American's English proficiency(especially, Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary) is very bad??
Sometimes I'm very irritated at their English proficiency. For example, when I used some difficult words, they couldn't understand them!! Althrough they have a good academic background like Harvard, PhD engineering, Berkeley.
I'd like to know average American's word-hoard.
Can you understand the following words?
I put an English vocabulary quiz to all of you, if you're interested in the quiz.
Could you answer them?
Ceteris paribus
Hocus pocus
Apropos of nothing
Tendentious/tendencious
Dragoon
Dicey
Ineffable
Fatuous
Pusillianimous
Helter skelter
Derring-do
Anathema
Jettison
Exogenous
Endogenous
Felon
Felony
Penitence
Paroxysm
Revelry
Arbitration act

Answers

shominaminoto

26 Feb 2015

English (US)

Well if I started asking you the definitions for Kanji that are no longer used should I be angry at you?

It's not our fault these words aren't commonplace, it is just the way that it is.

As for your quiz, I can answer about half of it. The other half I've never heard of or seen written before.

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hirokisuperhype

26 Feb 2015

Japanese

Oh sorry. I think I should talk with more new people rather than just learning from a book.

shominaminoto

26 Feb 2015

English (US)

I can safely tell you that all those words on that list you will never hear in conversation other than Felon, felony and maybe hocus pocus(I think older people still say this)

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hannahh

26 Feb 2015

English (UK)

All those words you listed wouldn't be heard in a day to day conversation it's more for writing in essays and typing and poems

Most people don't understand sophisticated english or old english and some do

Depends on each individual And country for example

I'm Australian and most words American say are foreign to me because our english slightly differs but yet we understand each other.

Arbitration act is usually used in the court so some people won't understand

And derring-do I've never heard of

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vincek

26 Feb 2015

English (US)

各言語に限らないと思いますが、ある研究によると読書好きはそうでもない方より、知っている言葉の範囲が倍以上広いみたいです。
Most American high school students study a lot of vocabulary for college entrance exams; in college, they forget the words they don't use often, so the need to study the exact same words for graduate school entrance exams.

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hirokisuperhype

27 Feb 2015

Japanese

To all of you:

Each time I read a difficult book like the Economist, HBR, and academic paper, I pick up a difficult word.
I discovered a good written English has a clear and concise text as several characteristics in common.
Some people have a tendency to love to purposely use an actorish word in place of plain words, but others believe that it's common knowledge that a good English is a plain English.
In other words, I need more training basic verb and writing on the basis of the order of prevalence.

I'm going to read the following books.
***The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking(I think this book would be useful for me with the purpose that I acquire more strict categorized thinking.)
***The Elements of Style
***The Chicago Manual of Style; the Essential guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers

What books do you recommend to me?

William Safirem's Rules for Writers;
1. Avoid run-on sentences(,) they are hard to read.
2. A writer must not shift YOUR point of view.
3. Do NOT put statements in the negative form.
4. The adverb always follows the verbs.
5. Write all adverbial forms CORRECT.
6. Don't use Capital letters without good REASON.
7. EVERYONE should make sure that THEIR PRONOUNS agree with ITS antecedent.
….etc