How I Learned English (0 to fluent)

[@randymass6688]

Wow, your English is very good with only a slight accent that people would realize but not know what other the accent is. My wife is German and that is her first language. She knew a little English before we were married but not fluent. Now people will detect that she is not a native English speaker but they could never determine that she has a German accent. You are in the same category. The only thing that I can detect that is same with my wife is sentence structures where you will put words arranged in an order that natural speakers wouldn't, but bravo as you're great and welcome to Canada!

[@erinafenix]

Hi, that’s really kind of you, thank you 🙏 That’s really interesting to learn that your wife has a similar unidentifiable accent as me haha Yes, I sometimes catch myself, just as I say something, and realize that the word order/sentence structure seems off. Work in progress :) Thank you for welcoming me to Canada, 🍁 🇨🇦 love being here 🥰🙌🙏

[@aliya3276]

❤❤❤

[@e-genieclimatique]

in brief: The video is a personal account of how the creator learned English. H 1. **Background and Initial Struggles**: The creator, a native Russian speaker, shares her early struggles with learning English. Traditional methods like memorization and grammar exercises were ineffective for her. She found success in creative storytelling, which helped her reach a basic level of English proficiency. 2. **Interest as a Key Factor**: She emphasizes the importance of interest in language learning. She points out that immersion in an environment doesn't guarantee language acquisition; it's more about how much one chooses to engage with the language. 3. **Consuming Content in English**: Her love for Harry Potter and Naruto led her to consume content in English, including fanfiction and shows with English subtitles. This exposure helped her improve her language skills. 4. **Learning Through Desire and Need**: She stresses the importance of learning language organically, driven by the desire to understand stories or content, rather than focusing solely on perfect grammar or vocabulary. 5. **The Power of Output**: The creator highlights the significance of actively using the language. Her experience in an English-speaking school and her love for English literature helped her improve her fluency. She suggests creating output through writing, recording messages, or speaking, as it helps in internalizing the language. 6. **Practical Tips for Learners**: She advises learners to engage with the language through content that interests them, not to worry too much about understanding every word, and to find ways to actively use the language. 7. **Encouragement and Conclusion**: The creator encourages viewers to embrace the journey of learning English, highlighting the opportunities it opens up. She invites viewers to share their experiences and engage with her content. Throughout the video, the creator shares her personal journey and insights, focusing on the importance of interest, engagement, and active use of the language in learning English effectively.

[@erinafenix]

Excellent summary

[@e-genieclimatique]

@@erinafenix I cheated a little I used gpt4, English is my weak spot but I'm woking on it

[@erinafenix]

@@e-genieclimatique that’s not cheating, that’s being resourceful ;) I’m very impressed ! The summary is better than I could’ve done for myself haha

[@Tofi_ytchannel]

My first language is Hungarian, my second language was German (in elementary school) and then I took English classes in high school for four years. Apart from that, I also learned a lot from different media (watching TV series and movies with subtitles, listening to music, reading books and using the internet in general), just like you. I particularly remember Lost which I had great interest in, so to watch the newest episodes asap, I started watching them with English subtitles (as it took a bit more time until translated subtitles were available and I couldn't wait, lol), and it was a great realization for me that watching something in English with _English_ subtitles helps tremendously in the period when someone already understands written English but has a hard time to decipher the spoken language in a movie (where sometimes it's too quiet, or too noisy, or several people speak at the same time etc.). I think it's much more effective than using subtitles in your own native language, but you need to be at a decent level in English already, and a fast reader too. "Necessity is the greatest teacher", as the saying goes - you just can't stop to look up every single unknown word in a dictionary, so your brain gets to work and fills in the gaps, guessing the meaning of words from context. Similarly as when you're in a foreign country and no one speaks your language (default experience for every Hungarian as our language is pretty much one of a kind in the world hahaha), you're forced to fill in the gaps, and it's a task at which the human brain actually excels. I never lived in a foreign country, but even short trips like a vacation (one or two weeks) can help a lot because you're forced to use the language in practice. I was lucky for having pretty good English teachers at school, but I always thought that in most cases, formal language teaching focuses too much on literal translation and grammar, and too little on teaching how to _think_ in another language. Because thinking is bound to language very strongly in our brain, and the real key to learning another language is learning to _think in that language._ Learning words is the easier part; learning a whole new way of thinking is the more difficult thing. And that's why the last telltale signs of a non-native speaker who has otherwise become perfectly fluent in a foreign language are typically: sentence structures, order of words, unusual expressions, which are totally understandable for native speakers, but come off as a little odd. It's harder to get rid of those than to get rid of the last traces of a foreign accent in your speech. I'm also aware that my sentences might be weird sometimes, too, even in writing, but I'm like: if it's going to be published, that's the editor's job, and if it isn't, then I don't care, as long as it will be understood :)

[@erinafenix]

This is such an amazing read, honestly. It genuinely takes someone who enjoys learning a language and has gone through all the phases of making a new language part of their thinking. Necessity is the best teacher really resonated with me, but also, funny note on Hungarian kids basically having the necessity since the language is so unique lol so relatable. I agree, the last vestiges are the structures/word order, but maybe they make our way of expression a little more unique, and it’s like a little itch at the back of the head where it’s peculiar but not altogether unfamiliar. There’s something rather pleasant about hearing a language spoken in a way that’s technically correct but something is just a bit off. Many native English writers I quite admire pushed the boundaries of the language in this way as well and opened up new doors for the language frontiers - Shakespeare is a great example, and from the contemporaries, David Foster Wallace. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, so refreshing to see similar experiences to mine ❤️🙏

