Anyone who decides to learn a second or third language is exceptional. It is not an easy ambition to achieve.
This article has been written as a kind of cheat sheet (fiche de revision / hoja de repaso) for your convenience. It has not been written to criticise or belittle anyone. Most of my students over the last eight years have been from France or Spain, so I have had a lot of time to observe common mistakes made by speakers from these countries.
In my previous blog, I wrote an introduction to this topic, which I suggest reading so that the two articles together can provide you with a clear picture about the types of mistakes commonly made by French and Spanish students, as well as the role of making mistakes in our journey of growth.
Some mistakes are made by speakers of both languages while some are specific to one language.
Read below to understand these shared and unshared errors.
There are many examples of this but here are three I hear every day:
This is an extraordinarily strong and intentional sound in English - it is always pronounced. The physical feeling of pronouncing the sound is very unnatural for French and Spanish speakers, so it takes intentional focus and some bravery. To achieve this sound correctly, you must use your stomach. It is not possible to make this sound only using your throat.
Plurals are indicated with an ‘S’ at the end of most nouns. A pluralised ‘S’ on an English noun is always pronounced.
The first means humorous, the second means enjoyable. Do not confuse them. They are not synonyms.
Remember, make means create, construct, or fabricate.
In English, adverbs go before the verb. There are rare exceptions but if you apply the rule above, you will never be wrong.
French speakers often say hopefully when they mean to say thankfully, fortunately, or luckily. Additionally, they use wish when they should use hope.
The grocery store is closed. Thankfully, I already bought some groceries yesterday = correct.
I hope you will recover from your illness fast = correct.
In English, there are many nouns that are never plural. These must be learned individually. There is no rule for this. Here are some nouns in English that are NEVER plural; you cannot add an ‘S’.
Transport, knowledge, homework, fruit, advice, feedback, information, data.
Normally does not mean normalement and eventually does not mean éventuellement. The correct English translations of these French words are usually and possibly respectively.
In English we do not use the in front of generalised things or concepts such as nature or life. If we are speaking about a specific part of nature or specific lives then yes, you can use the.
I love to spend time in nature = correct.
I love the variety of plants in the nature around my house = correct.
This is the way things are in life = correct.
This is the way things are in the life of French people = correct.
In English, normally is translated to usually. It is used to show general, regular, repeated actions or behaviours. It is not used to talk about a single action or behaviour that you expect to happen. To do this we use supposed to.
I am supposed to go on holiday in August = correct.
Normally I wake up at 7am = correct.
In Spanish there are a lot of flexible uses for have: tengo hambre, tengo sed, tengo viente años etc. In English there are not. For the given examples above, we use I am.
This phrase does not exist in English. If you want to show that you are aligned with someone’s opinion, choice, or perspective, you simply say: I agree. There is no am in the phrase. This is also true for the word disagree.
When giving reasons for something, Spanish speakers love to say, “It is for this reason that…”. Although this phrase is grammatically correct it is not how native English speakers express this sentiment. Instead, we say “That is why…”. It is much simpler.
The store closes at 5pm. That is why we need to leave home at 4 pm = correct.
Many times, when my students do not understand something, they say “…explain me, please”. Similarly, they will say things like “listen me” or “look me”. These phrases are completely incorrect in English because they must have a preposition to indicate direction.
Listen to me = correct
Look at me = correct
When we want to ask someone about the character, appearance, or personality of a third person, we do not say ¿Cómo es él? or ¿Cómo es? These phrases translate to how is he, which has a hugely different meaning in English. To illustrate the difference, look at the dialogues below.
Dialogue 1:
A: Marta just got married. Her husband’s name is Diego.
B: Oh, what is he like?
A: He is tall, polite and has a lovely smile.
Here the conversation is focused on Diego as a person.
Dialogue 2:
A: Shame, did you hear that Diego lost his job last week?
B: No, I didn’t. How is he?
A: He is alright but stressed, of course.
Here the conversation is focused on Diego’s mental and emotional state.
Thank you for reading this article. Please remember that the lists above are not exhaustive; they are not complete lists of all the mistakes learners make.
If you are interested in understanding your personal mistakes and challenges in English even more, please join us for online classes. We would absolutely love the opportunity to work with you!
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