How do Americans learn English? How do you guys memorize English words?
Posted by Right_Grape_4274@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 112 comments
Hi, thank you for your answer prior. I am very curious how American learn English
My first language is Chinese so I learned English by memorizing the Chinese meaning of that specific English word and I feel struggling to memorize more words and I have to refresh my memory everyday. I do speak fluent English but I just want to be more advanced with my word choices.
One of my struggle is when I talk, I tend to think in Chinese and translating into English in my brain and then speak which makes me process the conversation slower, I want to be more articulate and engaging in conversation.
I want to learn to think like an American so I wonder how American learn English? How do you guys memorize words and its meaning?
Thank you.
BespinFatigues1230@reddit
How did you learn Chinese? We learned English the same way …it’s not a foreign language in America lol
Calm_Independence796@reddit
I’m not tryna be mean but this genuinely is a dumbass question 😭 like how did you learn Chinese!
MycologistLower5247@reddit
I think they're asking how we remember the meanings of words we encounter for the first time as adults.
donuttrackme@reddit
The same way that OP remembers the meanings of words in Chinese that they encounter for the first time as an adult. Just admit it's a dumb question lol.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Lol saying it’s a dumb question clearly have no clue how linguistics works, I speak 4 different language and each language have distinct way to learn. 54% of American adult are below 6th grade, that’s why I am trying to figure out not be like that 54%.
donuttrackme@reddit
The 54% are just like poor countryside folk who can't read and write, or read and write poorly. It's not any different. That's why it's a dumb question. You're asking a bunch of people on Reddit, so clearly all of us can read and write. We all learned how to do that in school. Do you think we did anything different other than pay attention?
I also know different languages, there are not super distinct ways to learn. Sure, learning Chinese characters isn't the same as Roman letters, but learning how to read and write is exactly the same. We grew up surrounded by English, just like you grew up surrounded by Chinese.
You practice reading and writing by reading and writing in the new language. That's it. There is no secret way to learn English that's different. The same way you practiced reading and writing in Mandarin and whatever other languages you know.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Guys, I am not asking how can you guys speak English. Even though everyone in the US speak English but some people are extremely well worded but some don’t.
byebybuy@reddit
Just want to add: a lot of responses to this comment are telling you to "read more books." But there are 3 kinds of vocabulary: reading, written, and speaking.
Usually peoples' reading vocabulary is the widest. Then writing (because you have time to think about what to say), and lastly speaking. Just because you know the definitions of lots of words doesn't necessarily mean that you've worked them into your spoken vocabulary.
That's why you have to practice speaking the language as much as possible. Reading books will not get you far enough.
Best of luck!
ian9921@reddit
You're asking how we learned it.
We're telling you it's probably the same way you learned your native language.
That's really all there is to say.
How do you learn new words in Chinese? Why do some people speak Chinese beter than others?
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
So in Chinese, using different words don’t makes a person articulate, because everyone know what different words means,Chinese people love to leave room for interpretation, when we say a Chinese person is well spoken is contextually intelligent. But know how to utilize different English words make a person articulate in English, how can this person express his feelings using direct and explicit words.
I guess cognitive processing is completely different as well, most of English speaking person I know they are straight forward and logical but Chinese people they let you guess.
rainidazehaze@reddit
Do native Chinese speakers who have a larger vocabulary than others memorize their vocab? It's just exposure, like everyother first language. Reading and listening to a larger variety of words means you pick up a larger variety of words. I highly doubt this is any different in Chinese.
Native english speakers who are extremely well worded generally did not memorize anything to get there, unless they have a very niche hobby specifically centered around learning lots of unusual words, like competing in spelling bees.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
“Well spoken” has extremely different definition in Chinese and English. Well spoken Chinese is more like a culture fluency if that makes sense,Chinese people love to leave room for interpretation, a well spoken Chinese is more contextually intelligent but English is if this person can use more advanced words to express their thoughts, so a well spoken English person is direct and explicit.
Being able to communicate and being well spoken is completely different things. Most people answering this question clearly don’t understand that. Or maybe is how I phrase my question.
System different as well. In China, we have a cohesive learning system so everyone learn the same material, same class. But I think in the states is different, not sure other countries. Thats why I am asking this question. Is like why some people can go to Harvard but some don’t(bad example) but I think you get it
rainidazehaze@reddit
So all native Chinese speakers know the same amount of words? I'm not sure how to explain how other languages work then, I don't know if there is any other language on earth where all native speakers have the exact same vocabulary level.
If I encounter a word I don't know, I use context to figure out what it means, or I google it, and then I know what it means. It has been many, many years since I encountered a word I didn't know, because I was exposed to most English words young. I liked reading. My sister who is dyslexic did not. My brother who is better at math than language also did not read as much. They both occasionally encounter words they don't know. They google them, and then they know what they mean.
If this is not the process for Chinese speakers I am not sure how else to communicate this concept.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
We use characters, so if we don’t know a character, we can’t even type it. I don’t even think we have autocorrect lol because we don’t spell characters wrong. It’s just so hard to explain, I guess only someone study linguistics can explain but the learning process definitely different. We also memorize characters by rewrite them millions of times
rainidazehaze@reddit
Wait, I have definitely seen typed Chinese many many times, why would you not be able to type a character?
