English is not my first language. It’s my third language. My first one is Russian. Second one is German. My father often worked in German Democratic Republic (the Communist one) and he wanted to encourage me and my siblings to learn German. German is very close to English so I at first based my English speech to German. It works quite well to bring a language to compare well. How did you learn English?
Re: How did you learn English?
-English-
I learned it myself.
Seriously, It is really not that hard.
-French-
Learned to read french from school.
I’ll get the meaning of what you are saying.
-Spanish-
School, books, internet, and all that.
Re: How did you learn English?
The similarity to German makes sense, given that Old English was heavily influenced by German. Still, I’d imagine that English is a very difficult language to master, as it has evolved so much and borrowed so many words from other languages. And, as is the case with any language, idiom tends to be problematic. I think it may be worse in the U.S. given how many people don’t employ proper usage. Someone could have a very good textbook understanding of English but still be completely fucking lost when it comes to the vernacular.
Re: How did you learn English?
English is my mother tongue. Then French to a pretty high level - started at school and spent a fair while in France - and then a spot of Italian and reasonably able to read Latin. Keep meaning to learn Mandarin.
Re: How did you learn English?
It seems to be that the opposite in fact holds. People find it very hard to completely master formal English and indeed, normal use English, but find it very easy to get to a level whereby they can make themselves understood.
Re: How did you learn English?
That’s because in Russia, broth spoils you and cookie crumbles you.
Re: How did you learn English?
first i learned Spanish form my nanny then German then English all at once. my accent is still a bit off years later.
Re: How did you learn English?
English is my mother tongue as well, and over the years I’ve polished it with inflections from a number of authors, movie characters, and a touch of Shakespeare. At one point I was approaching fluency in German, but other courses got in the way at college and my five-year stretch of German classes came to an end.