[@Tofi_ytchannel]

@@erinafenix Yes, you're right about literature and especially poetry, they often do unusual maneuvers with language to form it in a way that serves their purposes and whatever they want to express. Thank you for reading and reacting to my comment in detail, you're such a treasure ❤️😊

[@erinafenix]

@@Tofi_ytchannel it’s my pleasure to e-meet such thoughtful and kind person, who enjoys literature and music as well. There’s a quote I like that I wanted to leave with you - “Do you know what turns darkness into light? Poetry.” Wishing you a Happy New Year and all the blessings in 2024 🙌❤️🙏🎄🎈🎉

[@Tofi_ytchannel]

@@erinafenix The pleasure is mine - and I couldn't agree more with the quote! :) Happy New Year to you too and see you in 2024 🥳🥂🍾😊 I'll arrive there a few hours sooner, but will wait for you haha

[@erinafenix]

Hey guys, let's do a little knowledge shring her ein the comments please, whatever helped you with your language learning ;) orrrr, come practice with me here as your first exercise, chit chat time :)?

[@jimzorn3853]

Hi, I used to be an English teacher in China, and when I was learning a new Chinese word, I found that the basic requirement for using that word in a conversation was being able to ask a questions with it. Then, I could hear the other person use the word in various different ways as well. For example, if I learned the word "economy", I would also practice the question, "So, what do you think about the economy these days?" in Chinese. I looked for people who didn't have a higher education to practice with, since they probably wouldn't know any English. So, I would take a taxi every day and ask the taxi drivers question. I also made friends with the security guard in the building where I worked, and talked with barbers when they cut my hair. By the way, I've heard that the positive portrayal of witches and wizards has been banned in the media in Russia. Is that true? The reasoning behind this was that Putin considers the west, and especially America, to be satanic, and that witches and wizards are satanic figures, so he doesn't want them shown in a positive way in the media in Russia.

[@cinny108]

Please help how can I learn French I watch movies but they talk too fast huhu

[@erinafenix]

Thank you for suggestion ! I’ll add to my video list ❤️

[@boufakriamrane7002]

i learn french too, we can learn by speeking together if you don't mind?!

[@misha8896]

Unlike Italian and partly Spanish, which are very easy to pick up just listening to it, French requires you to know basic, due to their many silent letters it has. Watching French movies would be the last step you should take in you learning process. I started with car magazines, listening music (it's repetitive and you might get lyrics in the package with a CD, or as they do nowadays, embedded in the YT videos )

[@rperlberg]

I worked with a Russian who said he learned English from watching The Honeymooners.

[@erinafenix]

Interesting !

[@dinaraongarbayeva6053]

​😅

[@ElvinRamirezmendez]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️💋💋💋

[@westernwanderer8397]

I need to learn ... Russian. Well, I have been learning on my own for the past 3 or 4 years, but I want to become fluent. Repetition. A polyglot I know is self-taught. He speaks 6-8 languages and can pick them up very quickly. He learns the alphabet, and writes the words, then sentences over and over. He has so many notebooks full of writings.

[@erinafenix]

Ahh interesting, I didn’t know that was the definition of a polyglot ! May I can make a video on how to learn Russian - tips from a native speaker haha

[@westernwanderer8397]

Actually, that would be great! Any help from a native speaker is always useful.

[@erinafenix]

@westernwanderer8397 on it :)

[@ElvinRamirezmendez]

🇵🇾​@@erinafenix

[@baddudecornpop7328]

Turquoise sounds better as Ter-kwize. I like it👌

[@erinafenix]

Haha, I concur 🙌

[@ainurkurmanwaeva1708]

КАЗАХСТАН АЛҒА✊ 🇰🇿🇰🇿🇰🇿🇰🇿🇰🇿✊

[@rmurio]

Today i made a test to see my level and i was in B1 level was thinking HOW i could broke the plato i ´ve reached, because i can read and consume hundreds of pages online, and listening (with subs) but when comes about talking and listening its kinda hard, i will follow your advice for Output, writhing in a journal or something like that, talk to myself and so on, probally this will certain help until im still im my country, By the way i´m a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, Lol, Thanks

[@erinafenix]

Hi ! Thanks for dropping by ! That’s awesome that you did the test, your B1 is super solid, I’m impressed! Leaving the comment here is a perfect output practice haha Glad there’s a fellow lord of the rings fan haha 🙏 all the best in your English practice :)

[@Onlyshorts.7390]

I like the vídeo

[@ElvinRamirezmendez]

Soy alguien de República Dominicana

[@Rakhat06kzt]

Hello I'm from Kazakhstan 🤔

[@erinafenix]

Hi! Welcome to my channel :)

[@justinmatthews7603]

Now that you have mastered English, you should try to wrap your brain around Aussie English. Here are few Aussie words I want you to work out please. Servo. Smoko. Maccas. Bloody Galah. Enjoy 😊

[@erinafenix]

These are awesome thank you haha 😂