English as a Second Language

[KaryLovesMika!]

So if there's one thing that MFC really opened my eyes to, it's the fact that so many people all over the world who speak another language natively, but have made the effort to learn English - and have learned it well enough to be able to communicate with native English speakers very, very well.

 

I find it particularly impressive because where I am in Western Canada, learning additional languages is not given much priority. So I'm fascinated by people who make it a priority.

 

So tell me - if English is not your first language, how did you learn it? How old were you when you began learning English? Are you still taking classes to improve your English? What's your native language? And, do your parents/brothers/sisters speak English?

Well, my native language it's spanish; I started learning english when I was 7 years old, I thought "Wow, this language sounds pretty cool"! I never took english lessons apart that the ones you receive in shcool (Which are not that awesome or complite). It was a momentary love for the language, I didn't care about it for a couple of years and then I met Nsync , I love them so muuuuch! (I still do) but I could barely get that they were saying in their songs, so, I read the whole english/spanish dictionary. And that's my story.

 

And no other relative knows english.

[LadyGodiva]

Learning other languages at an older age is a lot harder than learning when you are young. I really wish the school systems here would require language classes in elementary school. I'm learning spanish now in school, and then French on my own, but i really wish i could speak every language- wouldn't that be lovely?

I think it's brilliant when one parent talks to a kid in one language and the other in a different language, making the child bilingual.

With the romance languages, once you know one, it's a lot easier to pick up another.

[annabelle]

but i really wish i could speak every language- wouldn't that be lovely?

That would be beyond lovely.

lI think it's brilliant when one parent talks to a kid in one language and the other in a different language, making the child bilingual.

You know...that was/is one of my biggest wishes. And also the most impossible one. But I really always wanted that my dad (or mom) was American/English/Spanish, and that I would be bilingual. I think this is the greatest thing that can happen to a kid. And beside, those ''mixed'' kids are also the most beautiful ones (and Mika is a proof).

 

Anyway- my native langauge is Slovenian. I don't think that many of you have heard of it before. So just for that reason it is necessary for me to speak at least one more foreign language. I speak English, Spanish and a tiny bit of Serbian/Croatian.

 

My first encounter with English was in elementary school. But at that time I didn't really pay much attention to it, and didn't care about learning it. I mean, I did understand almost everything but I wasn't so good at grammar and speaking.

My passion for lenguages began when I was around 17, I think. That's when I started to learn Spanish at some private language school. After that I also understood English much, much better- especially the grammar.

Anyway, I love English very much but it also causes me a lot of frustrations sometimes, lol. Especailly because I know that I still make a lot of mistakes, and it makes me very angry when I can't explain what I want in a proper way.

[Droopsy]

I basically learned English by listening to music and watching television... Most stuff is english anyway and with the subtitles it's so much easier to learn the language... I've been speaking English since I was twelve.

 

In high school we had English as a subject as well (obligated), but I actually didn't learn anything new in those classes.

[Fmbm]

I was always fascinated by the amount of people on here who know how to write/speak in english well. I guess in Europe, English is sort of mandatory, where as people in the US aren't really forced to take a language until high school. I really respect all of the "foreign" MFCers who can talk on here regularily in perfect english. Kudos to you guys

[Cassiopée]

Being a French Canadian, I think it's normal to learn english but not everyone in Quebec speaks english, specially if you're not living in Montreal. I use english everyday at work. A lot of my patients don't speak french. Some docs only write in english

 

We learn english in primary school. In grade 6 I was in a special program so 4 afternoons a week I had english classes. I didn't learn much things in english at school after that. Since I'm like 12, I prefer watching movies or tv programs in english. I now try to read more novel or listen to audiobooks in english. this and chatting of being on MFC improved my english a lot. Now I should try an other language...

