The words were spoken by one of my favorite writers, Kamala Das. He was explaining why he spends most of his time writing in English, excluding his mother tongue or other languages he knows.
I also face such questions sometimes.
My mother tongue is not English, yet I decided to speak and write in English.
In this article I will tell my story.
"How did you learn English?" I will now answer this question and at the same time talk about some specific and practical steps that you can follow.
You don't have to be an English writer, but these tips will help you become confident in English language communication. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person.
My country India was under English colonization for about 200 years. Even after India became independent in 1947, many of the constitutional structures framed by the British remained the same, which are still in force today. This includes the school I attended where English is the medium of instruction (the language used in the classroom).
Going to a private English medium school without studying in a local language where it was taught in a government school was expensive and was seen as a luxury. Going to English medium school does not mean underestimating other languages (of course other languages are not small, although the colonial regime wanted to inculcate this idea in the minds of the local people).
No one can deny that more than one billion people know English and that it is the main language of international business and communication. As a result, the decision to go to English medium school or learn English at home is very real.
We only had to speak English in school, except for certain classes or situations. As time went on, I began to feel more comfortable expressing my thoughts in English. Because of my love of writing stories and reading books in English, I studied English literature in college. On the other hand, in addition to studying, I have not decided to teach free disadvantaged children in this language.
In teaching children from a variety of environments, I realize an important point: knowing a language opens the door to a whole world to see and live. And the more languages you learn, the better.
But yes, for many, English is one of the easiest and most practical languages in the world to master, and there are many benefits to knowing the language well.
How did you learn English? My English learning story in 6 effective steps that you can follow
I will talk about my school days, when my parents and teachers created interest in me to learn in different ways. I will also tell you how you can use and modify these methods to learn English at your own pace.
1. Finding the relationship between English and one's mother tongue
I have said before that my school had strict rules for speaking only English in the classroom. That means, even though I knew three languages (my mother tongue is Bengali, my national language is Hindi and of course English), I almost always spoke English at school.
I take advantage of multiple languages to learn English. I use the Bengali and English words I know to help me learn English. The Bengali or Hindi words or phrases that I used all the time, I first find the English words or phrases.
You can easily enrich your English vocabulary by knowing the English form of the words you use regularly in your mother tongue. Similarly, if you do not know the Bengali meaning of any English word you use, find out. This way English will easily adapt to your daily life and you will be able to memorize English words easily. You can practice translating a sentence from English to your mother tongue or vice versa. This practice will prepare you to express your thoughts properly in any situation.
Knowing multiple languages has allowed me to think about the same content from different perspectives. It has encouraged me to be open-minded and interested in all the diverse cultures and peoples of the world. Communication between different cultures in our world is increasing day by day, so the more languages you master, the more convenient it will be for you.
On the other hand, if you are proficient in two or more languages, remember that you can build your career as a full-time translator!
2. I have made as many mistakes as possible (in front of a teacher who can give instructions)
I consider myself lucky to think that several of my teachers were afraid to make mistakes. We participated in lecture competitions, debates, group discussions and class presentations in a safe and conducive environment. Our initial efforts to speak English in front of everyone did not go as planned, but gradually we became proficient.
In addition, our teachers were careful to point out our mistakes. They helped us choose the right words for specific topics and allowed us to participate in various activities. They encouraged us to ask questions with an open mind and would catch us if we ever made a mistake in pronouncing a word.
In other words, we have made countless mistakes in learning, and those mistakes have become an important part of our learning process. We have never been humiliated or punished for making mistakes. Rather we got points just for trying despite making mistakes. Because the most important prerequisite for learning to speak fluently is regular practice.
If you are interested in learning English, you need to establish this attitude in yourself. Be prepared to fail early and make more mistakes.
Learning on your own is certainly nice, but if possible learn English with the help of a professional teacher or mentor. If you have no one to help you locally, you can find someone online. Teachers will be able to quickly identify your mistakes and correct them. Direct comments on how much you have learned are very important. Your conversation with a person will help you learn English very quickly.
On the other hand, if you are already a member of a class or study group, actively participate in class activities and engage in regular conversations with others. Never be afraid to make mistakes. Concentrating on teaching English without hesitation will increase your language and social skills overnight.
3. Bought a good dictionary
While reading the book, I came across many words that I did not know the meaning of. As a result, I asked my father about the meaning of the words. Sometimes he could tell the meaning of the words. But most of the time he would ask for the help of an English dictionary. According to him, the dictionary is the most important book in the house.
My father had an old chambers dictionary. He showed me how words are arranged alphabetically and how to find a word and its meaning. He explained to me that the dictionary helps us in many other ways besides telling the meaning of a word. In addition to the meaning of words, the dictionary contains pronunciation guides, word history, synonyms (other words synonymous with the same meaning), antonyms (opposite words to a word), example sentences, and much more.
A person can learn a lot just by reading a dictionary!
So, buying a dictionary will prove to be the most useful and practical step to increase your English proficiency. I suggest you keep a dictionary on your bookshelf and a digital dictionary on your phone for quick reference. If you ever see an unfamiliar word or term, take the help of a dictionary.
You can also use the dictionary to learn new words on your own. Learn a new word by using any one letter or open a page and choose a word of your choice.
You can also make some fun exercises. Choose any five words and try to write a story or poem using them. With this you will not try to write a perfect story or poem, but try to write some grammatically correct and logical sentences in the notebook using the words.
4. Finding fun ways to study
In school we learned the basics of language, including grammar, but these are not enough to learn a language. We tried to learn English by watching movies, participating in many quizzes, engaging in educational games with classmates, and participating in many exercises and activities.
It is very important to take a timely and creative step to learn the language. Regular grammar practice or essay writing does not prove to be very effective for most people. Everyone has to move forward little by little while learning a difficult topic like English. Otherwise, it is normal to get a little bored and stop learning.
Most teachers nowadays use audio-visual learning materials in the classroom. Learning something new by playing tricks is very effective.
As a self-taught student I have come to realize that all the fun English lessons or activities have made the process of learning English very easy for me. Start playing language games on your own or with your study partner in the beginning. Get into the habit of solving regular English crossword puzzles or play a language practice game with your family each week. You can also take a look at some word games to get new ideas.
Regularly watch English YouTube channels related to topics of interest to you. For example, if you like to cook, follow a chef who speaks English all the time. By doing this, you can learn some new English words as well as learn the recipe for making cakes.