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There are a number of different prepositions in English grammar and each has specific uses. It can be really confusing for learners of English as a foreign language to keep them straight. Additionally, many native speakers of English do not use prepositions correctly, which can be doubly confusing. There are more than one hundred basic grammar prepositions in the English language, but this post will focus on a few representative ones. Most prepositions locate subjects in time or place, so they answer the questions “When?” or “Where?” There are, of course, exceptions. Prepositions, as it says in the name, are positioned before (pre-) the descriptive phase. In basic English grammar, this is called the “prepositional phrase.” Other languages may use post-positions instead, which would come after the descriptive phrase. This series will describe basic English grammar prepositions and give examples of the correct way to use them.

The simplest English grammar prepositions answer the questions “Where” and “When” in a straightforward manner. I have put the prepositions in each sentence in italics.

Example 1

Where should I put the date on this letter?

In a business letter, the date should come above the salutation.

(This means that the date comes first on the page, followed by the greeting.)

Example 2

Where is your son?

My son is at home with his father.

(So the son and the father are not with the mother, wherever she is, but are at their house together.)

Example 3

Where are my socks?

They are behind your underwear in the top left drawer.

(So the top left drawer contains both socks and underwear, and the underwear are in front of the socks, hiding them from you.)

Example 4

Where is my library book?

It is in the stack on the table, beneath the novel I am reading.

(So there are a number of books on the table, stacked on top of one another. The novel I am reading is on top, and you have to pick it up and look under it to find your library book.)

Example 5

Where are my glasses?

They are right beside you, on the night stand.

(The person is likely in bed, and set his/her glasses down on the table next to the bed the night before.)

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6. Talk to someone who is fluent in both your native and target language. This person has likely experienced exactly what you are going through and will be able to anticipate problems and confusion.
7. Figure out what kind of learner you are. I’m a visual learner. I need to see something written down in order to remember it and to pronounce it properly. I also remember things in the context in which I originally saw them. You may have better luck learning a foreign language if you hear things or can fit them into a song. Figure it out and replicate it as you continue to learn.
8. Do dictation exercises. I don’t care what kind of learner you are. This helps everyone and is hard for everyone. Listen closely when people speak and try to write down what they say. It will train you to hear different accents and also enable you to follow through with the next tip.
9. Buy a dictionary and use it. When native speakers come across a word they don’t know, they look it up. Do the same. An added benefit is that dictionaries very often include common usages of a word and sample sentences. If you hear a word you want to look up, use your dictation skills and try to find it. It may take a few tries (for example, was it a dental t or a retroflex t?) to find it, but you’ll get it eventually and maybe learn a few new words along the way!
10. Start from the beginning. If you are reading this, you are probably learning a foreign language as an adult, with adult textbooks and learning strategies. Take some time to learn like a kid. Play nursery rhyme videos on youtube, get the first grade book for native speakers learning that language. Sure, the animal sounds you learn may not be useful in your everyday conversations about where’s the bathroom and how do you get to this tourist attraction, but it they will give you useful insights into the culture.

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Photo Credit: Francisco Osorio

As a student and sometime instructor of foreign language, I have learned a few things over the years. These tips assume that you want to work on all four aspects of learning a foreign language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).

1. Repetition is key. If you hear a word or phrase you don’t recognize and want to learn, ask the person who said it to repeat it, spell it, and explain it. Then try to use it yourself sometime in the next 24 hours.
2. Write everything down. If you are trying to learn vocabulary, it is not enough to just read and reread the list of words and translations. It’s been proven that we remember things better if we actually write them down. On paper, with a pen or pencil.
3. Use the script. I’ve studied three languages that do not use the Roman script, and it makes all the difference to use the script. Working with Romanized transliterations will detract from your engagement with the language and also with your pronunciation.
4. Watch TV. Or films. Or listen to the radio. Whatever. Even if you only get 10% of what’s going on or pick out a word or two here and there, it’s worth it. The benefits are huge. Learning a foreign language requires that you get used to the cadence and flow of the target language as well as the sounds that are not present in your native language.
5. Talk to someone monolingual (or willing to pretend to be monolingual). At least on occasion, you want to remove the crutch of resorting to your native language. If you always talk to people who are fluent in both languages (which has its own benefits, as I will discuss in part 2), you will be tempted to ask for clarifications. Instead, use your limited vocabulary and sentence structures in the target language to explain things. It will take patience on the part of your conversation partner, but will help you out a lot.

