ESL Blogs

I'm going to share with you guys the story on how I've learned English, and tell you which is the best way to learn/improve it as well, in my modest opinion. You guys can also share how you've learned the language in the comments below. xD

Anyway, to tell you guys how I learnt English, since this is a common question friends ask eventually, here is how it went:

When I was a teenager, my parents put me in a Private Language Institute, and I studied there for two years. I was always bored and annoyed about going there to study English, and I spent almost two years on the very first book, which was the very basic beginning or first steps to any aspiring student/learner to take, and that great amount of time on just one book was because of the difficulties of learning a new language I went through. But their system was flawed, in my opinion. For the first book (the very first, a.k.a. *English kindergarten*), the teachers lectured in Portuguese to teach English to us, meaning, grammar and rules were transmitted to us in Portuguese, so then we could understand and use the language. But, by the time I started with the second book, and still at the same level (it was book 2 of the same course, *kindergarten*, first steps, whatever you want to call it), the teachers then only spoke in English, which was really mind-boggling. So then, I quit that school. I was already annoyed and bored during the whole time I was "forced" to study it, and that sudden shift in how the class was presented was really difficult on me. This was in the span of time between 1991-1993.

Then, I was happy to have only school again and school homework to deal with (elementary, high), and not having to worry about two schools (elementary/high + Private Language Institute). I never felt any real urge or love to go back into studying English. Then the law here in Brazil changed, and it says the elementary and high schools had to teach at least one foreign language to students, and they picked two to include in their programs: English and Spanish. A student can pick just one of them, so I picked English. I started to notice that, even though I was not really good or interested during the time I had spent at the Private Language School, people (classmates) would come to me for help. The teacher would pose questions/exercises/homework/etc... and I was doing well enough to call the attention of my classmates, to the point they started coming to me for help. That was a good feeling. lol xD

Then, I don't know how or when I felt the feeling of "I hate studying English" changing to "I love English" inside me, but it did, and it was really, as it is today, loving it, not necessarily loving to study it, but loving the language itself. So, for the past twenty years, since 1993, I've been using it for personal entertainment. My first computer was gifted to me by my father in 1997, and that's when I started to chat (live chatting) with others. I was still a scared kitty about it, as I was not good enough yet. I remember I used to pledge the natives to use only "basic or non-complex" words/sentences, LOL, but I discovered in chatting a great tool for improvement. On 1995, I went to Disneyland/world in Orlando-FL, and during those fifteen days in the U.S.A., my roommates relied on me for everything as well (to call room service, make requests, translate signs and food ingredients, etc...). So I guess you can see how slow my progress was, right ? In the span of four years, I was still a newbie at English: 1993, doing well at English classes in my school once elementary was forced to teach a foreign language; a change in my heart about the language itself; 1995 Disney trip; 1997, first computer and first ever online chatting experiences.

So how did I really learn ? Video Games. I remember playing "Resident Evil" on my PlayStation (PS1), the very first and original title in the series, and not understanding anything of its dialogues. There were no subtitles back then either, but at that time, not even subtitles would have helped me much, even though it was 1995-1996 when this happened (meaning, two or three years after being the #1 in my English class and in the perception of my classmates). I've always been a fan of video games, and during that time (1995-1996), the games began to become "interactive movies", with dialogues, storylines, plots, etc... Once I started to feel comfortable enough with the language, only then I noticed what games, music, movies, etc... had really done for me, and do still. I think what I've experienced during the learning process is that of what babies go through as well. We all are born knowing no language at all. So, what happens is that, by hearing others, you learn a language, and only then you'll start to speak it, then read it, then write it. It goes without saying that, today, while playing games, with or without subtitles, I can understand them with ease, including the original "Resident Evil" xD.

By 2003, I went back to that same English school I used to frequent back in the time period of 1991-1993, and I took a "level placement test", just for my own curiosity. I commited just four mistakes out of 70 or 80 questions, and was graded as "high-advanced level", and was told I could take part in their "high-advanced" courses if I wished. I was over the moon. xD

Since the last semester of 2012, and because of the fact that I'm thinking of becoming a teacher (I have been encouraged to try for it by the natives), I have become an English student. It's funny how I feel I don't really need classes (I can handle things on my own when I need to), even though one learns new things all the time. For example, I have always known of "to brag", "bragging", etc..., but in the English course that I'm taking, I learned of "braggart" which is a word I've never ever seen or heard before. If I am confronted by something new, I just look it up in the dictionary, and I’m good to go, or I ask for help from my foreign friends.

Before the last semester of 2012, I took yet again another "level placement test" at this other school, and I got 98% correct answers out of more than 200 questions, and I was placed straight into the "Mastering English" course of theirs. I assume I'll be getting a Master's degree by the time I'm done with this course. They are pretty good.

