It really blows my mind how fast I was able to learn Italian to a low-intermediate level and the amazing things I discovered since I've started to learn a language by myself. When I finished school (that is actually a really loooong time ago) I thought I would never be able to learn a language other than English and it made me feel sad. I loved learning English at school and it was the subject I took my best grades in.
But after school I didn't kept it up for long. I was listening to English songs, I was reading some magazines in English sometimes and - I read out loud. But since I didn't know how to pronounce the words correctly... I guessed their pronounciation. Surely, now with everything I've learned about how to learn a language it's obvious that that has been my greatest mistake. At that time, however, I just enjoyed listening to myself speaking in a foreign language. English is the language in which the words - basic words - come out naturally. I can even watch English movies without subtitle and understand most of it. I just can't write, I can't recall more advanced or even intermediate words and I don't dare to speak. I don't have any problems speaking Italian and I even started to speak Turkish some weeks ago but when it comes to English I feel dreadful. It seems, that I can't apply nearly anything of the techniques that I learned while studying Italian.
This is even the first time I'm writing something in English that is visible for everyone. I'm somehow proud of my Italian and Turkish so far but in my opinion my English is a shame. That's how I feel about it at the moment but I'm going to change it by relearning English with the Assimil course and paying a lot of attention to the right pronounciation. So hopefully someday I will be able to speak English as freely as Italian.
For your first public post, this is fantastic! I predict great success ahead for you with your English (re)learning. You have inspired me. Tomorrow I will write my first post in my target language (Spanish). Thanks for the courage you have given me.
@kathleen_s I'm really grateful for your encouraging words, Kathleen. I'm really happy you're going to write your first post in your target language. Although I don't speak Spanish I will read your article. Have a wonderful evening!
This is a lovely post, @Sibylle! It’s lively and fresh and honest, and there’s not a lot wrong with it, grammatically speaking. I look forward to more!
The lovely thing about the internet is that you can find a video on almost any topic in almost any language instantly. No more guessing needed!
@Violili, @PhilH, thanks to both of you for your kind words and corrections! I appreciate all of them. You're right, Phil, the internet is a great source to find anything that I want to know and I use it as often as I can:)
Sybille, I agree with the others - your English is better than you think. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your help, Coco!