[sienna]

I was always fascinated by the amount of people on here who know how to write/speak in english well. I guess in Europe, English is sort of mandatory, where as people in the US aren't really forced to take a language until high school. I really respect all of the "foreign" MFCers who can talk on here regularily in perfect english. Kudos to you guys

 

I wouldn't call it perfect but we are doing our best!

 

And yes, it's mandatory in Sweden and has been for many years.

Right now we start at 8 years old.

 

But I would like to add that we are also owerflown (is that a word?)by English, in music, films, TV, internet and it's not unusual that a lot of commercials are in English.

When studying at university there are a good deal of the course material only available in English, as for example when I studied psychology I had to read many books in English which was not easy! But I learned a lot!

The English language has a great impact on the Swedish language right now and there is a discussion going on if we should protect it from those influences or just go with the flow and let it change in a natural way.

[Fmbm]

I wouldn't call it perfect but we are doing our best!

 

 

Well okay, maybe not. But you guys can make your way around here fine. I always understand the people on here who speak English as a second language, so they must be good enough that I can comprehend what they're saying

[sienna]

Well okay, maybe not. But you guys can make your way around here fine. I always understand the people on here who speak English as a second language, so they must be good enough that I can comprehend what they're saying

 

A funny thing is that one of the threads that is the hardest to understand is the oldlings, I think the reason is that a lot of the posters in there are from different places around England and they have some kind of their own ”accent” going on.

 

Sometimes I have trouble to understand what Freddie says for example but I use to chase him with my questions and he is always a sweetie and answers!

 

Do you find that there is a big difference between English and American English?

[Fmbm]

A funny thing is that one of the threads that is the hardest to understand is the oldlings, I think the reason is that a lot of the posters in there are from different places around England and they have some kind of their own ”accent” going on.

 

Sometimes I have trouble to understand what Freddie says for example but I use to chase him with my questions and he is always a sweetie and answers!

 

Do you find that there is a big difference between English and American English?

 

Yes, I have a hard time understanding him too .

 

 

And yes, I have noticed that, but I'm sort of obsessed with the UK so I know their lingo

[findingmywords]

Nice topic!

 

My parents are from Chile and they grew up speaking Spanish. But when my dad (and mom I think?) started going to upper school, he went to a school that only spoke and taught in English. I think it's great that they make it a priority to learn a different language. I think being bilingual or more is very important. My cousin in Chile right now is going to a only English speaking school.

I just wish they would emphasize how great it is to learn a foreign language here.

They should do something to make people more interested in it

But I admire very much how people here on MFC practice another language, and actually want to learn it, and the practice is really workin' too!

Your guyses English is awesome!

[sienna]

Yes, I have a hard time understanding him too .

 

 

And yes, I have noticed that, but I'm sort of obsessed with the UK so I know their lingo

 

O my!

Happy to hear I'm not the only one then!

[sunshine931]

Yipee a language thread ! I find languages quite fascinating and can go on and on on that subject hehe...

 

I'm Qébécoise, which means I'm from the province of Québec in Canada. I think people outside of Canada mostly call us French Canadians. As many of you may know, Canada is mostly an english speaking country... except for one province : Québec (pronounced Kay-beck). Here in Québec the first language is french. There are exceptions though. A small portion of the population in the city of Montréal speak only english.

 

Pretty much everyone in Montréal is bilingual (french and english) and a lot of people around the whole province are bilingual (not always perfectly but most can understand it) too, especially the young people (mostly because of the internet). In Québec when you go to school you HAVE to take english lessons. It's mandatory. But besides from it being mandatory, we don't really have a choice since the whole continent speaks english. We are surrounded by it so might as well learn it if we don't wanna be isolated. Plus, if you want to get a job, it's very useful to know english cause most employers require it.

 

Sorry for that little lesson about Québec, hope I didn't bore you to death lol...

 

Now about me

 

Of course french is my first language. We start learning english at school in elementary school, at about 9 years old I think. However, you only learn the basics : some vocabulary, some very short sentences.... defo not enough to carry on a conversation.