Click here to continue to Tips 6 to 10.

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Tourism in Rome

Luckily they had a tourist hotline (but only for those who bought the appropriate tourist pass), called the Romapass hotline. The Romapass includes entry to 2 attractions; like the Coliseum, the Forum, and many museums. The pass also offers the option to get public transport included, which makes it quite cost effective. You end up saving quite a bit.

Traveling around Rome

Traveling around Rome on public transport is great as they have a lot of connections and will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go, and top it up they also have mobile phone reception underground.

Buying Goods in Rome

However, if you don’t speak the local language you will find that people will try to rip you off with over-priced goods. Street vendors also are notorius for storing their wares in unsanitary places, especially because street vending is generally illegally done in Rome. So avoid buying things from street vendors if possible, and never buy food or drink from them as you will risk getting ill.

Italian Language – The Final Rome Travel Tip

The biggest thing I felt I should have done is actually learn a bit about the language before traveling to Rome. I should have done some Italian language lessons in London before heading out to Rome.

Hopefully these Rome travel tips will help you in your journey around Rome, but to really experience Rome is to learn some survival Italian and research which monuments you want to visit and whether it is included in the Romapass or not.

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1. Face to Face One-to-One Language Tuition

You can talk to the tutor, have a personal learning schedule and learn at the pace you would like to learn at. This enables you to really learn the language properly and in an efficient way. Having a tutor is great because you can work on all four of the main parts of a language: the reading, writing, speaking and listening. It would be highly advisable to get a native tutor, especially since native tutors can really help with all the accents and pronunciation of words and phrases.

2. Group Language Lessons

Similar to the personal one-to-one tuition, however the main differences are that you will be learning in a group lesson. This means that say you have a group of five students, the attention of the teacher will be split among all five students. It is a great cost-effective method for students if they can find a group lesson with people who are on the similar level and similar learning pace as them.

3. Online Skype Method to Learn a Language

This is becoming a more popular way to take lessons. Online language lessons are pretty similar to the one-to-one tuition style but saves time and money. The tutor generally doesn’t have to travel to the student’s location so travel time and travel costs are saved. Coupled with the flexibility of the lessons and the location it can in fact be quite easy to organise in comparison to face-to-face tuition. We have many tutors who will teach the lesson online and costs are generally cheaper, while retaining all the goodness of a personal dedicated tutor.

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Tip 1: Practise Your French

As with all languages, it is important that you keep up to scratch with the language. You should be continuously practising the language. Try to do the following:

• Write notes to yourself in French, or keep a diary in French and make daily entries. Look back through the diary every few weeks and see what spelling mistakes or grammatical errors you have made, don’t hesitate to look up words or phrases in your French dictionary.
• Listen to French audiobooks. Try audiobooks for younger children first, and then when you’re more comfortable with the language try to listen to ones tailored for more experienced French listeners.
• Speak and record. Record your spoken French, and play it back to yourself and correct any mistakes.
• Read the French newspapers. Try and get your hands on a French newspaper and practise reading, you might need the assistance of your dictionary.

If you have a smartphone try download the Google Translate app for Android or Apple, or if you have the internet try the website. This can often be faster than searching through a French to English dictionary.

Tip 2: Use Online Resources

Try one of the following online resources:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/
• http://www.bonjour.com/
• http://www.youtube.com/

Tip 3: Find a French Tutor

A French tutor can often be the most effective method of learning French. The tutor can coach you, while correcting all your mistakes in the language along the way. Many tutors will come to your house and provide one-to-one personal and a custom-tailored curriculum to suit your needs. Some tutors will also provide group tuition at a discounted price.

To get help in finding your French tutor click here.

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