<p>Welcome to the club. :D</p>
<p>@other-non-senior-members: Bow to the newest senior on tIt. It’s a custom.</p>
<p>Bought my new Victorinox Swiss Knife today…and the smartest thing I could do with it so far was to design a cut in my thumb, exactly 2.16mm deep. Geez, I never knew my blood had such a deep red texture !
<em>suppresses vampire-like behavior</em></p>
<p>Shrivats - What kind of a job do you get after completing a major in Materials Engineering ? </p>
<p>For all those guys in Dubai, I’ve studied there till 6th grade at The Intl. School of Choueifat (don’t need to remind me what it sounds like ;)). I had an excellent grasp of English and I loved the subject. I was (naturally) the best in my school in English. My essays and my grammar was perfect. Yeah, perfect. </p>
<p>But when I shifted to India, my proficiency in English decreased. A lot. I never bothered to read higher level grammar books anymore. I stopped writing essays, reading classics and stuff, etc. I just concentrated more on Maths and Sciences. I even got a double promotion. But I lost my perfect American accent. Yes, my English is almost ruined. (according to my standards). I shouldn’t have ever neglected it.</p>
<p>Now, (drumroll please) is there any way I can get my English back ? (Yes, I do sound a bit stupid, I know) Do any of you know some good grammar books, that could give my English a little boost ? Increase my Vocab ? Any spell that could “enervate” my English ? Should I read Barron’s SAT prep ? (Never touched it till now, its lying beneath my IIT books). Anything ?</p>
<p>HELP !</p>
<p>Well, none of that would’ve happened if you’d have stayed in Choueifat. Are you in CBSE right now? If so, the first thing you need to do is get all that they taught you in English out of your head.</p>
<p>It’ll get much easier after that.</p>
<p>No Lakshya…I had an ICSE syllabus, then when I joined FIITJEE, I was forced to study the State syllabus of AP.(SSC). The level of English is what I had learned in my 3rd grade at Choueifat. :D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How ? What did you do ?</p>
<p>Ok great, a subject close to me heart. (I pride myself on being a survivor of English in Indian Syllabi, even though I say things like me, instead of my. The following will be a many post issue. (Partly for my post count, partly because I hate reading/writing long posts :))</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part I</p>
<p>First off: The accent: Don’t try to change what you have. (I personally hate the perfect American accent) Do however listen to how you sound. (Which can be a shock. I hated the way I sound for a long while, till I learnt how to control it)</p>
<p>Record yourself reading something aloud, talking, expressing your views on something (I’m channeling my debate experience here, I’ve trained a number of people in debate ;))</p>
<p>Then, listen actively. Where you pause, what you say, the words you use. Your grammar, your English is but an outgrowth of how you think. (That’s Zen-ish, but true)</p>
<p>Digression: To the Dune fans out there! All Hail! :)</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part II</p>
<p>(Let’s make this an open forum, better that way. My inner wiki awakes :))</p>
<p>Hang the Grammar Books</p>
<p>And if you don’t want to hang them, just y’know, crucify them, or burn them or summat.</p>
<p>English is unique, unparalleled. The only true way to regain one’s grasp is to read, read, read.</p>
<p>The only question is what to read.</p>
<p>Now that’s a mire.</p>
<p>The answer’s pretty simple really.</p>
<p>Everything.</p>
<p>Read whatever you can get your hands on. Wodehouse is great, brilliant. So is Douglas Adams. The reason I’m suggesting these authors instead of say Dickens or Austen, is that they’re fun to read. They won’t bore you, or make you feel like you’re doing something that you need to do.</p>
<p>What they will do is help you understand how words come together, their functions in a sentence. These authors have a musicality about them. You’ll understand rhythm, understand why sometimes one word is better than another, and so on.</p>
