DEAR MISS MANNERS: How can I help my girlfriend learn to use the correct words during our conversations in English without constantly correcting her?
When I interrupt her to suggest the correct words, it appears to be more frustrating than helpful for her.
GENTLE READER: Much like with autocorrect, alternate suggestions while one is trying to convey a coherent thought are not as helpful as they might seem to the instructor, who is supposed to be listening to the ideas being conveyed.
If you want to avoid coming across as Henry Higgins (because there is little chance that that relationship lasted), Miss Manners suggests that you and the lady make the lessons reciprocal. Devise a plan to learn each other’s languages at designated times -- and not during regular conversations. In other words, let the rain in Spain stay mainly on the plain.