Cinthiara: Diário de Bordo

So, firstly let me say my name. My name's Cínthia and I have been lived in The Netherlands since 11th december, 2014. I have never figured that I could live in a different country, mainly because I really appreciate enjoying the time with my family. Ok, this is another issue. I had the opportunity of travel with my husband (he is a brazilian doctoral student) and I had never thought in don't do it. So, here I am, but I would be lying if I said that all is okay here. I think that I am integrating to the country and people yet, and I feel like every day I have been improving a little more. In my city of Brazil I did an english course (actually I had just finished the advanced level when I came to the Netherlands and to finishing the course was lacking to have the master level) and I thought that it would be enough to understand and make me feel understood by people... ok, I think I am getting it, but I discovered that I need improve my english a lot yet, mainly the vocabulary.
I recognize that it is my fault. I am a little shy, but I discovered that I am shyer in english than in portuguese rsrsrsrsrs. Sometimes I know what I should say or how I could start a conversation but I simply didn't do.

At this moment I want just saying that the dutch people have many qualities. Overall, they are polite, friendly, funny, honest and of course patients... I would like to live here and to learn the dutch language, besides the English. I hope I will have good days here in 2015... that I can learn more and more and that I can be losing my fear/shame of speak english.

With my best regards

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6 49 1.3k
Welcome to the EE site Cínthia.
I can relate to your story, once I took an English course I was a bit shy, but I didn´t shy away at the end. Hopefully you will conquer your shyness with time and help of your friends and family there, don´t worry.


Some minor corrections and general remarks of mine:

...and I have been living in The Netherlands since 11th December, 2014.


I had the opportunity of traveling with my husband (he is a Brazilian doctoral student) and I had never thought I would do it (travel to Netherlands, perhaps?).

I think that I am integrating to the country and people yet, and I feel like every day I have been improving a little more. In my city of Brazil I took an English course (actually I had just finished the advanced level when I came to the Netherlands and to finish the course I was lacking to have the master level),

I thought that it would be enough to understand and make me feel understood by people... ok, I think I am getting it, but I discovered that I need to improve my English a lot yet, mainly the vocabulary.


I recognize that it is my fault. I am a little shy, but I discovered that I am shyer in english than in portuguese rsrsrsrsrs.
(no surprise here, everyone or almost everyone is...so don´t sweat the small stuff!)
Grammar points: English and Portuguese, LOL.


Sometimes I know what I should say or how I could start a conversation but I simply didn't do.
That happens, even in Portuguese, sometimes we are afraid of making mistakes or that, somehow, we become the center of the attention. Mainly coming from another country, and having some accent. The beauty of that situation is, people want to know what you want to say, which experiences you had, the novelty of newbie coming to visit the family. And yes, the accent may be of help, not hinder the communication. Unless it´s too thick/strong, but then you are in family, they will help you out.


At this moment I want just saying that the Dutch people have many qualities. Overall, they are polite, friendly, funny, honest and of course patient...
(patients if they were all in a hospital, even if it was the case, at least some would be doctors, nurses, etc.)




I would like to live here and to learn the Dutch language, besides the English. I hope I will have good days here in 2015... that I can learn more and more and that I can be losing my fear/shame of speaking English.
You certainly will do both, just push yourself out of your comfort zone. See you around.
And when you are speaking like a chatterbox don´t put the blame on us! ha ha ha!
By the way, your speaking skills might certainly be better than mine, don´t overestimate me just because I can write some words. :P
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9 55
I’ve made some suggestions to your text. They’re just some points to improve your lovely text. Congratulations on it! It is a very interesting text indeed. I hope you can learn Dutch and improve your English. When it comes to a foreign language, the learning process is a never-ending one. ;)

So firstly, let me say my name. My name's Cinthia and I have been living in the Netherlands since 11th December 2014. I have never figured that I could live in a different country, mainly because I really enjoy spending time with my family. Ok, this is another issue. I took the opportunity of travelling with my husband (he is a Brazilian doctoral student) and it never occurred to me not to go with him.
So, here I am, but I would be lying if I said that all is okay here. I think that I am still getting used to the country and people, and I feel like I have been improving a little more every day. In my city in Brazil I did an English course (actually I had just finished the advanced level when I came to the Netherlands and finishing the course was what lacked to master the English language) and I thought that it would be enough to understand and make myself understood by people... ok, I think I am getting it, but I discovered (figured out- use a phrasal verb here instead of discover –it sounds more like a native speaker) that I need to improve my English a lot yet, mainly the vocabulary.
I recognize that it is my fault. I am a little shy, but I figured out that I am shyer in English than in Portuguese rsrsrsrsrs. Sometimes I know what I should say or how I could start a conversation but I simply don’t do.

