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/lit/ - Literature

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905082 No.905082 [Reply] [Original]

>drop out of college
>the fuck am I gonna do now?
>get an interview for a job as a translator dutch-english
>no degree necessary only perfect english

So /lit/, this interview is really important to me, my English has always been my biggest strength but I fear I might lose the job to a native speaker. I have less than two weeks left and want to focus all of this very short time to improve or perfect my English, both speech and writing, at least to a level I could pass the interview making no obvious mistakes. I'm nothing more than your average college dropout, but I think it's fair to say I've always had a natural talent for English, in high-school and college I never had to open a book to get at least 75% and always ranking top of my class even though the others had to study hard, still my biggest worry is I'll be seen as just another college dropout that happens to be rather good in English (to be fair, that's probably just what I am) and as said lose the job to a native speaker.

By now I think it's clear what my request is, I'd like suggestions for everything I could do to improve my English, basic writing, punctuation rules,....

Thanks

also
in return
images of cute animals hugging

>> No.905095

I think you deserve to be stoned to death for being so inferior of a person that you're not even capable of finishing college.

>> No.905099 [DELETED] 

>>905078

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Aｗl_ＷIｔｈ_n
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>> No.905107

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

>> No.905115
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905115

>>905095
Thank you for your constructive feedback.

>> No.905120

Looks pretty good to me, I don't really see a difference. In fact, if you hadn't said you weren't a native speaker I would've thought it was your first language.

>> No.905124

Well your English so far is pretty impeccable.

>to focus all of this very short time to improve or perfect my English
should be
> to focus all of this very short time ON IMPROVING or perfectING my English

Well apart from minor nigglings about your writing I think the only thing that could help you would be to chat with a native speaker. Do you have any in real life or online that you might be able to converse with and have them critique you?

>> No.905146

Since interviews are oral, there's no need to worry about punctuations. What you have to watch out for is how not to break down and come across as a bumbling fool. You might want to prepare a translation portfolio, just in case.

>> No.905155
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905155

>>905107
Thx a lot
>>905120
Ty
>>905124
Exactly the kind of thing I'm afraid of and want to avoid, thx for pointing it out.
Sadly I have no native English friends and the best English chats I have are on 4chan, maybe someone knows a place on the Internet that's notorious for nitpicking on language, it'd be helpful.

Also since I'm not at all familiar with writing in English, in Dutch we have 'het groene boekje' which is the official reference on grammar, is there anything similar in English?

thanks for the help I've already gotten

>> No.905169

>>905124

Don't listen to that guy, the word is 'upon'..not on.

You need a grammar Nazi, or read more English book..

>> No.905195

>>905155
Well this is the best place I know of so I'm going to give you a task. Take a couple paragraphs of Dutch text off of a news site or from some book and translate them for us. We'll assume the translation is truthful to the Dutch source and focus on how your English is.

Once we critique that one simply find some more text and repeat. Bump the thread as necessary.

>> No.905196

http://www.amazon.com/Grammar-Bible-Everything-Always-Wanted/dp/0805075607/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=
books&qid=1278975983&sr=8-7

I'm dyslexic so this has been my guide. Take a crack at it.

>> No.905216

>>905169
This is correct but few people properly use 'upon' in everyday speech. It would sound exceedingly formal, like not using conjunctions.

>Also since I'm not at all familiar with writing in English, in Dutch we have 'het groene boekje' which is the official reference on grammar, is there anything similar in English?
Sadly no.

>> No.905241

At this level, you need to simply spruce up your form. For example, your sentences run on, as shown here:

>I never had to open a book to get at least 75% and always ranking top of my class even though the others had to study hard, still my biggest worry is I'll be seen as just another college dropout that happens to be rather good in English (to be fair, that's probably just what I am) and as said lose the job to a native speaker.

Put a period after the part where you say 'study hard' and begin the next sentence with still, putting a comma afterward. The same goes for other places in your paragraph, replace commas with periods. Grasping nuances like where to place commas and end sentences is extremely difficult, especially for a non-native speaker. English is not a language that flows. It's concise, sharp, and demands sharp attention to rules that sometimes seem completely invisible. Try to immerse yourself in English by listening to native speakers, so you can grasp their nuances and understand the difference between formal, instructional english and living english.

>> No.905244

My advice would be to start hanging out with native speakers as much as you can. Language is like a muscle, if you use it more, it becomes stronger.

>> No.905246
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905246

>>905169
>>905195
>>905216
Thanks for all the help, The grammar bible will keep me busy for now and as it's twenty past one by now I'm off to bed. Seeing this is /lit/ and threads don't die overnight I'll return tomorrow and do some translations.

again thanks for all the help