We can go far with idiomatic English even if we are not native English speakers.
Using idioms is building bridges to where we would like to be. We would like to close all communication gaps, wouldn't we?
Communication is not just about speech. It is also about how we present ourselves. Our postures matter. So, a standing mirror helps. With a handy smartphone recording our practice, meanwhile, we can always play it back and have a better idea of how we are doing. Isn't self-teaching wonderful?
As for our accents, don't take them as liabilities. They can be exotically charming. Who knows? We'll be okay as long as we keep ourselves open to communication which, by the way, is a two-way street.
English is not our mother tongue, using idiom can make it nice and easy to communicate.
An idiom is a phrase that typically presents a figurative but not the literal meaning attached to the phrase. Using idiom can give us a new, creative way to express ourselves. Native English speakers use tons of idioms in their daily life. Used correctly, idioms can get our messages across faster and easier.
To use idioms correctly, I have a book of idioms as my guide. I read the book to figure out the meaning of the idioms, and practice how to speak them in front of a mirror with recording. Recording helps me to see my mistakes and how to fix them.
By the way, accent can be charming and give us our identity and heritage. Don’t worry too much about the accent as long as most people can understand us. And don’t be offended if somebody needs more time to understand our speaking.
Politically incorrect? Racially biased? Not from the neck of my woods.
2. to get somebody's message across
This is what I wrote: ---"getting his or her message across." What's wrong with that? The typo ("cross") is yours, not mine. Take it back, will you?
3. you'd better be proud
I don't see any hint of coersion in my context. Perhaps, you're a little bit oversensitive.
4. everyday Joe and Jane
It is not only my preference to say "everyday" rather "average." It is commonly used in the media these days.
5. "assimiliated" "interlucator"
What's wrong with these two words in my context? In my humble opinion, they're where they belong. It's written English, not spoken English, by the way.
6. It's "play nice and play safe" in my post. If you read carefully enough, which I don't think you did, you might want to say this: "We won't let perfection get in our way. Still, we'd better know where we're going. Why make a mistake if we can avoid it?"
7. Standing mirror/smartphone
A standing mirror will help you check out your posture. By all means ignore it if you think this is not a good idea. Likewise for the smartphone.
8. "exotically"
Politically incorrect? Again? You must be kidding me.
---------------------------------
This is your writing:
My two cents:
Even if the English is not our mother tongue, using idiom is still make it nice and easy to communicate.
An idiom is a phrase that typically presents a figurative but not the literal meaning attached to the phrase. Using idiom can give us a new, creative way to express ourselves. Native English speakers use tons of idioms in their daily life. Used correctly, idioms can get our messages across faster and easier.
To use idioms correctly, I have a book of idioms as my guide. I read the book to figure out the meaning of the idioms, and practice how to speak them in front of a mirror with recording. Recording helps me to see my mistakes and how to fix them.
By the way, accent can be charming and give us our identity and heritage. Don’t worry too much about the accent as long as most people can understand us. And don’t be offended if somebody needs more time to understand our speaking.
The following is my Two Cents:
We can go far with idiomatic English even if we are not native English speakers.
Using idioms is building bridges to where we would like to be. We would like to close all communication gaps, wouldn't we?
Communication is not just about speech. It is also about how we present ourselves. Our postures matter. So, a standing mirror helps. With a handy smartphone recording our practice, meanwhile, we can always play it back and have a better idea of how we are doing. Isn't self-teaching wonderful?
As for our accents, don't take them as liabilities. They can be exotically charming. Who knows? We'll be okay as long as we keep ourselves open to communication which, by the way, is a two-way street.
We can go far with idiomatic English even if we are not native English speakers.
Using idioms is building bridges to where we would like to be. We would like to close all communication gaps, wouldn't we?
Communication is not just about speech. It is also about how we present ourselves. Our postures matter. So, a standing mirror helps. With a handy smartphone recording our practice, meanwhile, we can always play it back and have a better idea of how we are doing. Isn't self-teaching wonderful?
As for our accents, don't take them as liabilities. They can be exotically charming. Who knows? We'll be okay as long as we keep ourselves open to communication which, by the way, is a two-way street.
亲戚20年前来美一穷二白，凭着中国人的勤劳和智慧如今也千万身家。英语主要是对精神世界和打工爬梯有影响。在精神世界里面，任何一个领域，西方都领先于中国，特别是中共统治中国以后对中国文化的破坏，中文的精神世界里头就只有垃圾了。任何一个领域，就连workout，你都得去阅读英文资料才能获得真正正确的知识，就更甭提政治、人文、哲学、心理学、音乐、舞蹈、教育、宗教、科技、医学。。。
用成语是沟通时的捷径，但是帖子的语气有点接近中文，而且在正式和非正式之间跳动，读起来不够流畅。
没问题，有几个观点探讨一下：
Melting pot 是政治不正确的说法。这年头讲究个性，任何人都需要特殊照顾，Melting pot 是种族歧视，文化歧视，国际歧视。。。
to get somebody's message across. (不是 cross)。
“you'd better”， 中文“最好”是个中性词。但在英文中有威胁的成分：you'd better do this, otherwise...
Everage Joe （不是 everyday Joe)。Average 形容人时会引起反感：我比别人聪明多了，怎么会是 average！
“assimilated” “interlocutors” etc.：不是交谈时用词， 更不是 everage Joe/Jane所用。
“Play it safe” 与不怕犯错是背道而驰的概念。
“Standing” mirror/smartphone： 镜子不必立地也可以练英语，不用手机也可以录音。如果要简单易懂，可以去掉。
“Exotically” charming: Exotically 政治不正确。
帖子中用了很多成语，但如帖中所说，是要避免的。与说中文一样，成语可以简单明了地表达自己的观点，但为了用成语而用成语会变得词不达意了。
My two cents:
English is not our mother tongue, using idiom can make it nice and easy to communicate.
