Do you have an interesting story to tell? Is there some past event, situation, or personal encounter you wish to share with others? The narrative essay is the perfect vehicle for doing so. With this type of essay, you relate your experiences (or those of another person) in a compelling way that holds your readers' interest.
I recently moved across to the east of the Pennines. Not only do I now have a garden with figs, plums and a whole host of other goodies, but I am meeting lots of new people. Last week I went into the next village as they have a library there. I saw a mother pushing a pram with a pair of tiny twins. Almost immediately behind her were a set of middle aged ladies, also twins and then across the road a pair of school girl twins followed a few minutes later by more babies. A coincidence of course, but it set me thinking. Not all twins are exactly alike. Often they don’t look exactly the same and they may have very different personalities.
Do you ever get frustrated when you realize that the person you've been talking to was not really listening at all?
Do others ever complain that you don't listen?
Don't be too anxious if the answer to either or both questions is "yes".
Although we may not be aware of it, many of us have poor listening skills, and strong listening skills are important for everyone, not only for second language learners. Good communication is essential to forming good relationships with people of all kinds, from family, friends and neighbours to co-workers, bosses and even government officials!
The demands of today's market require that competent professional translators specialize in specific fields of knowledge to render accurate translations. Just as it is not a good idea to hire a technical writer to write a legal contract, one would not use a technical translator to attempt a literary translation. Both activities have to do with translation, but they involve a completely different skill set.
Sometimes in life, we only scratch the surface of things. Maybe a topic we're studying, or a place we're visiting. In addition, we often deal with people on a superficial level, not really getting to know them better. This includes having brief dialog with others, or only seeing outward appearances.
Things change over time: A week or so ago my husband and I watched a number of films shown on television for the first time. They had been made to be shown in foreign countries, mostly commonwealth ones, in the1960’s, often featuring interviewers or presenters from those countries. Many of them featured the sights of London – such things as London buses and the King’s Road, with all the new fashions of the 1960’s, the idea being that they promoted Britain overseas.