The thread in which we only speak in English

[Gast1669461003]

Luckily it was enough for me to read every vocable once and it sticked to my brain. So i could focus on the tenses and stuff. But I never tried to simply remember those, rather than reading a lot of stuff to get a feeling for it. Thats time consuming for sure, but very effective and easier in the long run and thats the reason why I was one of the best in the class.

However, not many students are willing to do this because it just isn't one of their interests and seems to be more than just reading the papers they are given in school. If they knew how much entertainment they miss just on the internet. Well, I enjoy all the content I have access to and wouldn't miss it for the world. And I can go to other countries and are able to communicate with people (what I will do some time in the future). ;-D

 

[ParakoopaReloaded]

Fuck grammar books, fuck English classes in school, seriously, just fuck it. It's all useless (except maybe for basics)! You gotta learn any language by speaking it, before I went to Chicago my English sucked balls, afterwards it was almost perfect. The only problem I have: I absorbed literally everything of the American way of speaking English, which is why I'm swearing a lot now...

@Tingle: I used to be flattered as well when people told me I sound American, however I found out especially people from England don't mean to compliment you by saying that...

To answer dsrs questions: I think my English skills are quite good, my writing tends to get a bit rusty after a while but that usually wears off really fast once I get back into it. Speaking English is another matter though, since all my lectures and tutorials at uni are in English and most of my friends here have totally different backgrounds I get to use the language pretty often and, quite frankly, I still mess up sometimes. There are days where I'm eloquent as fuck and sometimes there are days where I sound like a fucking retard... Gotta say though, I don't really follow any grammatical rules. I seriously have no idea about what tense to use when, the beautiful part is: It doesn't even matter. Nobody cares, as long as everything sounds nice. I think the best rule is: "If it sounds good, it's fine."

The movies and games I consume are almost exclusively in English, for books I'd say it's pretty much 50-50.

Regarding English speaking countries I gotta admit I've only been to the USA so far, however, when I lived in China I had to rely on English as well.

I'm not gonna talk about my dick here though.

 

[FlamerX]

Finally! I always wanted a LOX-free thread.

The other people are to lazy to learn german. So we get the shit end of the stick.

Maybe you're just too lazy to learn another language?!


I love that thread. Nearly every single day I read a text or speak in that beautiful language. I have been in international forums and wrote thousands of posts. When I talk to people they do not even notice I'm not native english although they are. :>

Sometimes when I want to write "Ich" in German I write it in capital letters because I wrote so many posts in english that I'm starting to confuse the grammar of the two languages. ^^

Spoiler

>7 inches

 

[r3tr0]

English is only a language for people, who are to stupid to learn a real language.

Now let the church in the village already! Don't you blame this great foreign language - because with me is not good cherry eating and you are really going on my cookie.

Spoiler

 

[Gast1669461003]

I have been in international forums and wrote thousands of posts.

Although I am registered in some international forums, I don't write many posts there. It is just like it is with most german forums. I don't like them. And international forums are big. They are mostly filled with a bunch of assholes and I don't want to read their crap in german nor in a different lanugage.

 

[Beefi]

It is just like it is with most german forums. I don't like them.

So you like vgz?

 

[Ankylo]

Maybe i just start with some questions to answer: how are your English skills and how often do you use it?

Honestly I think my English skills are after a fashion (that's a proverb ). I needed the language to pass my A Levels, the choice had to be made between French and English so it was no easy one. Fortunatly, to the dismay of my former English Teachers , I became really good at it during upper classes and even got the mark 2 (or B) because my female teacher said that I can write pretty good englisch texts altough my spelling could be much better. The bad thing is that my spoken English ist really bad. It was described as strong german/bavarian accent like the one Arnold Schwarzenegger has got.

Today I don't use my English skills very often because I don't need them at my job and I'm about this. The consequence is that I'm out of practice and pretty rusty. My biggest problem with english is the american accent. For me it sounds like shit and talking out of a trash can.
Instead I love the british accent. This one sounds greats.

Do you watch movies or read books in English?

Usually I don't watch movies in English that would be to hard for me and most of the time it's this ugly american accent, if it's british I'm opened to it. But I watch documentations like the ones on Discovery Channel sometimes in English, especially Man vs. Wild.
I read some books of John Grisham, the stories of H.P. Lovecraft & Edgar Allen Poe and of course Sherlock Holmes. Moreover I tried to read The song of fire and ice.

Have you ever been to an English speaking country?

I have been in the US for a couple of days during August 2009. I stayed in Dallas and even visited a real football game of the Dallas Cowboys.
Besides I visited Dublin with school in July 2010 and that was really awesome!

If you just started to learn English, watch this awesome video with comedian Ricky Gervais to improve your skills:

This is funny!

 

[Gast1669461003]

So you like vgz?

Of course, otherwise I wouldn't spend that much time here, right?

VGZ/PCG aren't that big, the amount of idiots is small compared to other forums an the most important: i like the people. Well, most of them. I just don't want do adapt to a new forum environment. ;D

 

[ndz]

Pretty cool idea dsr As you can see on the replies to the topic the interest in such a thing is definitely there

In general, I think the english language is very important today. Sure, for a 56 year old german caretaker it isn't THAT important. But especially for young guys it's absolutely necessary to rule the english language. Example: Have you ever applied for a well known german IT company? No? If you want to: Guess in what language the job interview will take place? Excactly. It's not german. And they won't tell you before in their invitation letter.

That are the tricky parts in life that are waiting for you. Even in good old germany.

