tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166485136346615925.post1330338243713776190..comments2023-09-18T04:40:36.072-05:00Comments on Stuart's Polish Language Learning Blog: Where You Be At?Stuart Gourdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17209397555666771860noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166485136346615925.post-52417647694966334462013-04-27T10:44:14.301-05:002013-04-27T10:44:14.301-05:00And I do want to emphasize, for anyone who is a na...And I do want to emphasize, for anyone who is a native speaker of a foreign language and might not understand, that some of the sentences in this post were not grammatically correct. But if you say, "Where you be at?" English speakers will probably understand you.Stuart Gourdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17209397555666771860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166485136346615925.post-50709926633336001382013-04-27T10:41:37.439-05:002013-04-27T10:41:37.439-05:00To me, mistakes don't much matter--it's th...To me, mistakes don't much matter--it's the communication that counts. If what you are saying/writing can be understood and you can pick up the meaning when someone is communicating with you, then your goal has been accomplished. Anything after that is just the cherry on the whipped cream.Stuart Gourdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17209397555666771860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166485136346615925.post-2333270251717859772013-04-27T05:08:40.977-05:002013-04-27T05:08:40.977-05:00I wasn't very clear in my blog; I was referrin...I wasn't very clear in my blog; I was referring to that early stage of initial language acquisition, like a toddler being raised in a bilingual home. I think that's the ideal way to learn a language. <br /><br />In a structured environment, I do think adults have advantages. Me, I lacked the focus and self-discipline to study a language until I was in my middle age, so it's a moot point :P.<br /><br />As for this: "Well, ain't no native-speaking adult ever be making no grammatical mistakes, right?"<br /><br />...I'll quibble a bit. Those aren't actually mistakes. That's dialectical speech and appropriate in its context.<br /><br />An example of a mistake English speakers often make is: "There's lots of reasons." <br /><br />The thing is, native speakers and non-native speakers make different types of mistakes. Polish people often say "I call to home." <br /><br />I don't think it's possible or necessary to speak without mistakes. I stress this to my students. Articles and prepositions alone are a huge field of potential errors, let alone phrasal verbs. <br /><br />My own goal is simply to understand and be understood. I don't care how funny I sound, as long as it doesn't keep people from wanting to talk to me.<br /><br />Anyway, interesting, as always. I hope in a year or two, I'll be at a level where we can converse a little more about Polish itself, but I'm still at a very basic level. Immersion is really good for me, though. Thanks again for all your help.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com