hi can any of you help me improve my english?

[spottyzebra]

Hi, My dd is 7 months old and I want to be able to set a good example to her and be able to help her with her school work when she is older.
But I am terrible with english and I am hopeless speller.

can you give me any tips, as basic as you like, to improve myself, as i do not even really know stuff like what a pronon
or verb is etc.

ps. ive written this post as best, I can !

[Karen999]

Lots of people are bad at spelling!! Have you got a good dictionary? Instead of using the 'spellchecker' on your PC, look up the word instead. It's a good habbit to get into and will help with your spelling.

Another useful thing to do is to read a good quality newspaper. Also, can you check to see if any colleges etc have English courses available?

[Ellbell]

Read! Just read everything you can and really look at, and try to enjoy, the language. See language as an amazing and beautiful creative tool - not just something that comes out of your mouth without you really having to think about it. Think about the sound of language (reading aloud is great) as well as the way in which it is put together. Try to fall in love with the English language. Everything else should follow from there (not least because if you love the language you don't want to see it 'damaged' by bad spelling and so on).

If you really want to know what verbs, nouns and pronouns are, buy a book on this. I haven't read Eats shoots and Leaves myself, but I think it is, at least, a fun introduction to these things, even if some people don't agree with everything the author says. But I personally don't think that you need to have all this information at your fingertips in order to help your dd. Read to her, and when the time comes read with her, and share your love of language with her.

Good luck.

[spottyzebra]

Hello Karen, Thank you for your reply, I do not even have a dictionary! I was not taught any grammer at school, because i was in the dummies reading class.
Yes I can start to read the newspaper and it would do me good to know a little more about whats going on in the world.
I have seen a thread on here titled,
I before E except after C.

and it is that sort of thing I am looking for quick easy things to remember.

[Brangelina]

Try reading more books (easier said than done with a lo, I know). You'll improve your vocab no end and you'll start getting the hang of whether a phrase sounds right or a word looks as if it's spelt right. OK magazine is not the same.

I second the checking a word in a dictionary, also because spellcheck won't correct a word if used in the wrong context (using write instead of right, for instance).

Also, I know this sounds odd, but maybe try learning a foreign language. Just an evening course in basic Franch or something, you don't have to do a degree. This will help you understand so much about your own language and you'll actually learn grammar.

[Brangelina]

You can read papers online, like the Guardian or the Times.

A dictionary is a good investment, not just for you but for your child as she grows up.

[CountessDracula]

how about something like this

Good on you!

[spottyzebra]

Hi, Ellbell, Thankyou for your post, yes I will start to read more, I do not really read much at all. I really used to hate reading when i was younger, as i found it so difficult and I feel if you stuggle with English, you struggle with everything. That is why I want to strive so hard for my lovely dd.
I already read to dd, and she loves it, especially if i put on accents etc for the different charaters.

[Karen999]

Another good thing to have is a thesaurus. If you are using a word quite often its good to see what the alternatives are...that way you can expand your vocabulary.

[spottyzebra]

Thankyou for all your help. Yes I will order a dictionary today. Good point Brangelina, that it will be useful for DD as well.
which one should I buy? oxford dictionary? and maybe a children's dictionary?
Can you reccomend a good childrens dictionary too?

CountessDracula, Thankyou for the link, but it is not working.

[bellabelly]

CGP do really good (fun!)grammar type books - aimed at Year 7-9 students but think would be good for what you want. Will try to do a link...

[spottyzebra]

Karen, that is another great idea, I will order a thesaurus today too,

[bellabelly]

really recommend this

[spottyzebra]

Oh, Bellabelly, that is perfect for me. I feel a bit embarrased, that I will be reading something for Year 7-9 students. But it will do me the world of good.
Thankyou very much.

[bellabelly]

Don't be embarrassed! I am English teacher and I found it great!

[spottyzebra]

could you reccomend a childrens and adults dicitionary for me aswell?

[bellabelly]

Hmm, for using with your dd I would go for a picture dictionary cos they are more fun and I think she would enjoy it more. Think Collins do a good one (am on maternity leave and am getting hazy!) -will try and find link.

[bellabelly]

something like this?

[Karen999]

Another good thing that you and your daughter can do together is join the library....some have 'story time' sessions where you can both join in.

[bellabelly]

Adult dictionary - I would just get an Oxford Concise one - don't bother with the REALLY enormous ones, they are a bit off-putting and also very expensive.

[bellabelly]

oops - have just seem in your original post that dd is 7 months NOT 7 years as I had thought! Think there are other dictionaries available for younger tots too.

[HolidaysQueen]

I second the dictionary. I have always loved reading and am a good speller etc. but I still refer to my dictionary nearly every day and sometimes just browse through it when I'm bored to try and learn a new word...

Another thing you might want to think about are some word games you can play alone or with your friends/family (and then your daughter as she gets older) to expand your vocabulary and get more confident with words. Boggle is one that my family always enjoyed (you make words using a random selection of letters) and Scrabble is another. If you want to do something quick on your own, a book of quick crosswords (not the cryptic ones) might be fun, and lots of papers have these or other daily word puzzles. T2, the daily supplement in the Times, has a puzzle on the back page where you try to make as many words as you can from the letters given.

Finally, I would heartily recommend trying to read a newspaper daily - even just one or two articles. It needn't even be news - The Times and The Guardian both have daily supplements with articles more like the sort of thing you'd read in magazines.

Good luck - I think what you're doing for you and your daughter is brilliant!

[spottyzebra]

Oh yes, holidaysqueen, that is a great idea about crosswords. i think DH would play scrabble etc with me and when dd is older we can all play word games.

I will definatly start to read a daily newspaper, even if i read a few articles online first.

Thankyou for all your encouragement everyone, I feel revved up and ready to go.
and thankyou for saying you think it is great im doing this for DD, feel even more positive now.

[Sidge]

Have you thought about doing a Learn Direct course? Learn Direct

They do lots of courses, many of which are free or low cost. You can do them in your own time at home online.

[spottyzebra]

Karen, yes i joined DD to the library when she was only 8 weeks old, and our local library does rhymetime and storytime, but i haven't been yet, I will take dd to the next one. I think she will love it as she enjoys nursery rhymes.

[Karen999]

It is a great thing that you are doing. Having a love of language and trying to improve on it is so worthwhile! I am so glad that my dd1 (8) loves reading and can spend hours sitting reading! (also a good way of keeping them quiet when they are older )

Dd2 is 11 months but she loves books too. I have read her a bedtime story since she was 6 weeks old and she really enjoys it...

Being aware of this now whilst your dd is young will give you plenty of time to make a great start.....Good Luck.....I hope you both really enjoy it and get a lot our of it!! xx