| Page 1 of 2 |
MAD_MAX333
Moderator
Posts: 7020
Location: Toronto, Canada...eh
|
 Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:04 Post subject: English |
|
 |
K so something has been tickling my fancy lately. How do you guys have such a good grasp on the English language? Is it like a mandatory second language in ur country? School classes? English friends? I find it fascinating to see Italian, Dominican, Swede or any number of ethnicities being represented here and you all speak (type atleast) pretty damn well.
Let's hear it!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:12 Post subject: |
|
|
Poland.
90% of my friends speak only engrish, so I can't vouch for them, but I learned my english by starting to play video games as early as 5 years old, then switching to books when I was about 14. Now I'm fluent on the conversational level and have no problem even reading books. Although I always attributed that to having a knack for languages.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:15 Post subject: |
|
|
Because of movies, tv, internet. A lot of us grew up watching hollywood movies and tv shows and as a kid you pick up the language pretty quickly. But it's also taught as a secondary language in most schools, although in my case most kids already knew it fairly well before that.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sin317
Banned
Posts: 24322
Location: Geneva
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:32 Post subject: |
|
|
i watch everything in english (movies, shows), play games in english and talk english here. When you look at my posts a couple years back, you'll see a clear progression and i'm quite proud of how far i've come hehe. At the same time i learned french, just by listening and eventually talking to the people here in Geneva. Took a couple years, but now i'm fluent.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Werelds
Special Little Man
Posts: 15098
Location: 0100111001001100
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:34 Post subject: |
|
|
Mandatory in school, everything on TV is English w/ subs rather than dubbed (stuff targeting children often has both versions available, both on TV and in cinema), same goes for games.
Plus, at least for Dutch people, it's a piss easy language to learn; even easier than German is for us. Both are very well structured, unlike French for example 
| sabin1981 wrote: | If I say "because we're not American" will I get banned?  |
Most Brits don't speak it for shit either 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Saner
Posts: 6877
Location: Uk
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 15:35 Post subject: |
|
|
eye dun c da prob meself, egrish iz fooking (prawn) ezy!
| ragnarus wrote: |
I saw things like that in here and in other "woman problems" topics so...... Am I the only one that thinks some authorities needs to be alerted about Saner and him possibly being a rapist and/or kidnapper ? |
Saner is not being serious. Unless its the subject of Santa!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tw1st
Posts: 6112
Location: New Jersey
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NFOAC
Posts: 6015
Location: India
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:00 Post subject: |
|
|
| BearishSun wrote: | | Because of movies, tv, internet. A lot of us grew up watching hollywood movies and tv shows and as a kid you pick up the language pretty quickly. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Przepraszam
VIP Member
Posts: 14489
Location: Poland. New York.
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:06 Post subject: |
|
|
| tw1st wrote: | Well because I'm from 'Murica!
I lived in Poland for 4 years though, and our English class was mandatory. Since I was already fluent in English, that class was easy  |
Back in my days, we were only taught German  . My parents signed me up for few English classes before moving permanently to USA.
After that, I was sent to Junior High School and well it wasn't a easy ride but I learnt most of my English from cartoons, Pokemon and Jackie Chan Adventures and few others that were aired in those years. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:31 Post subject: |
|
|
Pretty much in every school after 3-rd grade - English is second language taught.
Sometimes simple words like apple, car as soon as kinder garden.
Most people under 30 have at least average knowledge of English.
| Lutzifer wrote: | | and yes, mine is only average |
Last edited by StrEagle on Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:58; edited 1 time in total
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tw1st
Posts: 6112
Location: New Jersey
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:31 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Neon
VIP Member
Posts: 18935
Location: Poland
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Invasor
Moderator
Posts: 7638
Location: On the road
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 17:57 Post subject: |
|
|
| BearishSun wrote: | | Because of movies, tv, internet. A lot of us grew up watching hollywood movies and tv shows and as a kid you pick up the language pretty quickly. But it's also taught as a secondary language in most schools, although in my case most kids already knew it fairly well before that. |
Same here, plus music (I used to translate every lyric I heard) and books. Can't say it worked well for most brazilians though, I think 90% speak engrish or no english at all...
I also learned spanish by travelling, for me its really easy to talk in spanish (I can't really write though) as it is so similar to portuguese. My next goal is to learn italian, which also seems quite easy.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
murgo
Posts: 1928
Location: Brezelcountry
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Invasor
Moderator
Posts: 7638
Location: On the road
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 19:11 Post subject: |
|
|
IMO it's quite easy to learn. Never got the hang of it during school times, but reading and watching a lot of movies did the trick for me.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 19:24 Post subject: |
|
|
Before teh Internet, here we had only American and, to a lesser extent, British movies on TV.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon, 22nd Jul 2013 21:14 Post subject: |
|
|
Last ~4 years of school has been taught in english.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 00:03 Post subject: |
|
|
| BearishSun wrote: | | Because of movies, tv, internet. A lot of us grew up watching hollywood movies and tv shows and as a kid you pick up the language pretty quickly. But it's also taught as a secondary language in most schools, although in my case most kids already knew it fairly well before that. |
Pretty much this
And Cartoon Network Omelette du fromage! xD
Plus I have been learning it since elementary school (1st grade) until the end of high school, so that's like 12 years of studying it actively.
