English Purpose of this subforum

Hi Regina,

just like you I like to meet some friends to talk
and laugh together. This morning it was my turn to
have three women at my home. Every 3 weeks we meet
to play "Uno". Do you know this game? It is not too
demanding so that we can also talk together at the
same time. Indeed we often don`t know whose turn it is...
My husband also leaves the room and often hears us
laughing. Then he knows that we really have much fun!

It`s a pity that you think you don`t learn anything
in your English course. On the other side it`s nice
that it`s such a funny course. As laughing is good for your health you should go on taking part in it.

Each Tuesday I go to the so-called "Reha-Sport". That
is such a funny course, too. But we also have to do
strenuous exercices. Ten to fifteen people come together
each time and we all enjoy this hour of sports.

Tomorrow we shall celebrate our daughter-in-law`s birthday. As she is pregnant and doesn`t feel
very well at the moment she asked me to bake a lemon tart. So I was rather busy this afternoon. At the
beginning of december I shall become a grand-mother!

Till the next time -

greetings from Dörte

Hi, Dörte. Now I have time again to write to you. We have had the floor-tilers. But first we must remove all the furniture of the room. This was not so easy. I am really glad that it is over now. But we have an other room to tile. Dreadful English. My teacher would be very deeply offended if he could read what I have written.
Yes,I like my English lessons.Last week we were only 5 persons and this is very good for all of us. We looked an English film and then we spoke about it.
Do you read English books? Or french books? By the way, your french is very well.I red what you have written in the french-forum.
I think you are a very activ woman. That's very good. Surely you will enjoy if you are a grand-mother. My family live far away and now the children are nearly adult.Time passes so rapidly. OK,now ,have a nice week-end, till later Regina

Hello Ginabeate,
I was just "surfing" through the different chapters and options of the ST when I occasionally met with the English circle.
I think it is a really good idea, but I wonder if it works sufficiently, as, usually, people, women as well as men use to be a little shy in speaking or still practicing a foreign language, although they have handled it in the past more or less successful.
I, for myself, am retired from my job since 5 years, still feeling kept busy by a lot of things like reading, playing keyboard, working with wood, maintaining our house and and and...
In my job I often had visitors from abroad and I had to travel to countries especially in Near East, and there communication was kept in English.

How many Members take share of the English circle? And how did you come to your English knowledge? May I put this question to all sharing this circle?

Looking forward to your reply

regards from Papa Joe

Hi, Papa Joe, nice to read something of you. Till now, are only two ,Dörte and I, in this English forum. But we write nearly regulary. I learned English many years ago as I was a very young girl.I learned it at school. Here I have the possibility to write in English. So I do it just for fun. And, indeed, it's very nice to get an answer. Once a week I go to an English course.But it's only a conversations course.We don't write. We talks,discuss about subjects actually and from time to time we look an English film.( with help of our teacher) Joe, I hope you will write to us from time to time. Surely you have to tell us a lot. Have a nice evening Regina

Hello Regina,

it was nice to read from you again. I can imagine that you are
very glad that the floor tilers have meanwhile finished their
work. It must have been rather uncomfortable!

Two weeks ago some gardeners renewed our complete garden behind
our house. All the plants and trees were removed and replaced
by new plants. As the gardeners could go through our garage
our house stayed clean. But nevertheless we were happy after
the work was finished!

How about your English lessons? Which film did you see? No -
I don`t read English or French books - but many German books!!
As at school I always preferred English it is much easier for
me to write in this language than in French. I am not sure
that my French is so very good..

Yesterday I spent some nice hours together with my daughter.
She is on holiday for this week and proposed to go shopping
with me in Oldenburg which is only half an hour by car away
from my town. I enjoyed the time with her very much - especially
as I found a lot of clothes to buy. That`s not always so - as
you surely know yourself! Only in the afternoon we returned -
tired but happy!! What a pity that your children live so far
away.
As to me being very active - I think you are quite active, too!
Going to English lessons, walking with your dog, golfing...

I`m looking forward to your answer. Have a nice weekend.