At this moment I just want to say that the Dutch people have many qualities. Overall, they are polite, friendly, funny, honest and of course patients... I would like to keep living here to learn the Dutch language, besides English. I hope I will have good days here in 2015... that I can learn more and more and that I lose my fear of speaking English.
9 55
Paulo

I didn't see your corrections. :oops:
6 49 1.3k
Feel free to help out other participants, Ana, no need to sweat the small stuff! I learn a lot from you as well. ;)
And it´s a plus! :P Your comments are welcome, the more the merrier.
Thank you Paulo and Ana (Ancrispa) for help me correcting my mistakes! I know it's part of the improving process.

I have living in a kind of hostel and here there are people from different countries, like China, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, UK, USA and of course from the Netherlands. So, in addition to the poor vocabulary, getting used with each accent has been hard for me, but, as you said, they want know what I have to say and for this I need to talk, even making mistakes.

Today I went visit the University and during the coffee break a Portuguese girl was talking about some situations in which she didn't understand and
couldn't keep a conversation with someone and it was comforting to me. In another moment this Portuguese told about the Brazilian insecurity in speaking foreign languages and I had to agree with her. Many Brazilians feel it and they try to reproduce the british or North American accent like a support for their fluency (I am included in this group).
ok, I don't know if you understood what I tried to write but, for example, I realized the majority of the people who are here didn't come from countries that have the English like the first language. Anyway, they are much more confident in their speaking, even with a different accent, than the Brazilians.

Is this. More one time, thanks for reading my letter and feel free to correct the mistakes again, again and again...

Best Regards.
Cínthia
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6 49 1.3k
I am living in a kind of hostel and there are people from different countries, like China, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, (the) UK, (the) USA and of course from the Netherlands. So, in addition to the poor vocabulary, getting used with each accent has been hard for me, but, as you said, they want know what I have to say and for this I need to talk, even making mistakes.


NB: (the) -perhaps in conversational English you could omit this article, I decided on keeping it, taking in account there are some basic learners (like me) around. If you meant conversational, think of it as a "just saying" aside of mine.


Today I visited the University and during the coffee break a Portuguese girl was talking about some situations in which she didn't understand and couldn't keep a conversation with someone and it was comforting to me. In another moment this Portuguese told about the Brazilian insecurity (lack of confidence) in speaking foreign languages and I had to agree with her. Many Brazilian (people/guys/persons*) feel that (or "feel like that) and they try to reproduce (emulate/copy) the British or North American accent like a support for their fluency (I am included in this group).

Ok, I don't know if you understood what meant/what I tried to convey (a bit more formal, though). For example, I realized the majority of the people who are here didn't come English speaking countries. Anyway, they are way* much more confident in their speaking than Brazilians. Even if they have an accent.


Is this. That´s it. One more time/once more, thanks for reading my letter/message and feel free to correct the mistakes.



Feel it - sentir (algo), as in the Black eyed peas ''I can feel it"). Feel that would be more to the point, I think.
way* for emphasis.

I left out the triple "again", somehow one could interpret that as if we were correcting again and again. As I understand, you meant that you thanks again and again, but we would get the message when you used "once more" or "one more time".


====
Thanks for sharing, indeed your English is good, certainly by interacting with people as you are doing, it will go from strenght to strenght. It´ll be better by the day.
I tried to see things more to the emotional side, so minor corrections here, not much. Anyway, there were some that I had to make, there were some gaps, not the right versus wrong thing but to make it a bit more natural.
Others corrections were just a matter of style (personal choice of words), that is, you can think of them as optional.

You are welcome.