<p>And if you don’t understand, then just read them anyway, and laugh and laugh and laugh. :)</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English (Also known as: He who has nothing to do): Part IIIA</p>
<p>Talk of feathers and quills:</p>
<p>Write.</p>
<p>Right.</p>
<p>To Write is probably the toughest thing that you’ll have to do in your re-mastering of English at the level of the sublime.</p>
<p>At least for me/I (I love descripivist/prescriptivist debates) writing has been the single most important thing in the development of my love for English.</p>
<p>It’s a common failing of all Indian systems, though the ISC’s a ton better than the others, that they kill the writer within all their students. (Props to Noldo and Kriti for surviving and enduring :))</p>
<p>You’ll have to begin writing again. Writing not in some moronic question answer session in an exam paper, or in taking notes (Still can’t believe you’ve got to do that) on some antiquated and antediluvian text, reeking with must and dust.</p>
<p>Start writing, in a diary, or anywhere, (TiT works too), about what you believe. I’m not talking about Bridget Jones Style shmuck, but about analytical and concise writing. The sort that reaches to the heart of the matter…</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part IIIB</p>
<p>Continued from ibid as they say. :)</p>
<p>Writing is difficult. I know only 3 people in the real world who can actually write. Write, not to answer a question, or to get marks, but actually write words that aren’t:</p>
<p>a) pretentious
b) suffering from the affliction of our time (Chatspeak)
c) boring.</p>
<p>You’ll have to develop your own style as you write. Pick a topic, anything. (Don’t limit yourself to the run-of-the-mill topics that you’ll have seen time and time again)</p>
<p>Write about misuse of hyphens, about the state of the world, about what you’re going to do once you get accepted to that college. </p>
<p>But get it down on paper.</p>
<p>When you write it on paper, it’ll look terrible.</p>
<p>It always does, for everybody. But keep it, don’t throw it away, or use it for target practice, keep it.</p>
<p>You’ll look back on it later, and learn from it.</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part IV (Or How I’m wrecking my keyboard typing furiously)</p>
<p>Those Flashy Things that are pointless</p>
<p>They’re called flash cards.</p>
<p>I hate them.</p>
<p>They’re pointless, scum upon the earth and they do not help. Trying to improve your vocabulary by meaningless mugging on the miraculously mundane is moronic. </p>
<p>Alliteration, Oh God Given Gift.</p>
<p>Point being: Words matter in context, innit?</p>
<p>Innit? (:p)</p>
<p>Look upon Language as organic. Read some high-highfalutin book and just slog through it.</p>
<p>If you find words you don’t know, Do Not check what they mean. Establish what they mean in that context, from what you know of the book thus far. (If you’re in FITJEE, then you’ve got the brains to do that, heck, you can probably blow me away in math and physics. :))</p>
<p>You’ll find that this will help you understand the true function of words. (I am so going to take that linguistics class).</p>
<p>Words exist to funnel ideas. As you read, even as you read this post, you’ll understand this.</p>
<p>I’ve used so, well for humour, because it’s so out of place in a post on English. (There I’ve done it again! (Fights off Frasier allusions :))) Each word has its place, and each place its word.</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part V (On how I’m free to stay up talking about English :))</p>
<p>On VOCAB: (Voice over communication about Bilge :))</p>
<p>You can’t do anything to consciously improve your vocabulary. (Besides read of course). It’s sort of this living thing, that writhes about in your sub-conscious, and just sort of, grows, y’know? :)</p>
<p>As you’ll read, as you’ll refer to online dictionaries (For I know you will, I do :)), you’ll find that you’ll change.</p>
<p>Vocabulary doesn’t mean that you use sesquipedalian words for no rhyme or reason. It just means that you’ll grow to use more appropriate words where they’re required. (Like just plain long instead of sesquipedalian)</p>
<p>(A Plague on QWERTYUIOP, who cares if keys jam?)</p>
<p>But what you can do, now, today, is to use what vocabulary you have… </p>
