When I learn English as my second language, especially in writing, I feel hard. However, comparing with my first language learning, there is no painful memory.
I heard someone said it is the phenomenon of fossilization. What i am puzzled is how to identify a learner is in his learing fossilization? Is there some standards? Why the second language learner will face it while child will not?
Through my observing and my own experience, fossilization seems be unavoidable for every language learner. Is that true in fact? :?:
I’m sorry that because of my careless, I pose a same question as the former one. Sorry about that!
Hi Gigi, what you can do to improve your writing is this: Write short sentences. Try to write sentences that are grammatically correct. Read a lot. Write something every day. Communicate with us on the forum. You might want to read this: How can improve my writing skills?
Let’s take it one step a time.
Regards
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, talks: Radio presenter gives traffic update that includes a major crash[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Gigi!
Agreeing to Torsten?s suggestions -as I am an English learner too- I would like to add that I don?t feel any fossilization. When you learn your native language as a child that language is spoken all around you and you have many, many inputs regarding your language. Later, at school you learn the grammar and like you mentioned you didn?t feel any pain. Might be also because you have a lot of time.
In the opposite learning a second language you often will be stressed because you feel time pressure. My adding suggestion is: Liberate yourself from pressure and follow Torsten?s suggestions!
Chatting or communicating at this site I myself often have a look into a very well dictionary and grammar book too. But I have experienced that the occasions when I have to look will get less and less.
Wish you a good success
Michael
P.S. Never accept my English skills, you can profit from that 
About english writing,i think,it is something more than itself.
My mother language is chinese,you won’t feel any problem when you are using the mother language,which has become your second nature .
But it isn’t the same case when we are learning a second foreign language.Being lack of deep understandings of cultures,we are always feeling frustrated ,especially when you don’t know why this word is more suitable than the other ,or ,when you read sentences you find,no new words inside,but their meanings are far from what you’ve thought.
I am wondering the ways english native speakers do,they are totally different from chinese.More understandings of cultures and customs are needed.But if you don’t live there,how can you improve that ?what’s more,there are many differences between written english and oral english.What should i do to keep my writing style coherent?
Looking forward to hearing from you all!
Yours
FangFang
Hi Fang Fang!
Nice to meet you at this site!
First of all, I find your writing style perfectly clear and understandable. As I have been teached and I have experienced at this site the English language is not only the language of an area in the world but for so more used as a common language for many occassions. And everyone who uses the language might have more or less a little influence on it anyhow. As there are many nations which nativ tongue is English and there are sometimes any differences between them where would you begin to inform yourself about the culture?
Just speaking about culture, please allow me a little anecdote: Your name in the German language means “catch catch” and my surname in Italy means “eight” Funny how words in different language may sound equal and have totally different meanings, isn?t it?
By the way, I was been told that the chinese people have problems with speaking the “R” and the “th” and often leave them. Is that correct?
Liked to hear from you again!
Michael
Hi,Fan of Arabian horses:
Thanks for your messages.
First,i wonder if you know some chinese cultures?Yeah,China has a long history over 5,000 years.If you are interested in chinese culture you can find many books ,works or internet resources .There must be lots of introductions about it.Personally,i recommend you to begin with the chinese characters.For they are the sources of our ancient civilization.Chinese characters ,in a degree ,are similar to Egyptian (the ancient Egyptian people communicated with those unique symbols ,just like animal patterns ).In the early times,chinese people invented the pictograph characters to send messages too,which sets a monument in chinese language history.
Interestingly,FangFang is my chinese name,it doesn’t mean "catch catch " ,LOL,here,it is fragrant.a nice meaning,right?hehehe
Yeah,in chinese pronounciations there are no “R” and “Th”,but ,we can pronounce them without any problem(in english),mmmmm,Maybe it would be a little hard to do that in German,at least,i can’t spell “R” well.like “Frau” or “drei” so on.German is my third foreign language,i just learn it from ABC,hehe.Harder than english!!!
well,it is late here . Hope to hear from you soon!
Yours
FangFang
Hi Fang Fang!
Hope you had a pretty well sleep. There is really a nice meaning of your name in Chinese. I didn?t want to offend you asking for the problems with “R” and “th” I was told during an interview with an employer about. As I really don?t know much about China and you are a chinese native I was interested in learning about that. Don?t worry about the German “R”. It is only a bit different from the English. And about the “th” in German you won?t find a difference to the “t” like in “Python” is it written only spoken it sounds like “Pyton”. Many of German people have problems to spell, for instance, “Rhythmus” or “Asthma” and similar words. 8)
About the Chinese characters: How much do you have? I heard about thousands of them. Do you think i could learn them as I have lived for four cycles regarding the Chinese calendar yet? I don?t really know whether this expression is correct. As much as I know one cycle of the Chinese calendar lasts 12 years and there are 5 cycles before the calendar starts again. Is that right?
Well, now it is late here and I will go to have a cup of sleep!
I would enjoy to meet you again!
Michael
Hi,Michael:
The way you think of our calendar is really interesting,well,it is said that 19 years should be called as one cycle,so i guess you are just 2.526 cycle this year.right? 
Generally,the Lunar Calendar is our traditional method for counting time,in restospect it has a long long history ,about earlier than 1600 BC,ancient people lived a hunting life,developed agricultures too.They invented a way to calculate planting time in accordance with revolution changes of the Sun ，the Moon and the Earth.We are still using it now,which is playing big roles in chinese culture history.For instance,each year we will celebrate the Spring Festival ,it is on Dec 31st (Calendar)that the past year is over ,we will celebrate that,not on Dec 31 ,2006 but at some day in January ,2007.
Well,if you’d like to continue the culture topic,you can go to post messages in my newly block.Welcome!
Yours
FangFang