Plus I'm on the hump since '06, and that also helped a lot, especially with writing
"Quantum mechanics is actually, contrary to it's reputation, unbeliveably simple, once you take the physics out."
Scott Aaronson | chiv wrote: | | thats true you know. newton didnt discover gravity. the apple told him about it, and then he killed it. the core was never found. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 00:13 Post subject: |
|
|
My generation and even 10 years older people speak english at least on a passable level in estonia. Ofc why people here on the hump are good is because being an internet/video game nerd really gives a better grasp of the language. We start with english classes as a B language at around age 8-9 I think. Before that we watch a lot of TV and so on. Nowadays people use more computers which should theoretically give people even better chances at mastering the english language. I had some really basic classes at the age 5 and im generally good with languages if I try and get practice.
My speech is really rusty in english, cause I need to think about what I say, but usually I try to speak like Id speak estonian so I mess up words in a really weird way. Dont raid in WoW anymore so I get no practice in speaking :<
i5-3570k @4.4gHz, MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4g OC'd, MSI z77a-g45, Corsair Vengeance 8gb 1600mHz, Corsair TX650 PSU, Crucial M4 128gb, WD 1.5 TB HDD, Seagate 1TB HDD, LG 27MB85R-B 1440p
RSI name: ctulu
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Morphineus
VIP Member
Posts: 24883
Location: Sweden
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 00:43 Post subject: |
|
|
Not going to say I am good at it but I do well enough.
The reasons: Nothing is dubbed in Belgium, and we watched a lot of movies at home. Most of the cartoons I watched were in English, I loved all the BBC cartoons and kids programs.
I started gaming when I was 6 years old, and you are pretty much forced to work on your English if you want to do well on games and be self sufficient. Never joined dutch speaking clans or guilds, did not want to restrict my experiences with other people.
I got English lessons at school when I was 12 (not American), but we had way more French in school. Every OS I had was in English, same with programs. I studied for the MCSE and CCNA exams in English. Worked as a Network Engineer, Desktop engineer and DB designer and well everything was in English except talking to clients and coworkers.
My girlfriend is Swedish, we've been together for 8 years and we speak English, but that is going to change since I moved to Sweden last December so I'm trying to speak more Swedish and in a few days my Swedish lessons start so I will be speaking English even less the coming months I assume.
So I guess it's due to a lot of different things that my English is sufficient. I could do a lot better tbh, I notice I have become more lazy on Forums/mails/games. I catch myself numerous times of making mistakes. I cared a bit more when I was younger.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MAD_MAX333
Moderator
Posts: 7020
Location: Toronto, Canada...eh
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 01:44 Post subject: |
|
|
well that is just amazing.... and you guys all have a leg up in life and work place now i suppose... so most of the europe i could get away with english as a tourist? Damn i hope they speak good enough English in greece too.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 02:06 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MAD_MAX333
Moderator
Posts: 7020
Location: Toronto, Canada...eh
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 02:10 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 02:24 Post subject: |
|
|
Because I'm a field agent. Communication skills are mandatory.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ixigia
[Moderator] Consigliere
Posts: 65078
Location: Italy
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 02:39 Post subject: |
|
|
If I know some rudimentary Engrish it's mainly thanks to this forum.
We didn't have mandatory English until high-school back then, and generally it's always been considered like a secondary subject in terms of importance (professors couldn't care less, same for students of course).
Though the basics that I leaned there were enough to play video-games/watch movies with subtitles, but this forum actually gave me the right input to improve my skills more (I'm basically self-taught), and reach a decent-ish level of comprehension.
All the younger generations have been luckier, they have mandatory English since elementary school, but as far as I can see, there haven't been many improvements.
I blame our society and culture, with the obligatory forced dubbing, which certainly doesn't help. Movies, books, games, everything is dubbed here and it's not going to change anytime soon. :<
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LeoNatan
☢ NFOHump Despot ☢
Posts: 73196
Location: Ramat Gan, Israel 🇮🇱
|
| Posted: Tue, 23rd Jul 2013 03:11 Post subject: |
|
|
I would like to hope that me trolling people with their shit spelling has helped some people improve their language. 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Page 1 of 2 |
All times are GMT + 1 Hour |
