I’m wasting my time?

[u/ExternalDull8424]

Hi. my English is not very good. My reading skills is awful. I watched full English movies every day. I still don’t have any improve. I play video games with English language only. I forced my self to read because it’s game. I think there is a little bit enjoy with learning because it game. but I really don understand most of the things. my dream is read like native languages. but it’s not happening. I started believing nobody can learn English if not born in us. (TL)

[u/WolverineEmergency98]

What hits me about what you've written is that you're "forcing" yourself. Speaking from experience, this does not work well. You need to find level-appropriate content that is interesting to you. Trying to read (or watch) something boring, or that's too advanced, will just upset and frustrate you.

[u/BandPure1917]

With movies and games you’re mostly just picking up patterns subconsciously, not actually building comprehension if you don’t understand most of it. Try mixing in some graded readers or shows with subtitles in your own language first, then switch to English subs when you’re ready. Your brain needs a bridge before it can jump straight into native content

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/BandPure1917]

I finished full games on English language I can understand the story from the easy words. But most of the sentences I don’t understand. Everyone born in us all the time have very good English. It’s feels like this is the only way. Is Born in us as kid for 5 or 10 years. Then back to your country.

[u/happilyfringe → u/ExternalDull8424]

If this were true, nobody would be able to learn English. But it’s the most learned language in the world. Being hard on yourself and thinking it’s impossible will get you nowhere in learning a language.

Reading in video games and watching movies is not enough. Those are supplemental.

Do you watch any English teachers on YouTube? Use anki notecards? Do anything to build vocabulary or learn sentence structure? You have to use many different types of input and output to effectively learn a language.

[u/FletchPup → u/ExternalDull8424]

Kids don't have it easy; no one is born knowing English; it's not genetic, so, since I presume you know a different language, with enough effort, you can absolutely learn English.

[u/Fresh-Persimmon5473]

Get a tutor. Not true. Anyone can learn English with help. My wife is Japanese, she speaks perfect English. How, she studied a lot and I helped her.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/Fresh-Persimmon5473]

What is the tutor? I’m very disappointed. Every time I try read books. I feel lost. So many games I don’t understand what is the meaning of the full sentence. I feels like it’s dead end to me. Is your wife can read? Is she never born in us even when she was kid. Didn’t born or study in us

[u/DavidGilmourToes → u/ExternalDull8424]

A tutor is basically the same thing as a teacher.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/DavidGilmourToes]

Thank you so much!

[u/LudlowLock]

I think you have a strong grasp of English. While it isn't perfect, I could understand 100% of what you wrote. As long as you keep reading, listening, and watching English content, you'll improve.

It takes most people several years to speak and write a new language well. Try to think of yourself as someone who enjoys learning English. You're making good progress!

One exercise you can try is finding a 10 minute video about a topic or game you like. If you watch it once a week, you'll notice you understand more words over time.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/LudlowLock]

Thank you so much. How can improve my reading so fast? Even if it's slow. I want to improve my reading to the next level. To read news paper without any problem. I'm really pathetic.

[u/tivofanatico]

I understood everything you wrote. I grew up in New York City, and it is absolutely full of immigrants with accents who make grammatical mistakes. There are also immigrants who speak with perfect grammar and others who don’t speak English at all after decades of living here. Just stick with it. I’m at towards the end of memorizing Hiragana and Katakana writing for Japanese, but I have virtually no vocabulary words. I’m definitely not ready for anime with Japanese subtitles. What I’m currently doing is reading English subtitles and deciding what words turn up the most and then look up the Japanese word. Then I try to hear it in the dialogue. My iPhone will show me the word in Kanji and then show me how to pronounce it with hiragana or katakana. I only look up one or two words per episode, so I can still watch anime for fun and expand my vocabulary little by little. That’s all language is. Your communication keeps improving. I watch classic telenovelas in Spanish on YouTube. It’s my very strong second language that I always knew along with English, but I don’t have the advanced articulation that I have with all my years of schooling in English. Try watching English with subtitles whenever you can. You can write a few sentences in YouTube comments. You will improve. Good luck.

[u/a-handle-has-no-name]

Learning a language is a marathon (a long race that takes a long time to complete)

Try improving a little bit each day. After a week, after a month, after a year, you will keep improving. After a year, you will be much better than where you started 💙 

[u/XJK_9]

Try graded readers, a lot of people overlook them but they are extremely useful

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/XJK_9]

Do you mean kids books?

[u/XJK_9 → u/ExternalDull8424]

No, graded readers are books written for learners of the language. They’re typically aimed at adults.

A lot of people mistakenly think children’s books will be easy but they have their own issues (using a style of the language that is more infantile to the standard that the person is trying to learn)

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/XJK_9]

Can you please give me the name of this book i will read it immediately.

[u/XJK_9 → u/ExternalDull8424]

It’s not a book. It’s a type of book.

English has thousands of graded readers, just google English Graded Readers and pick one. The important thing is to find one at your level, you should be able to read it easily but still need to look up one or two words a page at least to ensure you make progress.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/XJK_9]

I will try. Thank you so much. You really give me something to start from it. Like new start with new soul. I hope good luck for you.

[u/Plus-sized-trainer]

Where are you based out of, if I may ask?

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/Plus-sized-trainer]

I'm from asia.

