How did you learn to speak / write in english?

[Evan_]

I've learned english from watching cartoons and playing video games since i was like 4-5 years old. I have to say that the school didn't teached me a thing about english, all the verbs and how they'r perfect or imperfect i've learned from typing on forums.

Same here exactly. Although the wording suggests that it's the schools fault - I just always had better ways to spend my time back than than attending to classes or actually learning for those.

Though I had a head-start on the verbal part 'cause of hitch-hiking trough Europe a few times, first with relatives, later with girlfriends. It's easy to overcome shyness and uncertainty by trying it with people who also struggle with English.

By the way,
***didn't teach*** <-- one past is enough. Chrome's built in spellchecker knows that much, it's also a great tool for us that learned the language from Cartoon Network and Zork.

edit: Oh, a white smiley with glory. I definitely like the new forum look.

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[Wulthus]

Computer games mostly... with subtitles or dictionary somewhere close.
But to be honest ... I DON'T KNOW. Seriously it feels like *BANG* I know english!
It happened when I was like 7 or 8.

[Rodent]

Mostly self-taught via reading. Lots of reading.

[Timbuktu]

International school.

[Strichev]

I remember watching discovery channel with subtitles at the age of 6. Apart from that, I have to thank the school for my basic knowledge. Books are my method of choice right now.

[Tutashkhia]

Hired teacher and online games,like Freelancer.

[Narcotic]

I done not never before learn one english speechs.

Well, I guess I've learnt the language basics in school. However that wasn't enough, so I've once been in England at a private student exchange for a few weeks, when I was fourteen. (Some say I'm having a slight british accent since then.) And later, I've spent my time with watching movies and series in english, since the original voices are often much better. Same goes for computer games (and sometimes even books). Today, I'm doing almost everything in english what has to do with computer stuff. A matter of habit I'd say.

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[Thunderer]

The foundations of my English were made by school, although everything else is made by movies and video games, mostly FL. I won't hide my sympathy towards the British way of life. It has helped, as well. I also have somewhat British accent when speaking, or at least something similar. I hope.

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[Agmen of Eladesor]

Pity you were not taught manners and respect huh ??

Wow, if that's not a case of blackness from the pot and kettle, I don't know what is.

As for English ... well, y'all has to unnerstands that we'uns here in the Chosen Land, we speaka da englich gut, ja?

Seriously, though - there's written English, which is fairly standard as we all apply it here (and as I attempted to parody above), and then there's spoken English, which is a whole different story. That's simply due to the differences in dialect because of geography.

While I don't have an issue with an Irish brogue (better not, or my wife would be unintelligible to me), you get someone talking with a deep Scottish accent, and I wonder if we're even talking the same language. It can get pretty thick over here, if any of you have ever watched 'Swamp People' or 'Moonshiners' on Discovery channel. Apparently those people are supposed to be speaking English ... couldn't tell it by me. Although I suspect at times that they lay it on a little thick on purpose, simply for television.

Now, for second (and third) languages, I learned Spanish in high school and Russian in college. Unfortunately, my skills in both of those languages has deteriorated considerably, simply because I didn't use them afterwards as I had intended to - and also when you realize it's now been 26 years since I graduated college... (I'm so old .... still beats the alternative)

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Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.

[Yber]

I learned the very basic stuff at school, but I've pretty much got everything else here, in disco. I started to play to learn it, in fact.

About talking, I've learned on skype calls within the dudes I use to hang with. Oh god, I was so scared when they'd call me and I could barely say "hello". Good times.

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inb4 Sirius gets renamed to XTF.