There are three types of mistakes to avoid in order to speak English better
English is the most studied language in France. Since its structure is quite simple, the basics are relatively easy to master. However, there are many pitfalls in the way of learning. Learn what they are and how to avoid them.
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LMost of us have had to learn English sooner or later in life. Some are just starting out, others want to retake classes to regain their previous level, work or even travel. Either way, you’re likely to regularly run into problems translating your ideas into English. There is no shortage of fake friends, untranslatable or different terms between British and American English, obstacles. Three types of recurring mistakes or difficulties that prevent you from speaking English better.
Fake friends or false friends
Sometimes friends, sometimes enemies, the French and the British nevertheless remained neighbors. And so in course of time they cheerfully influenced each other, giving birth to our Anglicisms and spreading Gallicisms across the Channel. These exchanges are a boon to learning because they make it possible to have points of reference and common roots. But this advantage quickly turns into a trap, as we tend to associate all similar-sounding words with similar meanings, but this is not always the case; this is called false friends.
If the train (by train), table (on the table), an elephant (an elephant), even the president (the president), remain similar in content and form from one language to another, with many exceptions.
Bright, businesslike, character and currently, for example, shows the boundaries of this shortcut well. english, bright, work, character, and in fact Although the spelling is very similar, they generally do not mean the same thing.
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bright is an exclamation meaning fantastic or awesome. We say to designate something bright bright Where bright.
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A businessfar from the French meaning to be translated by Business Where issueusually designates adultery or at least a love affair.
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character literally translates as character or hero, which we will use more often personality Talk about French character.
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Finally, actually will be used in the true sense. At the moment it would be the correct translation right now.
There is no miracle recipe to avoid falling into this trap, you need to learn the list of English-French false friends and the correct translation.
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Differences between American and British English
English has developed differently from one corner of the world to another. Even if they are not wrong in themselves, it is useful to know the differences between American and British English in order to understand, be understood and adapt. Toilet, petrol, subway or elevator are all words that are translated differently.
- If you’re looking for a toilet in the UK, you’ll probably be shown by them toiletHowever restaurant and bath room It will be more involved in the US.
- The essence will be written gasoline Where gas You refuel across the Channel or across the Atlantic.
- Look for signs to find the subway underground in London and Subway in New York.
- The elevator will be displayed raise by the British and elevator by Americans.
Still, there is no better way to know its differences than to study them!
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Literal translation errors and untranslatable
As with fake friends, we want to sample what we know, in French, and what we learn, in English.
Again, literal translation is the best way to get it wrong. Indeed, both the structure of the sentences and the words in certain dictionaries do not correspond to it.
For example, the word dépaysé has no equivalent in English. Likewise, brothers does not translate literally into French because it is a neutral version of “brother and sister”. other terms like judgeWhere mainstream translates poorly and sometimes requires a full sentence to convey the same idea. In order to speak English better, it is very important to learn the correct translations of French terms or concepts in order to translate the meaning, not word for word: what is called literary translation. The difference between beginner and intermediate is the precise presentation of ideas
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