Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

A good start for you would be to realize that before you
practice speaking English, you should get lots of practice
hearing and reading good English.

As for speaking and writing your own English, it's not
enough for you to correspond with a native user.  You need
to have your errors explained to you.  Otherwise, you could
go on making the same errors for years without knowing you
were making them.

As an example of the sort of help I think you would most
profit by, I'll comment on your remarks I've quoted above.

First, let me say that your grammar seems to be generally
acceptable.  What you need help with is obtaining a better
feel for idiomatic usage.  I think the best way for someone
to give you that help would be to tell you about your errors
one by one.

A child learning to speak English will have his errors
repeatedly pointed out to him or her.  You could get similar
help by making your best effort to write, then having a
native speaker tell you what you've done wrong.

For example, there's nothing grammatically wrong with saying
"I need a help", but native speakers wouldn't say that. They
would say "I need help".  And we wouldn't say "I need help
for speaking English".  We would say "I need help with
speaking English", or "I need help in speaking English".

Your use of "in fact" is out of place.  It implies that the
statement that follows it gives support for the fact stated
in the preceding statement.  From your being an
international student, it doesn't follow that you need help
in using English.  I'm sure many international students who
are not native users of English can use it as well as or
better than a lot of native speakers can.

Again, that statement if okay grammatically, but the use of
"about" is not idiomatic.  You should say "However, I am not
satisfied with my English speaking".

It's not idiomatic to say "talking conversation".  You
should say "having conversations".

Your references to "speak" and "speaking" are not good.  You
can benefit much more by writing than by speaking.  And if
you want a term that will cover both writing and speaking
English, you can say "using English".

I'll summarize by conversion of what you said to what I like
to think is good, idiomatic American English.  Where you
said

   I need a help for speaking English. In fact, I am an
   international student.  However, I am not satisfied
   about my English speaking, so I need to speak more.

I would say

   I need help with using English.  Although I'm an
   international student, I'm not satisfied with my
   usage of English.  I need more practice in using
   it, both speaking and writing.

Where you said

   Therefore, I'd like to have sessions with a
   native speaker for 2 or 3 hours a week just
   talking (general conversation).

I would say

   Therefore, I'd like to have sessions with a
   native speaker for two or three hours a week
   just having general conversation.

It's not good style to use numerals for small numbers.  "Two
or three" is good; "2 or 3 is bad".

Where you said

   It is ganna be a good chance for me and you to have a
   new friend and know a new culture.

It's not appropriate to say it's going to be before you know
it will be.  What you should have said was

   It would be a good chance for you and me to become
   friends and learn new cultures.

It doesn't quite seem right when you say

   If you are volunteering, that's awesome; otherwise
   we can arrange payment per hour.

It would be more appropriate to say

   If you want to volunteer, that would be awesome'
   otherwise, I would be willing to discuss payments
   per hour.

You say

   Thanks a lot,

But until I had agreed to help you, you would have nothing
to think me for.  It would be smoother to say

   Any help cnyone cares to give me will be greatly
   appreciated.

When you say

   If you are interested or need more information,
   please email me mssabaan@gmail.com

it would be better English to say either

   If you are interested or need more information,
   please email me at mssabaan@gmail.com

or

   If you are interested or need more information,
   please email me ( mssabaan@gmail.com ),

(I respect your right to choose the spelling "email", but I,
for one, prefer "e-mail".)