To anyone whose native language isn't English?

Question

Before you knew English, how badly did you want to learn it, and how often did you hear it wherever you lived? What made you decide to take up and actually learn it? And how did you learn it; Did you read books, buy a program, take a class, etc.?

Any answers help, you dont have to answer all of them.

Answer 1

My first language is Russian but I started learning English in (my Russian) elementary school. I wasn't really interested in it until one day I heard a woman instantly translating English song lyrics into Russian for her boyfriend. It amazed me so much that from that point on I decided to eventually speak English fluently. Several years later my family and I moved to United States, so that definitely helped in improving my English skills.

I think the best way to learn a language is not through a program or books or classes but through cultural immersion. Of course it's harder than it seems since a lot of people can't afford to go and live in another country just for foreign language, but, unfortunately, nothing beats immersion. Just as another personal example, through middle and high schools I've taken many French classes, but it was only after my year long stay in France that I can now really say that I speak French with a near-fluent ability. So one year of immersion worked 10 times better than 6 years of French classes (after which I still wasn't able to form correctly a complex sentence that didn't have to do with introducing myself).

Answer 2

It was not an option. I can't say I wanted to learn it. It was just another subject at school.
But there is a difference between that "learning" at school (many of us as students don't really pay much attention to subjects we are not interested in) and facing the real world. What made me decide? Actually, being able to get a job. I did take classes to learn it.
Some years ago, it was easier to have contact with English language on TV. But now, almost all movies on TV are dubbed.

Answer 3

Learning English wasn't actually something I chose to do, it was simply a subject taught at the High School I attended. I had English classes for 7 years, and then went on to study for a degree in translating/interpreting at college.

Answer 4

I started learning English in kindergarden, not in classes, but by watching cartoons. I learnt French in school, up to 8th grade, when I had to take a second language and I took English. Upto the 8th grade I learnt it almost perfectly in conversational situations, from movies, cartoons and books. In high-school I shaped my grammar, in college I was nearly an expert and now I'm an English high-school Teacher. At first, I learnt English because I liked how it sounded.

Answer 5

I'm greek and in Greece kids take up english lessons as soon as they turn 7 years old.It's almost obligatory for us as long as our language is spoken nowhere else in the whole world.As a result,most of young greeks are fluent english speakers.We learn english in private schools and it takes about 6 or 7 years for the first certificate.I use and listen to english every day.Besides,unlike most european nations we don't translate the movies but use subtitles in greek instead so we can become more familiar with the language by hearing it every time we watch a movie.Personally,I like reading books in english and listen to songs,which helps you keep contact with the language

Answer 6

As I have studied in an English medium school from my kindergarten, I have no other option except to learn all subjects in English. Moreover, the school management used to give penalty to the students, who don't speak English.

Answer 7

Philippines had being a colony of the US and since then English has been the language used in schools. That's how I learned it.

Answer 8

i am italian and i started studying english at 11 years (studying either french or english was mandatory at school at that time, now they've lowered the requirement down to 6 years)
i wanted to learn it really bad, because i knew it would have allowed me to go to Australia (which is still today my dreamplace) and to live there.
Today i am a certified proficient /fluent user... so i'd say i've learnt it pretty well

To learn english I:
1- studied the basics very well when i was a small kid, thanks to my teacher (anything learnt when you're a kid is better learnt than anything else later on!)
2- practised a lot whenever i could with tourists, the internet, travelling abroad
3- read novels and watch movies

in my work (I'm an aerospace engineer) i read and write a lot of technical documents in english and that's how i keep practising. Also i use english to communicate with foreign engineers and suppliers.

Answer 9

hiya,cool question,well i used to learn words by heart from dictionnary and worked in some books,then was listening to english songs and writing then lyrics..memorizing them,then joined an english school.
At home(morocco) it s the 4th language so i didn't use to hear it much at home.
I studying it cos i love languages,I also speak arabic french and spanish.

Answer 10

My first language is French, but I learned English while I was fairly young, as it is a mandatory subject in schools. I come from New-Brunswick, the only truly bilingual province in Canada. Most of the francophone population also speak English, but there are fewer anglophones who also learn French. I do recall being quite eager to learn...I didn't have much choice, but I really did *want* to learn.