With kind regards,
Dörte

Hello Papa Joe,

as Regina already wrote to you it seems as if only the two of
us have stayed in this English circle. But I really enjoy
reading a contribution from you, too.
Just like you I surfed through the different articles and
found this forum. As I have always liked the English language
I started writing here. Many years ago (!) I learned English
at school. Later as a secretary I didn`t need English very
often so that there weren`t many possibilities to talk or write
in this language. But my knowledge or better what I hadn`t
forgotten could help my children at school.
By the way there is an English chat every Sunday from 8 p. m.
or 9 p. m. for about an hour. When I came in there for the
first time I was very shy and didn`t dare to write anything
because till I had thought how to write correctly the others
had already changed the subject! But they all are very nice
and now I just write even if it is not correct.

As you often had visitors from abroad and even travelled
to foreign countries you surely don`t have any problems
to write in English. So please join our English circle!

With kind regards,

Dörte

Hello Regina, hello Dörte,

it's nice to get responce on my English startup so fast. I've "crashed" another time through the different articles of this circle (is that the correct verb or should I better use the "New German" verb THREAD? ) and I noticed that, short after the opening, much more folks have been busy by writing in English. Up to now the number has decreased substantially.
In my opinion the reason is, that for most of all the English language is still nothing but a foreign language, learned in former years mainly in school, and sometimes later on used in the curse of the job. So, if they now intend to re-new their English knowledge for instance here in the ST, they first have to think about words, grammar structure a.s.o a.s.o.... And this can be a little bit boring! This is my personal experience.
See, I'm "out off the job" since 5 years, having retired after a heart attack, meaning no necessitiy of using my English knowledge anymore. AND now I have to notice that I really have to keep my "grey cells" busy to find words with sence. But I think I will go on practising on this way, and I'm sure this will be helpful. As far as possible I try not to use a dictionary!!!

I now I've told quit a lot about me and I think it's your turn for a reply!

What about reading English books? Listening to English or American radio stations? Watching English or American TV? This is very helpful for practising (so I am told!!)

Looking forward to your mail(s)

kind regards from Papa Joe alias Hans-Joachim

Hi, JO. As for me,I don't learn more. I do it really just for fun.Well,I go to school once a week,but if my lesson is over my schoolbag flies in the corner till next week. Except our teacher will show us a film and it is necessary to learn some new words.I think, it's helpful for me to write here in this forum. From time to time I read English books. But easy books so that I have fun to read them. I have not so much time because I have so many other hobbies.
Hallo, Dörte.As I can see, you write French as good as you write English. You have all my respect.For writing in French i need a lot of time. I must look very often into a dictionary. I know the words but I never know how to write them. I have a friend who likes to speak french. Because she speaks very well french we phone french from time to time .It's a little help not to forget all.And I like french very much. I'll stop now bye,bye Dörte bye bye Jo

Hello Hans-Joachim,

what a pleasure that not only women are writing here!
It surely is a good experience to write in English
although I think that this must be easier for you
because you used this language during your job.
As I already wrote to you I only learned it at school
and didn`t use it later on. Sometimes I could help
my daughter with her lessons which I enjoyed very much.

As to the minimized members in this forum I guess that
at the beginning many people are enthusiastic. But
this feeling doesn`t last very long... And at last
only a few persons remain who really are interested
in writing here. It`s the same in the French forum.

By the way - if you need a dictionary - do you already
know www.leo.org? That`s the way I find the words
which I don`t know or which I have forgotten. It`s
much easier than to use a dictionary.

I don`t read English books or listen to English
radio stations although this might be helpful. It`s
just fun for me to write as well as I can do it.

What else do you want to know about us? (Regina
and me) I`m looking forward to your questions!

Have a nice weekend.

Praline1 (Dörte)

Hello Regina,

if you knew how long it takes for me to write a French
contribution!! I also have to look for the vocabulary
because I have forgotten a lot. But as Hans-Joachim
wrote it is good to keep the "grey cells" busy!
For me it is easier to write than to talk just because
"il me manque des mots!". I guess I couldn`t talk
French on the telephone or it would last very long
till I would have finished a sentence...

Do you have any plans for the weekend? My husband and
I will go to see our son and daughter-in-law tomorrow.
They bought the furniture for their baby and want
to show it to us. Their son is supposed to be born
at the beginning of December.

Have a nice weekend.

Dörte