My personal english skills are pretty standard for today's standards I would say. The most important thing is - I can understand english speaking people. Regardless of whether it is in a foreign city, in books or on TV - although this sentence itself is a perfect example how complicated a simple german sentence can be, just written down.

But understanding and writing english is one thing - to have a conversation in english is much more difficult. Not only the pronunciation, most people thinking in german and then they're trying to translate the stuff in their mind to say it. It'll take some time to learn how to speak properly in english. Once I thought I can handle a usual conversation at the US airport security - but as it came to the details and the lady behind the desk started to ask me nearly everything about my job, health and plans for the travel I realized very fast that it's not that easy as I thought.

So I also strongly recommend to learn a foreign language always in compound with a stay in the accordingly country.

Have you ever been to an English speaking country?

Yap, a view times. And two years ago I was the first time in the United States. And it was truly AWESOME!
First I visited THE megacity of the world, New York. Second stop was Miami, Florida. 11pm, 50 meters away from the beach in a bar, slurping cocktails at 29 degress celsius on the world famous ocean drive

Even if they talk the same language like in other cities like London - the whole famous and notorious "american way of life" is absolutely not comparable to european countries.

And the best part of all: The next trip to the west coast will take place in 5 months Then I will visit Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Washington D.C.

In the end I just have time to answer your last question:

Spoiler

I don't know, but like I'm being asked in every Subway Sandwich branch - my answer always is: footlong.

P.S.:

Spoiler

Like this post if you used this link to write your post before

 

[Beefi]

i like the people.

They are like a family, in my opinion.

 

[Beefi]

Something to the topic: I understand all, know most of the words but my grammar is very bad. I think it´s not a shame, my school years are 17 years ago and i never visit a english speaking country.
Shit happens, there are more importand things in my life than learning english perfect.
But it´s a nice idea for all the english speaking freaks here.

 

[petib]

Well I'm not sure about my englisch skills quite frankly. In fact I haven't watched an englisch movie in german for about 6 or 7 years. There isn't a day without any kind of englisch language in my life. May it be my favorite series, music or games. So basically I get most of it. The speaking part however ist a totally different matter. I love the englisch language and especially the american culture. Even if it's more like a love-hate because of the most ridicoulus things americans do almost every day. I've got a taste of that during my three week trip to the west cost in 2009.

 

[FlamerX]

Although I am registered in some international forums, I don't write many posts there. It is just like it is with most german forums. I don't like them. And international forums are big. They are mostly filled with a bunch of assholes and I don't want to read their crap in german nor in a different lanugage.

Isn't it the same in here too?

By the way, ndz has shown the best grammar so far.

 

[Gast1669461003]

I have a question for the "english speaking freaks" as beefi would refer to: did it ever happen to some of you that you dreamed in English? It seems to be a quite common phenomenon to start dreaming in a different language at some point. Of course you have to be able to remember your deams, or at least parts of them. I, for one started some time ago to dream in English occasionally. Especially at nights when I watched lots of films or tv-shows before. It's quite interesting and a good sign that you made an enourmous progress in learning the language. Confusing as well...

 

[petib]

I have a question for the "english speaking freaks" as beefi would refer to: did it ever happen to some of you that you dreamed in English? It seems to be a quite common phenomenon to start dreaming in a different language at some point. Of course you have to be able to remember your deams, or at least parts of them. I, for one started some time ago to dream in English occasionally. Especially at nights when I watched lots of films or tv-shows before. It's quite interesting and a good sign that you made an enourmous progress in learning the language. Confusing as well...

It doesn't only happen in my dreams. Sometimes while I'm driving in my car, a english thougt pops into my head. Most of the time it depends on stuff I watched or heard a day or even some hours ago.

Every morning there is a part called "Agathe Bauer" songs on the radio. People can call the host, if they heard a german line in an english song. I almost never get these lines, because even if I don't understand the whole englisch text, I hear a wrong english word, but not a german sentences or crap like that.

 

[FlamerX]

did it ever happen to some of you that you dreamed in English?

I can't remember.
I rarely dream anyway, maybe two times a year, if at all. :/

Another thing that came up to my mind yesterday regarding this topic. I read once if you have to make very difficult decisions in your life, like buying something expensive, you should ask yourself the question in a language that is not your native one. This way people will decide more rational, while normally they're being more emotional when asking themselves the question in their mother tongue.

 

[petib]

I can't remember.
I rarely dream anyway, maybe two times a year, if at all. :/

Another thing that came up to my mind yesterday regarding this topic. I read once if you have to make very difficult decisions in your life, like buying something expensive, you should ask yourself the question in a language that is not your native one. This way people will decide more rational, while normally they're being more emotional when asking themselves the question in their mother tongue.

Never heard of that theory. But besides games und DVDs/BR, I'm always rational about spending my money

 

[Gast1669461003]

Can you remember where you read about that theory? Sounds kind of strange... and if I ask myself an important question right now, that already should be answered, it doesn't change a thing. So, I don't get it. Would be nice to find out more about this theory.

 

[FlamerX]

one
two
three
four

;D

I think I read the first one on wired.com initially.

 

[Gast1669461003]

Interesting theory which may be true in some cases. But if I make decisions on a higher scale I'm deliberate enough to make the right one, regardless of the language in which I ask myself about it. Better to say, I belive I would come to the same conclusion either way. If it is the right decision in the end is another question that can only be answered after I made the decision. But I clearly don't think it would matter at all if I thought about it in English.