 

When I was in grade 6 in elementary school, I got in a special english immersion program. We would do all our subjects (french, math, science, etc)in 5 months instead of 10 and then the next 5 months was only english. The teacher speaks french for 5 minutes to tell you important stuff and then she never speaks french again, only english. That's the best way to learn, when you have actually no choice. At first, if you don't understand something, instead of taking the easy way and saying it french, she would make signs, draw pictures, find another way to make you understand. The first day you go home with quite a headache but after a week you understand pretty much everything.

 

Then I took english concentration in high school. So I did all the normal high school english classes in half the time required and then the rest of the time I had advanced english classes.

 

Besides school, there are many ways I improved my english : movies, magazines, books tv, music, internet, work (dealing with english speaking customers) and of course MFC !!! I also have friends who have english as a first language so it allows me to practice it quite often.

 

My mom speaks very very little english, my dad is almost bilingual and my two sisters went through the same process at school so they are bilingual as well.

 

lol sorry for that extra long post !!!!

[MegPL]

WOW...nice thread... so... my story looks like this

 

I'm Polish and my native language is Polish. I've started to learn English when I was little...I think I was sth about 6 y.o... first I was learning at home from childrens book... then at age of 8 I started to learn English at private lessons, which I was taking with my brother (he is 5 yrs older than me, so he was taking those lessons because he couldn't handle the level of English at our Primary School...I mean he was awful at it...that's because he is deaf to his one ear so it's difficult to him to learn other languages...but he was still forced to do so... )anyway... I was taking those lessons till age of 10 I think, because then I had English classes at school so I didn't have to pay for extra lessons anymore (at Poland childrens are learning other languages (most cases it's English) from the age of 7 at Primary School-from the 1st class (in old system it was age of 10/11) and from the few years they've started lessons also at Nurserys)... I was at 4th grade then...and since then I had regular classes 2 or 3 times in a week at school since I finnished my High School... so it was 10 years (Primary School + High School) and then I went to University where I had 3 years of English... so basically I'm learning English for 17 years now, and I still have grammar issues LOL. (well basically it's because I refuse to learn it haha...)... Last year I've passed an language certifficate at my Uni, and ended my language education at that point. Since then it's just me and internet LOL (at High School I was learning German for 3 years and at Uni I was also learning Spanish for 2 years and Arabic for year...but I don't remember anything...)

My family doesn't speak English at all... well maby it's not all true.. my dad knows few words... and he will understand a simple sentence, but that's all... my mum can't speak English at all, and my brother only understands what you're saying to him...

haha...so that was my story LOL... don't hit me for my mistakes LOL... I will not learn grammar anyways

[cath85]

I'm gonna love this thread!! I'm a big language freak!!

 

my mothertongue is Luxembourgish, at the age of 6 we start to learn German, at about 8 we start to learn French. I only started with English at 13. I've been fluent in French and German for many years, because in highschool all our classes were in either one of those two languages, but never in Luxembourgish. it's cool but you never learn to write your mothertongue lol

 

I got better in English when I left highschool. through watching movies, internet and stuff like that I improved it a lot. I wasn't really able to follow a conversation after I left highschool, now I'm pretty fluent.

 

I learned some Latin and Spanish at school, but I keep forgetting it, because I lack practise right now I'm trying to learn some Latvian, don't ask why it's fun because you can see the links between different languages and the more languages you know, the easier it gets to learn some more. because you know how they "function"...

 

my parents are fluent in French and German too, but their English isn't too good lol my sis is planning on becoming an English teacher though

[guylainem123]

A funny thing is that one of the threads that is the hardest to understand is the oldlings, I think the reason is that a lot of the posters in there are from different places around England and they have some kind of their own ”accent” going on.

 

Sometimes I have trouble to understand what Freddie says for example but I use to chase him with my questions and he is always a sweetie and answers!

 

Do you find that there is a big difference between English and American English?