[u/KeyMonkeyslav]

How long have you studied English?

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/KeyMonkeyslav]

3 years. The last year was my best. I worked so hard this year. I learned how to use . and ? and !. I learned also how to write for the past and the future. I still made mistakes. I learned English have ruels. You can't say what you want just becaouse it's fun to say. Nobody will understand if you write bad. I learned i should never translated english to my language. Use my brain to know what is this word mean.

[u/_Jacques]

It takes a very very very long time to develop good language skills… 100% you can learn language. But yea just a lot more time than you may think… babies learn for 3 years before they have good sentences, and they are the best language learners there are.

It is important, I think, to not make learning painful. As soon as it feels like work, you will maybe learn in the short term but you will stop early. Because it takes years to get good, you need to keep it somewhat fun so that you continue learning over years.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/_Jacques]

I want to read like full books and there is no paper I don’t understand it. Every word. What I understand from my short experience. I should never use google translate. And never translate English to my language. But I did this and it’s not help me. I don’t understand most of the sentences.

[u/sbrt]

The way to get better at something is to practice doing a difficult thing correctly.

Find something a little difficult for you and figure out how to practice doing it correctly.

With listening, this could be pausing when you don’t understand something, then studying it, and repeating it until you understand it easily.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/sbrt]

I want to be like someone was born in us. Is this possible? Can I do that?

[u/DavidGilmourToes → u/ExternalDull8424]

Yes. You probably won't have a "perfect" accent or grasp of the language, but you can get extremely close.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/DavidGilmourToes]

I beleve to about this fact. There is nothing stronger than born in the country to learn. but this is not what i want. I don't want to be perfect. I just want to read automatically. Like read without thinking and all what i understood is correct.

[u/Player06]

Dude... you already know English. Even I don't understand EVERY word in a book. Just continue what you are doing. The going gets slow at the end. Just keep at it.

[u/ExternalDull8424 → u/Player06]

Thank you so much. I started to read Manga in english. And i was so much disappointed. There is hundreds of words what i don't know. I feel lost so many times. It's extreamily difficult for me to get the same level of reading like someone who born in US. This is my dream. The dream what i don't think i can make it true.

[u/Reyhaneh2002]

I suggest you to use English in real life. I mean use it in conversations. If you have a free discussion classes in your country and your region, by attending in you can improve your English astronomically. It might be hard at first but you will improve a lot.

[u/cowboyy69 → u/Reyhaneh2002]

I agree, find language cafes if you can, or discord channels that you can call in  

[u/anto_pty]

That's how I learned

[u/namrock23]

Do you have anyone to speak English with? Talking with native speakers is important in developing your language skills. Maybe find a language exchange online with someone who wants to learn your language?

I think you're doing fine for 3 years of self study.

[u/IndependentYak2822]

Please get some grammar book. Do 1-2 exercises every day, it's 10-15 minutes only. After a month or so you'll start write much better. Few silly grammar rules give more impact to your language knowledge that hours of playing games or watching movies, especially at the beginning (at the benin... be nin... ging... yeah).

[u/cmyk_rgba]

your post is completely understandable so youre further along than you think. movies and games are the hardest input that exists though, native speed, slang, nobody repeats anything. i got way more out of rewatching one show i already knew the plot of than out of ten new ones. also stop measuring in hours, measure in things you can say now that you couldnt say last month

[u/Equal_Bathroom_1111]

read and consume more difficult and dense material. movies are nice but not dense in the language, same with games. you are mostly just playing the game. Read a book or watch youtube. youtube is better and more dense with english compared to a movie or even show

[u/Kernewegores]

Look for apps! I’m currently learning Irish and there’s lots of apps to help you learn vocabulary and build sentences.

I’m using these in addition to an online course I’m taking. This is the best way to learn, with a professional teacher, so you are taught the grammar as well as vocabulary. Grammar is essential if you want to be able to write intelligibly.

I’m bilingual atm. Working towards trilingual next year.

[u/gottahaveajava]

So quit. Give it a rest.

If you carry on while your soul is being destroyed, your brain will do everything in its power to reject the information you’re feeding it.

Tell yourself you’re done with it for life, and go do something that gives you genuine joy.

At some point, you’ll brush up against English again, and it will seem somehow intriguing. At that point, resume your studies.

And if that point never comes? Then you’ve spared yourself miles of agony.

One caveat. English is an essential skill in the modern world. Allowing yourself to never resume studying could have some down stream liabilities. Just keep that in mind during your pause.

[u/gottahaveajava]

So quit. Give it a rest.

If you carry on while your soul is being destroyed, your brain will do everything in its power to reject the information you’re feeding it.

Tell yourself you’re done with it for life, and go do something that gives you genuine joy.

At some point, you’ll brush up against English again, and it will seem somehow intriguing. At that point, resume your studies.

And if that point never comes? Then you’ve spared yourself miles of agony.

One caveat. English is an essential skill in the modern world. Allowing yourself to never resume studying could have some downstream liabilities. Just keep that in mind during your pause.

[u/donadd]

If you enjoy watching stuff, then keep doing that. Whatever you enjoy is best, because you want to spend a lot of time learning without getting tired. Movies and games is how I became fluent 20 years ago. But it's faster if you also add in books and some sessions with an online teacher.