Learning English as a second language can get tricky if you let it. Most people often make mistakes while in the learning stages of the English language and this is usually due to either the in-adequacies or misguidance originating from their tutor or mistakes arising from their own selves. You should know that what you learn often tends to get in-built into your memory and in the eventuality of your learning what is not correct, making the right corrections to your mistakes once gotten used to can be a hard task for many.

The first mistake which you should avoid is based on the words ‘me’ and ‘I’

This mistake is said to be the most commonly made mistake made by people who do not have English as their first language. Concerning these two words, in a way, they both mean the same thing but this does not mean you can use them interchangeably. The words ‘Me’ and ‘I’ are most used so many times in the course of a day so imagine what it would be like using these two words wrongly throughout the course of a day. One thing you should know about these two words is they are both first person singular nouns. In usage, ‘I’ is in most cases used as the subject of a sentence.

See the two sentences below.

 “I would like to go to work now” or “Me want to go to work now”.

I am sure the second sentence does not make perfect sense to you but if it does then you should know now that saying ‘me want to go to work now’ is not only bad grammar, it is very disgraceful English.

Another illustration can be taken from instances where for example you are talking to a girl and want to consider going out on a date with you. Though it is common to hear people say, “Why don’t you and me go out on a date”, the correct sentence should be “Why don’t you and I go out on a date”. You should take note of these little differences as they may mean a lot wherever you are going to use them.

Another rule you must also take note of especially while writing is that when you are referring to yourself in a sentence and are bound to use the letter ‘I’, the ‘I’ in the sentence must always be written as a capital letter. If you are going to write: “I would like to go to work now”. It should be “I would like to go to work now” and not “i would like to go to work now”. Getting to know this is quite important as it will definitely depict a lack of professionalism on your path when written wrongly.

Avoid mixing up synonyms.

Also when writing, another common mistake people make especially with people learning English as a second or foreign language is to mix up different synonyms together. Synonyms are pronounced the same way so mistakes are not recognizable during speech but while writing, these mistakes become very pronounced. For some, there is a tendency to get carried away and use a word for another. An example sentence being:

‘Let’s go to the sea’ may be mistakenly written as ‘Let’s go to the see’.

 You should try as much as possible to avoid these errors. Just as mentioned earlier, synonyms as pronounced alike so it is almost impossible to make mistakes while speaking. Even if you meant to say see instead of sea, the person listening still takes it as sea.

Refrain from learning the language from unreliable sources.

In places where a pidgin version of the English language exists, learning this Pidgin English before proper English is most times going to end up being a bad idea. It is only natural for you to want to pick up sentence structure or words from the pidgin into real English so we say it’s a bad idea. Also, depending on the source through which you are learning the English language, it’s always advisable to learn from very reliable sources. Your teacher or private tutor should be well- qualified and have the necessary certifications before taking you lessons. And if you would enroll into a school with a pool of tutors, you should ensure that the school has a good track record when it comes to their output. Though learning through in-formal means is quite rare, you should ensure that you are thought the right thing by accepting knowledge from someone who’s level of the language is far above yours.

Not putting what you’ve learnt into practical use

This is another common mistake people make and it stretches way beyond learning the English language alone. Come to think of it, why would you want to learn something when you know you would not be making use of it. Most students who learn the English language especially in foreign countries do not get to speak and/or use the language at frequently and it should be know that only with constant practice can you become really good in anything you do.

To stop this, try speaking English with a couple of friends who are learning with you. Also, having English speaking pen pals may a good idea. You don’t necessarily have to write letters, the internet is a valuable tool and you can do any writing you want there.
 
Trying to get perfect too soon

Make sure to take your time while learning the English language. Just as a toddler learns to crawl before walking, you should know the very basics (the foundation) aspects of the language before going any further. Always try to take things slowly and start practicing at every stage of learning in which you find yourself.

From all what has been written, it is our hoped that any mistake(s) which you made or are about to make would be corrected. The English language is one of the most interesting languages to learn. It may be tricky at first but once you know your way around, it is bound to become a piece of cake to anyone.