<p>(Continued)</p>
<p>I agree with what Shrivats has posted above.</p>
<p>I would suggest you to start reading Classics (unabridged version if possible…I agree that in the beginning they will be really boring but it will help a lot in the long run) and the Newspaper Editorials. </p>
<p>This was an advice given to me by my grandfather (he has really good vocabulary and writing skills). Needless to say I did not follow it and now curse myself for not listening.</p>
<p>Awww…[damn] Shrivats…thanks a kazillion to the power of a kazillion ! You da king ! <em>Bows and grovels at Shrivat’s adeptness in English</em></p>
<p>I’m gonna start today ! (In about 7 hours or so…my bed never looked so appealing).</p>
<p>Seriously, I never imagined I’d get so much help (and more to come) from a person who’d write me off as a complete stranger. I’m indebted to you, mate. :)</p>
<p>The Long Diatribe on English: Part VI (Or how to not be Lazy)</p>
<p>It’s a disease, a plague. It’s called laziness in speech.</p>
<p>We’ve all done it, we’ve said Off the light, Open the curtains and other iniquities of Indian English. We’re all sinners here.</p>
<p>But we can stop. </p>
<p>For every time we switch off the light, for every well formulated sentence that we say, we achieve something better.</p>
<p>Clarity.</p>
<p>That’s the important thing. Speech exists for one purpose, to funnel thought. And if we’re lazy in our speech, then that continues into our mind.</p>
<p>You see, if you want to use better English, you’ve got to change the way you think. (When you dream in Shakespeare, then start to worry)</p>
<p>But try this, the next time you’re out with friends in a Pyrotechnicy world, or you’re chatting with somebody, try to be conscious of what you’re saying. It’s not about speaking in a monotone or in something out of the 1950’s, but about being sure that what you say is indeed what you get. (WYSIWYG? :)) </p>
<p>If the change starts in your speech, then it doesn’t matter if you’re speaking in wrong grammar, or if you’re accent’s off. What matters then, is that your voice becomes your weapon, your tool. For 95% of the world, the voice is something never thought of, an unconscious extension. If you extend this, if you make your voice a sentient force, then you’ve started on the road…</p>
<p>With that, I’ll stop for today.</p>
<p>I’ll continue (If anybody still wants me to :p, tomorrow) :)</p>
<p>Out of Diatribe mode: Sudu, that harms more than it helps (If you don’t particularly like stories about Orphans who are about to die, and most of us don’t :))</p>
<p>Newspapers vary widely. Some are great some terrible. (I could write reams about the ones in Dubai). They’re not reliable. </p>
<p>What is important though, is that you remain aware, but that’s a story for tomorrow…</p>
<p>Pyro: If you are interested, there’s a awesome list of books by Gurcharan Das on his blog, which he recommends for an Indian High School student undergoing JEE coaching(:D)</p>
<p>EDIT: It’s not on his blog now, but i found a link [url=<a href=“http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/34591661.cms]here[/url”>A Sentimental Education - Times of India]here[/url</a>]</p>
<p>All newspapers are terrible (maybe not the columns).
Here are excerpt from [url=<a href=“http://worldcup.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1801569.cms]TOI[/url”>http://worldcup.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1801569.cms]TOI[/url</a>]</p>
<p>(HT: Iuncut)
</p>
<p>Sigh. Pawar probably said something to the effect of how you can “show water to horse etc”. The journalist misheard him, his editor didn’t read it. And—this is PTI text— people at TOI didn’t even read this article.</p>
<p>That’s why i have stopped reading/watching news. I rely on blogs most of the time.</p>
<p><a href=“I%20could%20write%20reams%20about%20the%20ones%20in%20Dubai”>quote=Shrivats</a>. They’re not reliable.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hahahaha…</p>
<p>The one’s here are terrible aren’t they? Especially the tabloids. Urgh…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Self-explanatory. :D</p>
<p>Hmm… Three continuous days of decisions for me then!</p>
<p>Yep, I saw that email as well. Bit twitch-inducing, really.</p>