Did you have a hard time learning English?

@p3ks626 (6538)
Philippines
March 17, 2010 6:27am CST
When I was young, I had nanny who was really good in speaking English and she taught me. I consider myself very lucky because she was my nanny. And that she taught me. When I was in elementary, I had my formal education in English and it was a lot easier for me to learn it because I already had an idea about it. Now, I can use English all the time and my job has something to do with it. How about you? How did you learn English? How did you find it? Was it hard, easy? What was your experience about learning it?
1 person likes this
30 responses
@sushie93 (1355)
• France
17 Mar 10
I started to learn English when i was on secondary school (4 years) and continue in high school (3 years) so now i have 7 years f English language behind me, it helps me a lot to talk in English forums like MyLot and i am now able to write in English in my English blog. ^^ I like English language, it is why when i learn things in this language, i don't forget them contrary to Spanish language, i hate this language don't know why, i have learned it for 5 years and today, i forgot almost all things i have learned xD.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Its good to know and learn how to speak different languages. We might sometimes dislike a language but maybe all these languages are just kind of connected to each other. Like for example, there are Spanish words that we also have in our national language. And maybe there are also French words related to other languages. And good thing all of us can learn English and understand each other through it.
@sushie93 (1355)
• France
17 Mar 10
Sorry, i didn't want to say "hate" but "dislike", English is not my primary language so when i talk, i choose my words "by hazard" XD.
• United States
17 Mar 10
Hate is kind of a strong word for saying you don't like the language. I dislike some languages, but I certainly don't hate any. If you've been with Spanish for 5 years and don't know anything. there's definitely something wrong with you. I've been taking French for two years (which is a romance language as well) and I've learned quite a lot.
• Boston, Massachusetts
18 Mar 10
Hi P3ks, since i was a kid and not yet in school, my parents already taught me to speak in english. i already memorized short poems and was always asked to recite it infront of the family, friends and guests to entertain them. in school, english is the medium of teaching. that's why it's only Filipino subject that we speak or use our own language and the rest of the subjects are in english.
• Boston, Massachusetts
20 Mar 10
we have great elementary teachers so patient to let us learn the abc to mastering english grammar. cheers for our teachers. i learned so much from them in my early days in school.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Same here! I didnt memorize short poems though. lol I think I was not capable of doing so. I am also a Filipina and I think its very good training for us to be taught in English in all of our subjects expect for Filipino subject of course.
1 person likes this
@monkeylong (3139)
• Guangzhou, China
18 Mar 10
As far as I am concerned, I think it is not difficult to learn English. For me, I think I am a English lover, who usually write a lot of English articles on the sites which are in need of my articles. For me, I think it will be better to log in here to write more, which can help you get a lot of knowledge about the English on the writing .Happy you can enjoy you English learning.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
There are actually a lot of things written in English. Its really good to learn things in English. Its a good way to improve on our skills too.
• Hong Kong
19 Mar 10
What is the site you're talking about? Is it Helium.com? I have an account there but I have only written 2 articles so far. $5 earned. I would rather discuss here than writing articles. You have to write articles about finance in order to have decent earnings. Me no finance guy.
@alilin28 (1527)
• Uruguay
18 Mar 10
to be honest, english isnt my favourite subject in my life.. since i was a child, i havent liked a lot this language.. the problem isnt "the language is horrible or something like this", the problem was that not was soo easy to learn.. for me, was too difficult to learn and practise.. nowdays, i know that english is so important in whatever you do, you want, they want.. is a international language, so this language has known around the world, and we need to study, to read a university book, to work, to find an interesting work, to communicate with people around the world, and more reasons! so, nowdays, i have understood the importance of this language, and i started to like this! i like to listen music in english (to improve my ear), try to write here (to practise my grammar), and i need to practise my speak, so i went to english classes to learn and to be better.. now, im preparing FCE examination, so i need to practise and to pay more attention in more details than in other times i didnt spend to much time in this.. im sure that its easier learn english, than learning my mother tongue that is spanish, because this language has a lot of differents things that in english doesnt exist.. some people i know, told me that this is true, but of course, in the other hand, we woould know people who said the totaly opposite way, like this language is too easy, that everybody need to learn and things like this, but im sure that Spanish is not an easy learning language to lear. nowdays, im a little older (19 years old hahaha) but i can tell you i feel that english is so important whatever and wherever you were.. most of us know this language, in a good or in a bad way, for example, my father works with people who is american, and he doesnt know how to speak english, he learned in the same way that this people learn how to communicate with my dad, starting with gestures, then asking somebody know the language andtrying to translate the worlds. other thing i really saw, is that english is easy to learn when you are younger, specially if you are a chil or a kinder, beucase this age is speciallly to learn new things, and when you are older or an adult, you would learn the language, but is slower than a young girl or boy.. sorry if my post have a lot of mistakes, but the good i noticed is i thouth in english, not trying to translate my ideas!hahahah thanks for asking and give this space to talk, have a nice day
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
There are really a lot of things that we can do to improve on our skills. It also depends on our determination to do so. If we have desire and passion, and if our passion is stronger than our desires then we can really do it.