An idiom is a phrase that typically presents a figurative but not the literal meaning attached to the phrase. Using idiom can give us a new, creative way to express ourselves. Native English speakers use tons of idioms in their daily life. Used correctly, idioms can get our messages across faster and easier.
To use idioms correctly, I have a book of idioms as my guide. I read the book to figure out the meaning of the idioms, and practice how to speak them in front of a mirror with recording. Recording helps me to see my mistakes and how to fix them.
By the way, accent can be charming and give us our identity and heritage. Don’t worry too much about the accent as long as most people can understand us. And don’t be offended if somebody needs more time to understand our speaking.
题外的话：政治正确是政客们发明出来限制言论自由的手段。但大环境如此，用政治不正确的说法会引起反感或给自己造成麻烦。都达不到沟通的目的。
如果你的父亲不是中国裔，那您就不是ABC了。
1. Melting pot
Politically incorrect? Racially biased? Not from the neck of my woods.
2. to get somebody's message across
This is what I wrote: ---"getting his or her message across." What's wrong with that? The typo ("cross") is yours, not mine. Take it back, will you?
3. you'd better be proud
I don't see any hint of coersion in my context. Perhaps, you're a little bit oversensitive.
4. everyday Joe and Jane
It is not only my preference to say "everyday" rather "average." It is commonly used in the media these days.
5. "assimiliated" "interlucator"
What's wrong with these two words in my context? In my humble opinion, they're where they belong. It's written English, not spoken English, by the way.
6. It's "play nice and play safe" in my post. If you read carefully enough, which I don't think you did, you might want to say this: "We won't let perfection get in our way. Still, we'd better know where we're going. Why make a mistake if we can avoid it?"
7. Standing mirror/smartphone
A standing mirror will help you check out your posture. By all means ignore it if you think this is not a good idea. Likewise for the smartphone.
8. "exotically"
Politically incorrect? Again? You must be kidding me.
---------------------------------
This is your writing:
My two cents:
Even if the English is not our mother tongue, using idiom is still make it nice and easy to communicate.
An idiom is a phrase that typically presents a figurative but not the literal meaning attached to the phrase. Using idiom can give us a new, creative way to express ourselves. Native English speakers use tons of idioms in their daily life. Used correctly, idioms can get our messages across faster and easier.
To use idioms correctly, I have a book of idioms as my guide. I read the book to figure out the meaning of the idioms, and practice how to speak them in front of a mirror with recording. Recording helps me to see my mistakes and how to fix them.
By the way, accent can be charming and give us our identity and heritage. Don’t worry too much about the accent as long as most people can understand us. And don’t be offended if somebody needs more time to understand our speaking.
The following is my Two Cents:
We can go far with idiomatic English even if we are not native English speakers.
Using idioms is building bridges to where we would like to be. We would like to close all communication gaps, wouldn't we?
Communication is not just about speech. It is also about how we present ourselves. Our postures matter. So, a standing mirror helps. With a handy smartphone recording our practice, meanwhile, we can always play it back and have a better idea of how we are doing. Isn't self-teaching wonderful?
As for our accents, don't take them as liabilities. They can be exotically charming. Who knows? We'll be okay as long as we keep ourselves open to communication which, by the way, is a two-way street.
---renqiulan
您写篇中文上来让文笔好的旅美作家（这城里不少）帮你改改还差不多。
“Even if the English is not our mother tongue, using idiom is still make it nice and easy to communicate. ”
Even if the English is not our mother tongue, using idiom still makes it nice and easy to communicate.
You love your mother a lot, but you don't owe her. 父母和子女的关系是“爱”，不是"欠". 谁也不欠谁。你对她好是因为你爱她，不是因为你欠她的。
爱和欠的最大区别是：一个是“自愿”一个是“不得不”，一个是开心喜悦一个是愧疚负担，一个是正面情绪一个是负面的情绪，一个可以持久一个会burn out, 相差很远滴
咋说呢，中国还并没有真正的进入现代文明社会，我们的几千年文化都是天地君亲师，成者为王 败者为寇, 你去看就知道毫无营养，尽是糟粕. 中国的谚语就更甭提了，都是些P话，什么“枪打出头鸟”什么“忍得一时之气省得百日之忧”什么“明知山有虎 偏向虎山行”，就沒有正常的。二十四孝里头更都是神经病。加上老共又愚民统治了74年，中国文化里哪还有什么看得用得的东西。
搁现在，这叫做 Unconscious Bias。
俺认为他的英文仅限于交流，不过由于他具有亚洲人的技术聪明（其实也只是比老美强，比留学的老中差十万八千里），爬得那叫一个快呀。
话说，一龙应该懂吧即然他博览全书，不过他的兴趣很有针对性，他说话和开玩笑有不少是科幻小说里头的，小时候肯定刨了不少科幻小说。
说起话来也可能是不忍卒听。
所以对一尊的批评包括了拿他的学历说事儿，其实他的问题不在学历。如果中国人（或者说中国文化）的眼界可以开阔一点，他也不至于需要假惺惺的跑去清华混个博士学位，浪费他自己和他人的的时间精力，也浪费了劳动人民辛苦挣来的钱。这个学历是做给国人看的，不是给洋人看的。
好拿学历和学校说事儿，是中国文化的又一糟粕。
这样吧，反正俺在全世界最差的地方，满意不
哎，感谢您的抬举，人类最珍贵的品质就是：勇敢。俺在国内敢翻墙写反共的话，这么勇敢，俺自己都要佩服死自己了。