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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2010 at 06:30
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

I actually like the idea as a voluntary one.  It would help the writer hone their his English skills.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2010 at 06:25
I actually like the idea as a voluntary one.  It would help the writer hone their English skills.
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2010 at 05:09
I find the built-in spelling/grammar checker and synonym functionality in Microsoft Word quite helpful.
Also Firefox does some nice spelling suggestions (even though it's underlying 'firefox' right now Smile)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2010 at 04:57
hang in there Martin, I think you do a great job and admire your determination --

 -  either British or American is fine (though you may prefer one; just keep it consistent, like in a review if you decide to use British spelling keep it British for the whole review)

 -  terms like 'wanna' or 'gotta' are incorrect but also can add a casual quality that can give a review a natural feeling

 -  yes the dictionary is not always helpful, especially computer or online ones;  find a good Websters or Oxford-- even better, get a good Thesaurus or Synonym Finder, they can be a good source of inspiration (as long as you don't overdo it ;)

 -  I can see how 'a', 'an', and 'the' could cause confusion

 -  a Yoda-like order of words is sometimes not so terrible:  "Your father's rock music this is not."



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2010 at 04:23

There is about 50 reviews each day, so it would be hard, but when we reduce these in a good shape (after all, most of reviews written here are in a good English form, or at least it seems like it to me).

I'm not English Language teacher, but I'm studying university to be one. Even I passed all my English exams (and had problems with Czech linguistics, damn it), I know that I have certain problems with English, mostly when:

1)I'm not sure which preposition should be put there.

2)I'm trying to do some complicated compound sentence, mostly including my favorite element - would.

3)Am using both British and American English. Favorite / Favourite, but it can be worse

4)Am using it's / don't ... or even worse, terms like: wanna / lotta / gotta / gonna etc

5)Am not so sure how to say something and dictionary isn't helping, in these cases, results are terrible

6) (!) am doing grammatical mistakes. Mostly in tenses. Because yes, I want to be a teacher

7)Still am not able to tell where to put: a / an / the

8)Bad, Yoda-like order of words in sentences. Not bad, but may look like archaism.

Yes, I'm supplementing most of these by memory. I simply know that "this" should be written "here", from countless films, TV series, words I've read on the internet and music I've been listening.

Phrases, these are most easily to remember, as they are simply used.

Also, spell checker helps.

However, I can say basically everything I want to say. When I lack terminology, I search the internet for clue, guide, or hint, mostly on wikipedia (for rough information it's good enough)

There's a point where "avant-garde" and "experimental" becomes "terrible" and "pointless,"

   -Andyman1125 on Lulu







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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2010 at 03:05
I personally think this is a great idea. It would definitely raise the standard of Progarchives reviews. What makes your suggestion so appealing, is that the editors would not merely alter a review; they would NEGOTIATE with the original writer. This seems very reasonable.

As a professional author/translator, I have often thought some reviews would really benefit from editing. I keep saying my own reviews need revising; especially the first 100 or so, some of which were written fairly casually! (I'm not a native speaker of English, but I've done most of my studies in English, I've lived in England since 1996 and I've been teaching in English to students from all over the planet for the past five years or so.)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2010 at 02:36
Well that's why it would be voluntary, not obligatory.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2010 at 01:39
Not a bad idea, I think. But it'd be hard to do.
I think we should stick to the rules, everyone should post their reviews in English, maybe someone could just help them be clearer
Les mains, les pieds balancés
Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers,
Un marin mort,
Il dormira

- Paul Éluard
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2010 at 01:37
Originally posted by Textbook Textbook wrote:

I can't help but notice the sizable number of reviews on the site written in mangled English. At best it makes for awkward reading, at worst it seriously impacts on the clarity of the writer's opinion. I'm not blaming anyone for this- in fact I think the site should allow reviews in other languages and add a filter for it in the search engine- but in the meantime maybe help could be offered?
I'm an English Language teacher so my understanding of grammar/vocabulary should be pretty good. The other languages I speak (though I'm not a master in either) are German and Mandarin, but that may be irrelevant as I'm not suggesting I translate, but that I or others read and rewrite reviews from those who are aware that their language may not be ideal. You'd submit the review to the "language team", they'd rewrite it, resend it to the author, gets approved hopefully, up it goes.
This could even be applied to reviews by native speakers where English is not the issue but it just gets edited/rewritten to read better- of course in both cases it's voluntary.
To some this may sound like a big waste of time but for those who take this sites position as the premier prog site seriously (well it is in my book anyway) an increase in the number of clear, effective reviews should translate directly into it being more reliable and respected.
 
The problem with a language team is that sometimes they would perhaps alter the true meaning of a review that was originally unintended. Changing even the most insignificant words can have devastating effects on a piece of writing. Not to mention it seems like having a "language team" would come off as an affront to our bilingual friends. It just seems to melike it would carry a negative connotation.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2010 at 01:23
I can't help but notice the sizable number of reviews on the site written in mangled English. At best it makes for awkward reading, at worst it seriously impacts on the clarity of the writer's opinion. I'm not blaming anyone for this- in fact I think the site should allow reviews in other languages and add a filter for it in the search engine- but in the meantime maybe help could be offered?
I'm an English Language teacher so my understanding of grammar/vocabulary should be pretty good. The other languages I speak (though I'm not a master in either) are German and Mandarin, but that may be irrelevant as I'm not suggesting I translate, but that I or others read and rewrite reviews from those who are aware that their language may not be ideal. You'd submit the review to the "language team", they'd rewrite it, resend it to the author, gets approved hopefully, up it goes.
This could even be applied to reviews by native speakers where English is not the issue but it just gets edited/rewritten to read better- of course in both cases it's voluntary.
To some this may sound like a big waste of time but for those who take this sites position as the premier prog site seriously (well it is in my book anyway) an increase in the number of clear, effective reviews should translate directly into it being more reliable and respected.
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