• Hong Kong
19 Mar 10
If you are finding English hard to learn, try to read more English books. My first novel should be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I spent quite a long time finishing it as I always looked up the dictionary. But after that, I can't stop reading. Soon I found that you don't need to understand every single word in a book. Sometimes you can guess. As long as the difficult words don't affect your understanding of the story, it's fine.
@bomii14 (182)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
it was really easy for me 'cause i grew up watching foreign TV shows like the ones on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. . i hardly ever watched local tv shows when i was young. . and i guess that really helped me a lot in getting used to speaking in English. it was like, i grew up in the states without really going there~ XD my friends even thought i was raised there, 'cause i was really fluent in English. . so yea~ ^^
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
That's also the same way my nephews learned how to speak English. He is actually good at speaking now because he mimics. He became fluent because of the formal education he had in school and he is good in pronunciation and accent because of the tv programs he watched! Good thing that kind of method is also effective for you.
• Hong Kong
19 Mar 10
Oh yeah, you may find it to be a bit strange, but I only watched English cartoons when I was young. I find the cartoons in my mother tongue are of low taste...full of fighting, as if a hero must be one who fights.
• Hong Kong
18 Mar 10
My mum taught me English since I was very young. She told me that good English will help you find an ideal job. I'm a hard-working person and soon had a strong foundation. This gives me an enormous advantage over my peers in classes and I'm really proud about that. (Not arrogantly pround, I assure you) No, I didn't have a hard time. In fact, it was very fun, though grammar was not something I like. I love English more than my mother language and love to read English books. English is the best language-Long Live English! Back in World War 1, German was the most important language, now it's English. I don't English replaced!
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Your mom is right. There are a lot of companies in that are only accepting applicants who are really good in speaking English because their skills can be helpful for the company's development. I was able to use my skills too in looking for a job and it was quite easy. There are also a lot of English Tutorial companies who are looking for teachers who can teach other nationalities speak English well.
• Hong Kong
19 Mar 10
But now, with the increasing economic and military power of China, I'm afraid English may prove to be not as important as before...What a shame. English is a beautiful language - read the Lord of The Rings, a book crafted incredibly well.
• Malaysia
18 Mar 10
p3ks626, i went to a rural school where the medium of instruction was english.those colonial days. looking back i was fortunate to have a school with english as a medium of instruction. i learned english, certain words i could not pronounced such as 'shoes, roller, three, tree, through' etc. the english teacher was patient and saw me through. thanks to all my teachers of yesteryears. the basic foundation of english was rooted and my english today is rather good. i owed it to the dedicated english teachers throughout my schooling years.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
My sister was my teacher when it comes to correct pronunciation. By I really salute your teacher for the efforts that they made. I think they did it all to all of you in their class. I think our teachers really had a lot of influence in us, I wonder call them our mentors.
• China
18 Mar 10
i am in the process of the primary stage, and i have no idea to how to improve that .you are so admired that have the nanny .Where is my nanny .God !
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
We were just lucky we were able to find a nanny like her. She's good and Im really grateful for her help. I dont use to see her anymore but I came in contact with her once and met one of her kids and I was so happy to know that her kids also speak English well.
@babyEj (1522)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Among any other classes I like ENGLISH class. My preschool teacher is my first English teacher. She's pretty and she looks sexy when she speaks English. Her English is a music to my ear. Since then I am eager to become like her I always want to have a higher grades every year. Well, I did. So far destiny brings me closer with the English language coz my job is inclined to it.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
I know that you mean. I think it didnt only incline you to your job now but it also inclined you to new friends!
• Germany
18 Mar 10
I learned English in school. All the books were in English and teachers were also speaking English in classes. The subject English was first taught along with speaking with it. They implemented it as if it was our native tongue. I dod not find it hard though, young kids have open minds and are always eager to learn. After a year, every student can all understand and speak the language - though some broken but understandable.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
That's the reason why it is better to teach kids because they can absorb things easily. It will also be easy to train them to to do something like speak English and know that basic rules. They can always improve later on in their lives.
@linwang (12)
• China
18 Mar 10
immitate is good way learning english
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Really important! My supervisor in the school where I worked last year always encouraged us to watch the news and imitate the speaker.
• United States
17 Mar 10
Well, If you parents' language is English, I personally think you shouldn't have any problem at all. I started learning English when I was 12. Before that, I only spoke my first language which is Spanish. I slowly started picking up words and eventually got to the point where I could maintain a decent conversation. Now, English is a piece a cake to me and don't have any accent, but it definitely takes time to learn a new language properly, at least, 6 to 8 years.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
I think it is better for a child to learn some words when they are still young. But your kids, are going to be lucky because you already know how to speak English and you can actually teach them. For me, having an american accent is not really very important. I think its better to learn the basics first before going into the more complicated ones. Once you are already good in the basic rules then you can learn other things like accent.
