
-
Avoid cliches like the plague. (They’re old hat)
-
Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
-
Be more or less specific.
-
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
-
Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
-
No sentence fragments.
-
Contractions aren’t necessary and shouldn’t be used.
-
Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
-
Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it’s
highly superfluous.
-
One should NEVER generalize.
-
Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
-
Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
-
One-word sentences? Eliminate.
-
Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
-
The passive voice is to be ignored.
-
Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words
however should be enclosed in commas.
-
Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
-
Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
-
Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth
earth-shaking ideas.
- Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate
quotations. Tell me what you know."
- If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Resist
hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
-
Puns are for children, not groan readers.
-
Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
-
Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
-
Who needs rhetorical questions?
-
Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
And the last one…
- Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Sharky, these rules doesn’t applied to us here, right!!! Hope not…
I read like a fool. I can’t think of any point in my life since the age of two where I went a month without reading something somewhere. I read an average of three novels every two weeks. However, I find myself slipping up with Chinglish and making an awful lot of stupid spelling mistakes for a former spelling bee state finalist (the big one, Howard Scripps) with a degree in linguistics.
By the way, I was being facetious when I said I would brush up on my fluency. Sheesh.
No shit! Damn, I envy and admire that ability… I can’t spell for crap… there are certain words that I simply avoid because I just can’t spell them. My dyslexia doesn’t help in that regard.
No shit! Damn, I envy and admire that ability… I can’t spell for crap… there are certain words that I simply avoid because I just can’t spell them. My dyslexia doesn’t help in that regard.[/quote]
You’re not doing badly when you can spell dyslexia correctly.
I’ve had lots of practice spelling that word…