7 Wonders of the English Language

7 Wonders of the English Language

If you are one of those people who think their first language is much richer than the target language, English, this post is for you. No, it’s not written to claim that English is “richer” or better than your mother tongue. In fact, comparing languages is hardly right because each language is fabulously rich and wonderful in its own way. It’s like comparing varieties of strawberries—they’re all different, but they’re all strawberries – sweet, juicy, and delicious.

What we want to do in this article is show you some things that English can do that some other languages may not be able to. Please don’t be too critical if you find some of these wonders less impressive. You might think, “So what? It’s the same in my language!” If that’s the case, chances are you speak a Germanic language. English, a West Germanic language, shares similarities with its “siblings” like German, Dutch, and Danish. Nevertheless, read on. We hope this post will encourage everyone to look at English from a new perspective and discover something they haven’t noticed before.

Comparing languages is like comparing varieties of strawberries—they’re all different, but they’re all strawberries – sweet, juicy, and delicious.
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The Beauty of New Beginnings

The Beauty of New Beginnings

Writing and posting articles tagged “my diary” still feels a little tricky for me. Not just because it’s something new and not typically done on this website, but primarily because it’s personal. And the reason I’d like to continue going this personal here on my blog, which is primarily devoted to English as a second language, is that I believe what I have to share relates to learning in a broad, meaningful sense. Learning a language is just part of the lifelong learning journey many of us are fortunate to be on.

So, the purpose of this blog entry is to encourage you, my reader, to think about how our priorities change over time and how beautiful that change can be. To put this into a more practical, language-learning perspective, I’ll focus on the importance of self-acceptance and giving ourselves some slack when undertaking a challenge as big as mastering a foreign language. If you find this aspect particularly interesting, please check my post “Finding Joy in Growth, Not Perfection.” Now, let’s dive into what I actually mean by a new beginning.

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Finding Joy in Growth, Not Perfection

Finding Joy in Growth, Not Perfection

Hello to whoever is reading this. My name is Kate. I am the mind behind this blog, an English teacher, and many other things. I’m also a perfectionist, and have been one for the longest time, though most of the time, I didn’t fully realize it. It was only a few years ago, as I was about to become a mother, that I recognized I was striving for perfection in order to feel good about myself, and what made me feel good was praise and validation from others.

In this post, however, I won’t be focusing on motherhood or parenting. Since this blog centers on language learning, and considering my profession as a teacher, I’d like to maintain this perspective and discuss what learning and growth should ideally be driven by. Here’s a disclaimer: I’ve come to the conclusion that it should not be perfectionism.

So, let me share with you the lessons I’ve learned from experience, hoping that someone who needs to know they are not alone in their struggles will find what they need to read today.

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