Fluency in English

It's called "courriel" now, which is the short form of courrier électronique(electronic message).

The term e-mail is more used tough.(except by chauvinists like me )

 

One of my random inputs:

Between all the fora I visit, I find quite a number of English-as-a-second- language folks who continually apologize for their inability to properly communicate in English. Writing to a guy somewhere in Asia the other night, I told him not to worry about it. If you can clearly get your point across in a language other than your mother tongue, you're doing a lot better than I am! For that, I salute you all!

The bad part is that so many non-UK type Europeans are better with the English language than so many Americans! (notwithstanding the differences between American English and English English, of course!)

 

a quick question for all those non english speaking members.

when you are taught english in school.. are you taught to write and spell using uk english...or american english?

for example colour = color... armour = armor...pavement = sidewalk etc etc.

 

UK English mainly.
Since then my english has been influenced by american english and nowadays I cant make difference bethween UK and american english.

 

I believe my teachers in school didn't force us to use English or American spelling/vocabulary alone, but instead thought of both as 'right'. I myself have somehow gotten used to writing the English way, but in speech I mix them up constantly. For example when using "either" and "neither" I have the strange tendency to say "ayther" and "neether" instead of ayther-nayther or eether-neether.

On learning the language, I find that reading helps a great deal. I started reading books in English when I was 11.

 

Well I've been learning English ever since I was three years old.

It really isn't that hard to become proficent in English if you frequently read/write in English.