Mean is a versatile word.

As an adjective, it can be used to describe a person who is unkind and unpleasant toward others, or a dog that barks viciously and chases people. It is the opposite of nice.

In its verb form, mean is used to describe, explain, or define something. It is related to the noun meaning. Therefore, when you ask someone, “What do you mean?” You get a response that describes the intended meaning of something they said.

But there is another use of the word mean. This use occurs far more often than we would like. The word mean is used in its verb form with another verb, in its infinitive form, added to it.

-He has been meaning to read more.

-I was meaning to call you.

-They meant to fix the car.

When mean is used with another verb, as in the examples above, the verb tense is usually present perfect progressive (has been meaning), past progressive (was meaning), or past tense (meant). While this use of mean can appear in the present tense, due to the nature of what mean to communicates, it is most frequently used in one of the three verb tenses listed above.

Here, mean implies an intention. The phrase that follows mean indicates something the subject – he, I, and they in the examples above – intends to happen (to read more, to call you, to fix the car). You might be able to substitute the word want for mean in sentences like these.

But not necessarily.

When you say you mean to do something, you might truly want to do that thing, intend to do that thing, and eventually you will do that thing. That is the strongest interpretation of a mean to sentence. But we as humans can be fickle. We often say we will do things but never do them, either because we are lazy, we forget, or we want to put our listener at ease.

Most of the time when we say we have been meaning to do something, we never do that thing. But that is no reason not to try the things that we have been wanting to do. When I found myself telling others that I have been meaning to run more, I made a mental note. Then, I laced up my sneakers and hit the pavement. So far, I have no regrets.

What is on the list of things you have been meaning to do? If speech training is on your list, then you’ll need a plan. Send us a message and we’ll be happy to help.

Glossary

versatile: having many uses || Mean is a versatile word.

viciously: in a violent, dangerous, or cruel manner || a dog that barks viciously

intend: to plan or want to do something, to have in mind as a purpose or goal || a response that describes the intended meaning of something they said

imply: to suggest or express in an indirect way || mean implies an intention

fickle: changing often, especially of opinion || humans can be fickle

at ease: comfortable or relaxed || we want to put our listener at ease

mental note: to pay attention so you can remember a piece of information later || I made a mental note

hit the pavement: to walk or run on the streets; to go out in search of something || I laced up my sneakers and hit the pavement

Every year, at the beginning of January, people make New Year’s resolutions. These are promises that we make to ourselves to be better. To eat better, to exercise more often, to have better relationships with the people around us, and to get better at skills that interest us. To successfully commit to a resolution, you must be motivated to improve and have the patience to stick with your plan, even when it feels difficult.

At Lingua East, our resolution is to provide every person who comes to us for in-person or web-based speech training with the best possible service. We resolve to help you get better at speaking and understanding English.

What is your New Year’s resolution?

Let’s have a great 2019. Make Lingua East a part of your plan for the new year.

Is speech training right for you? Click here to schedule a free consultation.

Ever read an email and come across a series of capital letters that made absolutely no sense? In English we like to make phrases shorter by creating these abbreviations from the first letter of each word. As typed language grew increasingly commonplace over the last twenty years, this list has grown.

Many of these acronyms are used in spoken language. While some of the items on this list (marked with *) are generally used and understood in spoken language, some of the acronyms – especially the ones created since the technological revolution – are only used in a stylized form of English by a subset of the population.

As you already know, internet language parallels spoken language in the real world, so there are levels of politeness on the internet. Therefore, some of the newer acronyms have versions with more profanity. (Stronger versions are noted in parentheses.) However, use of some acronyms containing swear words is considered more polite than actually saying the swear words, and use of these acronyms (especially those marked with ꙳) is allowed in moderately polite speech.

There are many more acronyms in English, and there are several other types of acronyms, including the following:

• The acronym is pronounced as a single word (GIF, FOMO)
• The acronym contains numbers, either
  • In its pronunciation only (NCAACP = N-C-double A-C-P) or
  • In the written acronym and its pronunciation (3M)

• Letters or numbers used in the written acronym sound like words (BBQ = barbecue, IOU = I owe you, B2B = business to business)

Are any of these acronyms new to you? You can learn how to use them by listening for them, doing an internet search for examples, and asking native English speakers.

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BTW (by the way)… did you know that Lingua East offers web-based speech training? Improve your pronunciation of American English from anywhere with a stable internet connection. Visit our Services Page to learn more about our methods and to sign up for a free web-based consultation to talk to a speech trainer about getting started.

Now you can experience the Lingua East method from ANYWHERE with web-based speech training services!

These services work just like in-person speech training. We use a videoconferencing platform for weekly sessions, and clients can access valuable notes from their sessions, along with practice materials and other resources from their personal speech training website.

With web-based services, you don’t have to worry about getting through traffic to make it to your appointment on time. All you need is an internet connection and the desire to take your English skills to the next level.

Now that geography isn’t an obstacle to speech training with Lingua East, are you ready to take your English to the next level?

Click here to learn more about our speech-training services.

Sign up for a web-based consultation below. During this conversation, we can determine if speech training is right for you while you learn more about the Lingua East method.

This is a question I am asked a lot. It seems strange that native English-speakers would be able to hear a difference between two sounds that seem exactly the same to someone speaking English as a second language. The answer goes back to early childhood, when we were learning our native language.

When babies are born, they can identify all the sounds of all the languages of the world. This is pretty remarkable, when you consider the wide range of languages there are, each with its own distinct pattern of sounds. But this ability does not last long.

As the baby grows and is exposed to just one or two languages in their home environment, their ability to hear and distinguish sounds is honed, so that instead of recognizing a wide array of sounds, they become experts at identifying the sounds of their native language(s).

In this process, similar sounds from foreign languages can become one individual sound, in what is often called category collapse. Therefore, a baby growing up in a Spanish-speaking household in Mexico may be able to identify the difference between the English words hot – hut – haute, but that distinction is not so clear for an adult monolingual Spanish speaker.

Do you hear the difference?

Words that are identical except for one sound are called minimal pairs. Can you hear the difference between these minimal pairs?

Share what you hear in the comments!

Yesterday I rode my bicycle past a vehicle with a sticker on its bumper emblazoned with one word, followed by a period:

PERSIST.

As I pedaled, I ruminated on the word’s meaning. To persist is to continue to do something, or try to do something, even though it may be difficult or challenging. To persist is to keep going when you’re tired, when a terrible thing has happened, and when you’ve been thrown off course.

We are all persistent, in some area of our lives. If you have developed a special skill, you have persisted in getting over the hurdles of learning that skill. If you have children, you are persistent in caring for them and providing them with the best life you can. If you have ever faced an obstacle and you overcame that obstacle, it took some persistence on your part to get through it.

Learning a language takes persistence. It is not as simple as reading a book and listening to a recording. There are many challenges in learning to communicate in a second language that can get in your way:

• Languages are complex systems of communication, with different patterns of grammar, speech sounds, intonation, and rules for interacting with other people
• With a new language comes an entirely new set of vocabulary to learn. Sure, there will be some cognates, but the most common words will be unique to that language.
• Fear of making mistakes.
• It takes time out of our busy schedules.

These challenges are all things that you can get through. Millions of people all over the world learn to communicate in a second language, and you can, too. You just need to be persistent.

Learning to communicate in a second language takes persistent patience and practice. A LOT of practice. At Lingua East, we’re here to help guide you through that practice if you’re ready to take your English skills to the next level. You’ve already persisted in many areas of your life, and all that persistence has made you the person you are today. What will you persist in today?