 

oh freddie is something else! sometimes i have no idea what he is saying (no offence freddie, you are still loved! )

i am used to hearing american english, so that's no problem. i remember when i was about 17, a family friend had company from england. she had asked me if i could entertain her 3 cousins for the week. i agreed. now being french, it took me about 5 days to understand with no problem what they were saying. i bet i wouldn't have as much problem now!

[Mici]

That would be beyond lovely.

 

You know...that was/is one of my biggest wishes. And also the most impossible one. But I really always wanted that my dad (or mom) was American/English/Spanish, and that I would be bilingual. I think this is the greatest thing that can happen to a kid. And beside, those ''mixed'' kids are also the most beautiful ones (and Mika is a proof).

 

Anyway- my native langauge is Slovenian. I don't think that many of you have heard of it before. So just for that reason it is necessary for me to speak at least one more foreign language. I speak English, Spanish and a tiny bit of Serbian/Croatian.

 

 

I have, and i know few words either.

[Barunka]

I have, and i know few words either.

Me too

I think many people have heard of your language, anabelle

[annabelle]

I have, and i know few words either.

Really? So Zdravo in kako si? (Hello, how are you?) Have you ever been to Slovenia?

Me too

I think many people have heard of your language, anabelle

Oh that's great!

I didn't think that many people would know it, because I know that a lot of people don't even know that there's a country Slovenia.:naughty:They mix us with Slovakia all the time.

[Barunka]

Oh that's great!

I didn't think that many people would know it, because I know that a lot of people don't even know that there's a country Slovenia.:naughty:They mix us with Slovakia all the time.

 

Yes, I have the same feeling about my country It's like if it didn't exist O_o

I know, there are SO many letters they have to send from Slovakia to Slovenia (and conversely) o.O

[elise_xx]

My dad has lived in the UK since I was two, and his girlfriend speaks English so I learned it when I was really young.

It is really nice to be able to speak english, cause I always get good grades for English

[MegPL]

Yes, I have the same feeling about my country It's like if it didn't exist O_o

I know, there are SO many letters they have to send from Slovakia to Slovenia (and conversely) o.O

which is what? Czechoslovakia? hehe

[annabelle]

Yes, I have the same feeling about my country It's like if it didn't exist O_o

I know, there are SO many letters they have to send from Slovakia to Slovenia (and conversely) o.O

 

I know what you're talking about.

Nothing tops some sport/political/(...) event where they play the anthem of Slovakia instead of Slovenian. Or when they hang out the wrong flag. That's why some people from here want the flag to change. But I'm against it. Though I think all our problems would be solved if we changed the flag that way that there was Slovenia written all over it.

 

Sorry for off topic.

[MegPL]

hehe... well those mistakes happends... Polish flag was taken as Russian once... (??? how on earth...I dunno...) and so on and so on... so... we have to live with that

[kaeryana]

So if there's one thing that MFC really opened my eyes to, it's the fact that so many people all over the world who speak another language natively, but have made the effort to learn English - and have learned it well enough to be able to communicate with native English speakers very, very well.

 

I find it particularly impressive because where I am in Western Canada, learning additional languages is not given much priority. So I'm fascinated by people who make it a priority.

 

So tell me - if English is not your first language, how did you learn it? How old were you when you began learning English? Are you still taking classes to improve your English? What's your native language? And, do your parents/brothers/sisters speak English?

 

interesting way to start a topic! well,to me,conversing in English is not really that big f a deal,it's international and everyone should at least understand it.English breaks the language barrier among people of different nationalities.

 

I learnt it from tv,believe it or not? well,i got interested in English ever since i was a toddler,when i first watched all the disney movies.I got curious about what the characters were saying,so i asked my mom and she teaches me how to read,speak and write basic English.I was only 1 back then,now English is no longer something new to me.Yes,i'm taking compulsory English classes at school and my native language is Malay.My sister's an English lecturer,my brother understands English but he doesn't speak that much.