My Experiences with Foreign Languages
Welcome back to my Blog! 💖
I would like to apologise for not uploading anything yesterday...
I didn't feel too well and I had to catch up with some of my work, but I do hope that you will enjoy today's post. Just to let you know, I haven't mentioned anything about the techniques I use, but only the experiences... I'm saving that for another day.
OK, let's go!
How & Why did I learn English?
My language journey began ten years ago when I moved from Poland to the UK. I was only ten years old at the time, so my knowledge of the English language was only what I had learnt at primary school.
By the end of the summer holidays, I got to a point where I knew that if I really wanted to make any friends, I would have to make the effort to sit down with a book and do some extra studying outside of my school hours. I found it quite hard, because although the books were for complete beginners, some explanations were not clear enough for my young brain.
Below are the photos of my very first book...it's pretty old and it wasn't the most amazing source; however I do feel quite sentimental when I look at it and I don't think I will ever throw it away!
Once I started year 7, I found out that on top of my other subjects, I would also be studying French and Spanish. I was quite excited because I knew they would be the only lessons where I wouldn't be the only one not understanding what the teacher was saying to us...
Few months into year 7, it turned out that my best grades were coming from those two subjects. From what I remember, not a single person enjoyed French nor Spanish, so the teacher would often single me out, which I guess just made it harder to 'fit in'. I didn't really care though. Sitting through my other lessons where I would not understand a word were stressful enough and the thought of doing something I actually enjoyed would just brighten up each day.
Later on that year, I started having additional English lessons with an Italian lady whom I thank ever so much. She always had confidence in me and pushed me to do my best.
Although, I was finding Spanish and French relatively easy, the process of improving my English was somewhat harder. Perhaps, it was due to the fact the language was being 'thrown at me' from all different angles, almost every single day. I did not only have to understand the content covered in each subject, but also use it to communicate, sit exams and then study it after school.
However, it is true what they say that you learn quicker through actually using the language and being around it. I did put me off quite a lot, but with time I realised that becoming exposed to it all, just benefitted me in the long run. Ten years down the line, I can speak English fluently (well, I like to think that I do) and no matter what it is I want to do, I no longer have to worry about the language barrier.
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Korean...
Leaving English aside for a moment, I have also spent my teenage years learning other languages and I still do now.
In terms of French, I must admit, I have always struggled with it. For some reason, I have always found it the hardest. Even now while studying Korean, I still think that it's easier for me to learn Korean, than French. I don't know whether this has anything to do with the way my brain works or the way I approached the language, but although I still love French and the sound of it, I don't think I could ever study it again.
The journey with German on the other hand, was much more 'pleasant'. Considering the grammar structures are very similar to French, I actually enjoyed German more and I didn't have any issues with understanding the grammar concepts nor with the pronunciation. The only reason why I don't study it anymore is simply because I am no longer interested in the language. Maybe one day I will go back to it, but at this right moment, there is nothing that makes me want to study it again.
Swedish came not long after German. I kept sticking to romance languages, so I decided to try something new. Out of all the Scandinavian languages, Swedish seemed the least tricky and I thought it also sounded beautifully. Although, I don't study it anymore, I have kept all the books and I like going back to it every now and again. I think I became too interested in other languages and that was the reason why I drifted away from it, but I will definitely go back to one day.
Spanish, Italian and Russian. These are the languages that have stayed with me the longest (especially Spanish and Russian). Apart from Korean, they are the two languages I love the most. Perhaps it's because I'm Polish and I can relate to Russian in a way. Spanish just sounds beautifully; many people speak it and it's really easy in terms of the grammar and even more so the pronunciation. Also, the fact that all these three languages are so different from one another, makes studying them more interesting.
Plans for the Future?
My aim is to become fluent in at least two out of the three languages. I think Russian will definitely be one of them, as it is very similar to my native language in many aspects; therefore it will not take long to master it. At the moment, I am devoting most of my time to Korean, as I am still in love with it, but I am starting to catch up with Spanish, so we shall see how it goes.
Now that I'm much older and speak two languages fluently, It takes me less time to understand how other languages work and why they work the way they do. I'm sure that anyone who studies languages can relate to the fact that even though we believe we have a 'talent' for languages, sometimes it can be a difficult process, but all it needs is motivation and some patience.
So this is the end of my story. I would love to hear about your experiences with foreign languages, so feel free to either comment or message me on Instagram (study_holic96).
I hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to come back tomorrow! 💗
I would like to apologise for not uploading anything yesterday...
I didn't feel too well and I had to catch up with some of my work, but I do hope that you will enjoy today's post. Just to let you know, I haven't mentioned anything about the techniques I use, but only the experiences... I'm saving that for another day.
OK, let's go!
How & Why did I learn English?
My language journey began ten years ago when I moved from Poland to the UK. I was only ten years old at the time, so my knowledge of the English language was only what I had learnt at primary school.
By the end of the summer holidays, I got to a point where I knew that if I really wanted to make any friends, I would have to make the effort to sit down with a book and do some extra studying outside of my school hours. I found it quite hard, because although the books were for complete beginners, some explanations were not clear enough for my young brain.
Below are the photos of my very first book...it's pretty old and it wasn't the most amazing source; however I do feel quite sentimental when I look at it and I don't think I will ever throw it away!
Once I started year 7, I found out that on top of my other subjects, I would also be studying French and Spanish. I was quite excited because I knew they would be the only lessons where I wouldn't be the only one not understanding what the teacher was saying to us...
Few months into year 7, it turned out that my best grades were coming from those two subjects. From what I remember, not a single person enjoyed French nor Spanish, so the teacher would often single me out, which I guess just made it harder to 'fit in'. I didn't really care though. Sitting through my other lessons where I would not understand a word were stressful enough and the thought of doing something I actually enjoyed would just brighten up each day.
Later on that year, I started having additional English lessons with an Italian lady whom I thank ever so much. She always had confidence in me and pushed me to do my best.
Although, I was finding Spanish and French relatively easy, the process of improving my English was somewhat harder. Perhaps, it was due to the fact the language was being 'thrown at me' from all different angles, almost every single day. I did not only have to understand the content covered in each subject, but also use it to communicate, sit exams and then study it after school.
However, it is true what they say that you learn quicker through actually using the language and being around it. I did put me off quite a lot, but with time I realised that becoming exposed to it all, just benefitted me in the long run. Ten years down the line, I can speak English fluently (well, I like to think that I do) and no matter what it is I want to do, I no longer have to worry about the language barrier.
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Korean...
Leaving English aside for a moment, I have also spent my teenage years learning other languages and I still do now.
In terms of French, I must admit, I have always struggled with it. For some reason, I have always found it the hardest. Even now while studying Korean, I still think that it's easier for me to learn Korean, than French. I don't know whether this has anything to do with the way my brain works or the way I approached the language, but although I still love French and the sound of it, I don't think I could ever study it again.
The journey with German on the other hand, was much more 'pleasant'. Considering the grammar structures are very similar to French, I actually enjoyed German more and I didn't have any issues with understanding the grammar concepts nor with the pronunciation. The only reason why I don't study it anymore is simply because I am no longer interested in the language. Maybe one day I will go back to it, but at this right moment, there is nothing that makes me want to study it again.
Swedish came not long after German. I kept sticking to romance languages, so I decided to try something new. Out of all the Scandinavian languages, Swedish seemed the least tricky and I thought it also sounded beautifully. Although, I don't study it anymore, I have kept all the books and I like going back to it every now and again. I think I became too interested in other languages and that was the reason why I drifted away from it, but I will definitely go back to one day.
Spanish, Italian and Russian. These are the languages that have stayed with me the longest (especially Spanish and Russian). Apart from Korean, they are the two languages I love the most. Perhaps it's because I'm Polish and I can relate to Russian in a way. Spanish just sounds beautifully; many people speak it and it's really easy in terms of the grammar and even more so the pronunciation. Also, the fact that all these three languages are so different from one another, makes studying them more interesting.
Plans for the Future?
My aim is to become fluent in at least two out of the three languages. I think Russian will definitely be one of them, as it is very similar to my native language in many aspects; therefore it will not take long to master it. At the moment, I am devoting most of my time to Korean, as I am still in love with it, but I am starting to catch up with Spanish, so we shall see how it goes.
Now that I'm much older and speak two languages fluently, It takes me less time to understand how other languages work and why they work the way they do. I'm sure that anyone who studies languages can relate to the fact that even though we believe we have a 'talent' for languages, sometimes it can be a difficult process, but all it needs is motivation and some patience.
So this is the end of my story. I would love to hear about your experiences with foreign languages, so feel free to either comment or message me on Instagram (study_holic96).
I hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to come back tomorrow! 💗
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