• Hong Kong
19 Mar 10
Just remember to be brave. Don't mind speaking broken English at first. You can be very fluent soon if you try hard. Good luck to all who are trying.
@lassielee (134)
• China
18 Mar 10
Of course,you are very luck.because you have a good environment to study english.many friends told me if u want to speak english frequently ,you have better have a language environment,it can improve you oral english very fast .but for many people ,they have not environment.so,they must spend more time and study hard.i think "all things are difficult before they are easy",so if we can stick to in the beginning ,we can get what we want. im studying english now,it is very hard time for me.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
I think so too. I think it also has something to do with the influence of others that why there are people who are able to learn English fast. I was also coached by my sister when I was young cause she majored in English before. We are also trying to create the same kind of environment for our nephews cause we also want them to learn English the way we did.
• Indonesia
18 Mar 10
for me, speaking English tidahlah so hard. because I am used to speaking English since I was 13 years old, and that's why I now have started to communicate with my friends from abroad, I am grateful to it ... but I get a little lesson before, when I was little I used to speak English without the proper rules of language, so my grammar might not quite fit, but still can be understood ... It does not matter ... the important thing is I have to keep improving my ability to learn English ..
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Right! Keep improving!
@klaudyou (501)
17 Mar 10
I studied English as a foreign language for 11 years in school. I did my best only to pass the final tests and get to the next grade. It was a burden almost like history or biology. When I finished high-school, I read the first book in English. After that book I had something like a revelation ... I just started to love reading, speaking, hearing and even thinking English. Then I began to watch american movies with no subtitles, and then I used this as an advantage to get a job in an American Company. And now it's like a second mother tongue. So. Did I have a hard time to learn English? Yes, a very hard time in the first years. After a certain moment I loved it.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
I think there are lot of people who consider learning English because they can use their skills to get a job in an international company. A lot of my students are frustrated in learning how to speak English well because companies in their country will prioritize applicants who can speak English well. There are good in written English but when it comes to speaking, they have trouble. I think that's really very common problem especially if we dont have English as a native tongue just like here in my country.
@myzire72 (1154)
• Singapore
17 Mar 10
Hi p3ks626, I am not as fortunate as you. English is not my mother-tongue, and my parents did not have a good command of English. So, whatever English I learned, I learned it from school. Fortunately for me, since young, I love reading and I often borrowed English story books from the school library. Gradually, I picked up both written and spoken English. Till today, I am still trying hard to master English.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
English is also not my native-tongue. I was just lucky because my nanny had a good education when it comes to speaking English that's why she was able to teach me. My parents are also professionals so they also had knowledge about English. My first training just stared at home and formal education at school. I think it is a very good idea that you are still trying to continue improving your skills in English. I am already a teacher and I teach English online to students and I always encouraged them to continue learning even though are already good at it. As I said, I am already a teacher but I still continue learning.
• India
18 Mar 10
yes i have a hard time iearning english,becouse i love english .i want speek to english proparly,so i want learn english.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
To be able to speak it properly, I think it is also good to have someone coach you with the things that needs improvement. You can also take and do what others did in order to improve. I am already a teacher but I still continue improving. Learning is a lifelong process, though it be on English or not, we still need to learn from them.
@adaox1 (65)
• Belgium
17 Mar 10
i learned it by watching TV and playing games in english. but i just started learning when i was 14 years old or so, my native lang isn't english but i think i got the hang of it pretty well. i just love English, i love speaking english instead of my own language (dutch). english is by far the easiest language to learn for me, i'm bad at french so :o
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
Good for you! I think only a few people are going to say that the English language is the easiest for them to learn. I also love speaking English that's why I choose the profession of being a teacher. I like being a teacher because it will also help me improve my skills. I also admire people who know how to speak many languages. I can speak English and my native tongue and also two other dialects here in my country and I am hoping to learn more.
• India
17 Mar 10
ohooo yaa!!1thats a nice question!!!i had a smooth and a beautiful time reading english..i love to read novels,i do write poems.stories...a 95 and above marks in english would make me stronger enough...with my less marks in all others!1it depends on how much effort you give for it!!!!read newspapers..novels...books as much as you can..and you dont need to dial any server help lines to learn english..enjoy in whatever you do..good luck!1
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
That was what my sister did when she was young. She also read books. There are so many books at home. She collects books and until not she is still read and read and read. She is a teacher too like me and she always told her students that reading is a good way to learn English. She said that when you read, you can always learn other things too like comprehension and vocabulary.
@tilldawn (64)
17 Mar 10
It was not that hard for me, i guess its about people in which language they were interested into, if you are quick learner of language you may find easier to learn. All the best!
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
You are absolutely right! If a person is interested in learning another language then it will be easier for you to do it. I remembered one incident when I wanted how to speak Japanese. I was not very interested so after two days I quit because I found out hard.