On the last semester of 2012, my average grade on "level 2" out of four levels of the "Mastering English" course was 88.89 (out of 100). xD

So when people ask me how I learned English, my answer is simply "by myself", because that's the way I see it, and it's the truth. The 1991-1993 studying process does not count, in my opinion, neither does the English taught at elementary and high schools (and it was awful, compared to the private school which was extremely better). I believe that music, movies, etc... are good learning tools. Singing-a-long songs can help you with your pronunciation, and the subtitles on movies or lyrics on songs can help you with your grammar.

In my opinion, though, the greatest tool one can have to learn or improve their English skills are video games. You see, games are the same as movies and music, as far as reading and listening are concerned, but there's a fundamental difference, in my opinion. A player/gamer is not an actor/actress, but regardless, when you are playing a game, you ARE that character. You have to commit to that character, and connect with him/her, emotionally, physically and mentally. You have to be one with the character in such a level that you become him/her for the time you are playing the game. Therefore, you become automatically immersed in an universe where English is spoken, written and used. When that character thinks in English, or speaks in English, so do you. Even when nothing is being spoken in the game (as the character speaks to himself/herself or to others, or thinks to himself/herself), you begin to notice that, as you explore the in-game world as that character, you start to think in English as well, to yourself. You begin to plan your surviving tactics, to determine your own pace and how to explore the world in the game, to know and understand what is going on with and around you and the other characters in the story (even surpassing just the basic understanding of what the story/game is showing to you on-screen, as your perception of the story goes deeper than just that), and some other factors...all of that, you begin to automatically think to yourself in English. You have to commit to English, and understanding it is paramount to achieve your goals in some games, or at least to achieve them in a more precise, "professional" manner, as the hero in the game would have achieved such goals by himself/herself. This is also true for sports (games), though these only really use English language on their menu options (there are hardly any dialogues or story/plot in a sport game), but, since you learn how to think (and not only speak/read/write) in English through gaming, you will notice that you begin to think in English when you plan ahead your tactics to win a match, or a car race, or even when you have to adjust your strategy midway through the match/race, in order to try and win it. Using English becomes natural with video games, and I highly recommend it. You begin to use the language as if you were a native speaker, and you get intimate with a lot of expressions, idioms, dialects and so on, and all of that at an emotional level, impossible to experience through other types of media which do not put you in the character's shoes as games do.

It got to such a level that I do not even use Portuguese anymore. I only use it for others. If I have to write something for a third party, or speak to them, I’ll do it in Portuguese. Otherwise, for me personally, it’s English, 24/7. I do everything in English, from thinking to myself to even editing my own personal files (documents, spreadsheets, etc...) in my computer. As long as it’s for my eyes only, and it’s something I don’t have to share/show to other Brazilians, it’s going to be edited/done in English.

And, a little tip, don't bother with non-native speakers who brag about themselves not using subtitles on movies or games. Having a lot of friends across the world, I know for a fact that even the native users of the language use subtitles. You keep both your vocabulary and grammar sharp, by doing it, so why not do it anyway ? You can keep practicing and/or enjoying both listening and reading at the same time, and even if you do not read books, you'll be doing some very good reading, regardless, since most games are longer than any movie that is out there, and, like I previously said, you have to commit to the language in order to savor the experience and the story at a very satisfying and pleasant level. You'll be just as good as anyone who reads books, as the stories are based on books or written by novelists, and are quite long. And there are many games out there, specially the ones of the "RPG" genre, which have a lot of books scattered throughout the in-game world, which you can buy (or steal, lolXD), or pick up and read them on the fly, and they enrich not only your English vocabulary and skills, but also the sense of immersion you get in the game's universe.

And these days, with all of the online networks which are available to us, another great thing gaming provides are friends from all of the corners of the world. You get to hang out with the natives and make friends with them, and I know I have made some very special buddies everywhere. Thanks guys! xD

It’s a constant connection with the language, and by hanging with the natives, you practically become one of them. I don’t really live in Brazil, I live in it physically, but not in my mind. xD This constant connection with the language is tremendously beneficial to an individual: either you are chatting (to your friends) or gaming (and hearing/reading stuff which is done by natives), or watching a movie with your family, or listening to some tunes and singing them along. xD Not to mention getting in touch with some of its rules, and refreshing your memory, from time to time.

Modesty aside, I guess you can verify that video games did great by me, both on the reports of my "level placement" tests and my average grade on the last semester of 2012, which I shared with you in this article, and in my writing. xD

I'm extremely addicted to English, as I'm to coffee, racing, gaming, music and motion pictures/sitcoms/TV series. lol xD

I simply love it! xD

Later guys. I hope you don't mind this long article of mine, and that you had fun reading it. xD

Leave your opinions below, if you wish, and your own stories on how you've learned English. xD