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1. Spell checkers
Do you use a spell checker before you send writing to anyone? In English, this should be a reflex. You should do it automaticaly. Still, spell checkers our not perfect. They will not find some words that are incorrectly spells. Some words may not be write, but the spell checker will not catch them.
I know you noticed the four mistakes above. The words our and write are correctly spelled, but they are not the correct words. They should be are and right. The word automaticaly is incorrectly spelled. Spells is the incorrect tense. However, not even the spell checker would have caught spells. If you used a spell checker, it would only have caught automaticaly.
I wrote this newsletter using MS Word. Even if I had not used a spell checker, I would have seen the squiggly red and green lines under every mistake except for spells. The squiggly green lines show grammar problems. Using our instead of are produces a sentence without a verb, so the software tells me there is a problem. Using write instead of right produces an incorrect sentence too. The squiggly red lines show spelling problems.
Given that MS Word is now standard, you probably use it. Take advantage of these features to make sure that your spelling is correct. Be careful though. Sometimes MS Word will underline a grammar problem where there isn’t one. The sentence may be too complicated for it to understand or it may not be programmed correctly. Still, if there is a squiggly green underline, review your writing to confirm that it is correct.
2. American English, British English, and other Englishes
There are many different Englishes spoken around the world. These are called dialects. You can find American English, British English, Indian English, Caribbean English, and Australian English to name just a few. Many native and nonnative speakers like to emphasize the differences between these dialects, but they are not as great as people say. Taking British and American English, for example, there are some different vocabulary words such as lorry instead of truck and lift instead of elevator. In addition, some article differences exist such as in hospital instead of in the hospital, and the accents are different. In the final analysis, the differences are not that great. Indian and Caribbean English have more differences, but they are still not that different either. If you are an English speaker and you go from where one dialect is spoken to where another dialect is, you should be able to catch on fairly quickly. These varieties are all English. In 500 years, they may be different languages, but now they are not.
In order to have a dialect of a language, it is necessary to have a community where that language is spoken. This is why there is no Japanese English dialect. Japanese English is not a living language. The term Japanese English is sometimes used to refer to English expressions made in Japan and other things, but it is neither a language nor a dialect.
3. English speaking friends
We all know that having friends who are educated native speakers of the language you are learning can be helpful if you have questions or want to practice speaking. English is no exception. However, friendship is more than a question of language. Friendship requires common interests and more. If you live in a major urban area in Japan you can probably make English speaking friends if you have the time. If you are too busy or live where there are few native English speakers, what can you do?
ALS recommends finding pen pals as we suggested in Volume 4 of Aaron Says. Take a look at http://penpalnet.com/
Good luck!
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