Improving Your First Language: Lessons from a Native Speaker

I consider Vietnamese my native language. That is, I can model the world in basic terms, perform work, and think about others or stuff to do. This means I can engage in basic conversations where there is a shared goal or obvious agreement. This is always the case for English, too, although it might not be as immediately apparent since many people study the same language at school and then English. To enhance your first language, you need a language that has good elements of a philosophy of language that can model agency or actions to perform and is a living reflection of, or adequate for, the living thing in which it exists.

My Experience with Different Languages

Every language has its quirks. Some are more logical than others. I found English both in spelling and pronunciation to be amongst the worst I know. We used to be told that German, my native language, is written as you speak it, but that is clearly not true either. Several attempts have been made over the years to simplify it, especially the use of upper and lower case writing, which is a nightmare. I have a copy of a textbook that contains a dictation that nobody has ever done without at least one error. I am not convinced about the success it had. I was convinced of the fallacies of English, just google ldquo;ghotirdquo; which is one of my favorites.

I found Spanish to be very easy to write with only one technical difficulty—the difference between the use of lsquo;grsquo; and lsquo;jrsquo; in front of certain vowels and the same for lsquo;zrsquo; and lsquo;crsquo;.

I was once told that Czech has none of these issues and is at least, from a spelling point of view, ldquo;perfectrdquo;. Several attempts have been made in the past to create artificial languages, the most famous being probably Esperanto. Although since the advent of Klingon, I am not so sure anymore. At least in theory, these design attempts would lend themselves to the creation of a perfect language.

Developing Language Skills

To further improve your first language, one effective method is to read a lot. Reading not only helps in building a rich vocabulary but also exposes you to different styles and structures of language. This, in turn, enhances your ability to express yourself effectively.

Joining Groups for Language Improvement

I suggest you try Toastmasters International. It is a group that specializes in learning public speaking. They are present in around 150 countries. In our local club, probably one-third of the members are foreign born. Each of our meetings are made up of two or three people giving speeches usually ranging from five to seven minutes. We have a grammarian who checks for mistakes in grammar, an ldquo;ahrdquo; counter who checks for people using frequent ldquo;ahrdquo;s, and an evaluator for each speaker. We take turns with these duties. Of particular interest is the ldquo;Table topicsrdquo; portion of the meeting, which teaches one to speak extemporaneously. Most clubs welcome new members. Do a Google search to see if there is a club in your area.

Additional Tips for Language Improvement

Engaging in conversations with native speakers, watching movies, and listening to podcasts can also greatly enhance your language skills. Consistency and practice are key to truly mastering your first language. Regularly practicing your language can accelerate your learning process and help you communicate more effectively with others.