Can someone help me, please?

Drive, do you recieve any English-language TV shows? If so, that might help you understand what's being said. I'm not suggesting you watch them for entertainment, but more to hear how words are pronounced and strung together.

Part of the problem is sentence structure. Most languages do not follow the same structure as English (Swedish is a noteable exception), and I'm sure that's contributing to your problem. Again, by listening to as much English as possible you'll develop a feel for it.

As to grammer and usage, welcome to the club. English is so multi-definitional, and there are so many exceptions to the rules that people born and bred to the language don't understand it.

So long as you develop basic comprehension you should be alright.

...at a museum or something in Great Britain (he or she explains things), I don't understand a word.

Don't feel too badly. English is my native tongue, but I don't understand half of what my British friends say.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drive 

We only receive BBC 1 and BBC 2.

Bummer!
 

I would think that BBC1 and BBC2 would more than assist with English.

Just think, you could receive STV or BBC Wales....  now they REALLY would be difficult to understand!

drive,  You have access to a computer obviously, so you can search for a phrase or some words you may not understand.

If you Google it, or go to Wiki, you will most times be able to find an explanation. Lots of them.

Like you might Google:  "What does triangle mean?" in your search.  Then it will come up with a lot of answers.  This is a simple example, so just ask it what you want to know if you don't understand something, and it should give you an answer.

English grammar is very confusing, almost the most difficult language.  And it also depends on the accent of the person speaking it!

Drive if you can like DC said, try and look things up on the internet.  Don't feel bad.. English is my first language and I can barely understand sometimes what fellow Canadians (especially those from Newfoundland) are saying sometimes!  (no offense to my friends down east.. ) Also , I have a couple of friends in the US and they say that I sound British when I talk and honestly I don't hear it. 

If you go to cbc.ca, you can look at episodes of some of their shows online and stop and rewind them so you can make sense of what they're saying.  I wouldn't reccomend 'The Tudors" or "This Hour has 22 Minutes" for beginning to understand and communicate but most of their other shows should be ok. 

Hope this helps

Drive, where in the Netherlands are you?  My inlaws are Dutch and we are planning a trip there next year with the kids and hopefully my mother in law if she is able to travel.  (she will be 83 next year)  We will be in Bilthoven for  some of our visit as we have cousins there and then we'll be heading to Brabant and wherever else our travels may take us.  My inlaws both have huge families so there will be a place to stay for sure.

Welcome to CT, and hope you enjoy it here!