Most common mistakes English

[Meteora]

I wonder how it is for you native speakers with people like me who learned English as a foreing language.

What are the most common mistakes?

I f. ex. struggle with the tenses.

Would be funny to hear what you think.

 

[dragonofenvy]

To be honest, a lot of English speakers seem to have a decent time understanding broken English. I know a French guy and used to know a Finnish guy who could barely understand native speakers of their own language talking in broken slang but could easily understand broken English.

I'd say tenses are the biggest struggle for non-native speakers. I learned Spanish for a while and man did I absolutely hate how many tenses there were. Some tenses I thought just shouldn't even exist, like different tenses for doing something once and doing something multiple times. In the end, we can still understand you perfectly, though it is a bit amusing to listen to I'll admit.

My favorite are insults from non-English speakers. They may not know English well, but it does help them come up with some very creative and hilarious insults.

Back to the topic, I suppose that tenses are a big one but also using proper conjugations. You know, things like "Me am going to go home" instead of "I am going to go home." I've heard things like that a few times, and am guilty of it myself in Spanish.

The other big challenge would probably be encountering more eloquent words that you aren't used to in normal conversation, such as the word eloquent since there are much simpler words to describe something than using a word like eloquent I could just say "more difficult language" instead. Slang terms are also hard, even for me as a native English speaker. I have a hard time understanding Gen Alpha and even Gen Z (my generation) slang.

 

[Meteora]

I'd say tenses are the biggest struggle for non-native speakers

Yeah tenses and vocabulary. Phrasal verbs are very tough for me, too.

In the end, we can still understand you perfectly, though it is a bit amusing to listen to I'll admit.

Haha, that's ok :).

My favorite are insults from non-English speakers. They may not know English well, but it does help them come up with some very creative and hilarious insults.

Yeah slang is a whole different strory. But I m old enough to just ask and don't expect myself to understand. Don't have to be cool anymore at my age :)

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

People don't care that much.
My English isn't perfect...yet I was able to live in English speaking country. I wasn't paying much attention at school and learned it by ear from listening and later reading English content.
I was self conscious about my eastern European accent lol but it gradually went away the more I spoke English and it's not that noticeable anymore

 

[Meteora]

I have never been to an English speaking country, guess that's why I sometimes wonder if native speakers even understand me. Now that's a bit extreme but I lack this experience.

I basically learned to talk among other non-native speakers and the tricky part is that you learn their faults and take it for proper English .
I notice that as soon as a native speaker turns up, be it asking me for the way in the city or elsewhere, I feel intimidated and can't talk English anymore.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Here's one even people who know English get wrong all the time:

Many people might type or say "should of", "could of", or "would of" but this is wrong. It's supposed to be "should have", "could have", and "would have". I suppose the confusion stems from the contractions "should've", "could've", and "would've" sounding so similar but come on, what does it even mean when there's an "of" in there?

 

[4am]

Here's one even people who know English get wrong all the time:

Many people might type or say "should have", "could have", or "would have" but this is wrong. It's supposed to be "should have", "could have", and "would have". I suppose the confusion stems from the contractions "should've", "could've", and "would've" sounding so similar but come on, what does it even mean when there's an "of" in there?

i feel like this is something that only natives would do, because non natives kinda subconsciously analyze what they're saying, whereas natives say stuff right off the bat

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I posted quite a lot here on SS. Am I native speaker or English is my 2nd language? I think there's a big difference between actual spoken/written English in various places (= dialects) and the official English language according to the books. Dunno if we can say it this way.

This place here is certainly more connected to "actual spoken English".

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

i feel like this is something that only natives would do, because non natives kinda subconsciously analyze what they're saying, whereas natives say stuff right off the bat

That could be true too. Add that to yet another advantage to being bilingual.

 

[Meteora]

What is your second language @Dr Iron Arc

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

What is your second language @Dr Iron Arc

I don't have one, I just know there are lots of upsides to being bilingual because I don't have any of them. I probably should have communicated that better considering it's my first and only language.

 

[Meteora]

I don't have one, I just know there are lots of upsides to being bilingual because I don't have any of them. I probably should have communicated that better considering it's my first and only language.

Ah ok, no worries.
I can get confused between languages. My Italian seems to disappear noe that I speak more English. Guess there's not enough space in my birdbrain.

 

[UnrepentantSunrise]

the most common mistake I see is not quite understanding the difference between stuff like "can I" and "I can"

a non-native speaker may ask "you can pour me a glass of water?" instead of the correct "can you pour me a glass of water?"

 

[R_N]

Now I feel guilty for never thinking about how native speakers decipher my english lol but it seems they understand me most of the time with no issues.

I can also imagine there are a lot of people like me online so it just kinda happened.

We appreciate you for tolerating us tho.

 

[Meteora]

I never know when to use the infinitive or the -ing form (present progressive?).

I can't bear staying / I can't bear to stay....... that's a very tough one to learn. But I agree, it might be details and its not an issue when it comes to being understood.