Mark Twain-His Background. Mark Twain grew up in Missouri, a slave state. His father was a judge, but he was also traded in slaves at times. His uncle, John Quarles, owned 20 slaves; so Mark Twain witnessed the practice of slavery first-hand whenever he spent summers at his uncle's place.is father was a judge, but he was also traded in slaves at times. His uncle, John Quarles, owned 20 slaves; so Mark Twain witnessed the practice of slavery first-hand whenever he spent summers at his uncle's place.
Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language.As theories among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency go, there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it.Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects.s theories among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency go, there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related, but separate controversial subjects.
English speakers know that their language is odd. So do nonspeakers saddled with learning it. The oddity that we all perceive most readily is its spelling, which is indeed a nightmare. In countries where English isn't spoken, there is no such thing as a spelling bee. For a normal language, spelling at least pretends a basic correspondence to the way people pronounce the words. But English is not normal. Even in its spoken form, English is weird. It's weird in ways that are easy to miss, especially since Anglophones in the United States and Britain are not exactly rabid to learn other languages. Our monolingual tendency leaves us like the proverbial fish not knowing that it is wet.