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Like in English, you can just type “Hello” even you don’t speak English, you can just find it on keyboard but in Chinese if you don’t know how to pronounce ”你好” at the first place then you can’t type it
rainidazehaze@reddit
Okay gotcha yeah that makes sense.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Yes, if you don’t know how to pronounce it, then you don’t know how to type it. Learn how to type is a huge part in as well. We also have different way to type, a lot of old people don’t know how to type in China, they have to use hand writing keyboard on their phone, to write the characters down instead of typing it 😂
rainidazehaze@reddit
Ha, that's very interesting! I bet if I was learning Chinese I would end up typing like the old people some of the time! It's so cool how much variety there is!
anosmia1974@reddit
Reading a lot helps, and it helps when a child is raised in a home where their parents/families speak in a correct and more sophisticated way. If a child’s parents use improper English (“I seen,” “Ain’t nobody do that,” etc), or they mostly just yell and swear, it will affect how the child initially learns English. Some people never fully unlearn those poor language skills as they grow up.
Also, some people just have a natural aptitude for language, like how some people have a natural aptitude for mathematics.
Still, it always surprises me that, based on what I see on Facebook, a large amount of my former high school classmates still mess up to/two/too and there/their/they’re, and so many of them think that an apostrophe makes something plural. (“The beach’s were all pretty.” “He grilled steak’s for our dinner.”) We were in the same school, often the same English classes, but we clearly absorbed the information differently!
rainidazehaze@reddit
I find some of the errors on the internet like you mentioned in your last paragraph are just people who have given up fighting autocorrect and too small phone keyboards.
I'm very wellspoken when it comes to important stuff like essays and work emails, and stuff I type on the computer tends to have good grammar and punctuation regardless of what it is. But when it comes to reddit, where I might be writing several paragraphs on the phone, I try to fix errors as I go but sometimes it just isn't worth it to backtrack and find them all. I don't use autocorrect but my thumbs seem to hit the wrong keys a lot, sometimes even when I'm taking it slow.
And then sometimes it's the opposite, where people are so used to the phone fixing certain errors for them that they forget the computer doesn't.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Thank you! Most people think they can communicate is enough but I want to be articulate, that’s a skill for me, not just able to talk.
Live-Ad2998@reddit
The more you read good nonfiction or fiction the better your vocabulary is.
To use today's way of talking, listen to podcasts with a large audience. Or watch the American news. You will get a feel for the rhythm of speaking and catch current idioms.
For more sophisticated language, listen to audio books of classic literature. You can listen for free at free
Listen and read.
LeilLikeNeil@reddit
Some people read more. Some people went to school longer.
SnooWalruses7243@reddit
This is literally the dumbest redit post I’ve ever seen
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Reddit lol
Showdown5618@reddit
Same here. More specificly, Cantonese.
My parents pushed me to learn it. I studied hard and watched a lot of television.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Ok, twin. I speak Cantonese as well.
Do you learn English words by memorize their Chinese meaning as well? That’s what I think is pushing me off, maybe I need to memorize them in English haha
Showdown5618@reddit
At first I did, but I got used to thinking in English and Cantonese. It's like knowing two words with the same meaning.
iDrinkDrano@reddit
I'm a native speaker, but I know a lot of words because I made an effort to do so, even as a child. Kudos to my grandmother for reading books to me, and to my mother for introducing me to educational games.
When I want to learn a word, I look up what part of speech it is and I look up its etymology to see where it originated. This will help you categorize how the word is used
The structure of our language is German in origin, but that was at least a couple thousand years ago, and it has wandered and colonized and forgotten and married a lot since then. It's got a lot of other languages mixed in, especially French and Greek words. Those words get their own little rules for grammar and pronunciation, don't worry about them until you want to talk about art, science, or politics.
If I was teaching you to read, I would probably give you "Thing Explainer", because that book is written using only the 1000 most common words in the English Language, which is about 75% of the words an English speaker uses in their daily life, and will teach you enough to hold a conversation. It will also teach you enough science to impress your friends and family, and has fascinating diagrams and drawings.
After that I would recommend you read books by Michael Crichton, Stephen King, or Ernest Hemingway, because they all have very clear writing as far as learning English is learned.
If I was teaching you how to pronounce it, I would find you audiobooks of those authors (and probably a few others, given time to prepare a more comprehensive list) but would specifically find you audiobooks written by people from the Midwest, because a casual Google search tells me that it's the dialect of English whose pronunciation is probably easier in the mouth of someone from North China.
I'd tailor this after a bit of research, but I've already rewritten this a dozen times because I take forever to settle my thoughts to explain something.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much for your kind reply! I think the hardest part for me is memorizing them and actually utilize them. I keep forgetting words and sometimes my brain just go blank when I try to express my feelings.
I am also trying to eliminate my filler words as well, I just hate it.
iDrinkDrano@reddit
Find some catchy songs and learn the words. Sing them when you're cooking and cleaning. Music is a good mnemonic.
bryku@reddit
English is phonetic, so once you learn the alphabet you should be able to speak and spell every word. The problem is, just because you can say the word you don't know what it means. The only way to really learn what each word means is:
As you grow up you learn the context naturally. Your parent will say "Here is your snack" and over time you will figure out that "snack" is a small amount of food.
Then you goto school where you learn about the features of english. A great example of this is prefixes and suffixes. These are "add-ons" that change the meaning of a word. Once you know these you learn hundreds of thousands of words instantly. Let me give you some examples:
You can even use these to create new words and people will still be able to understand it even if it doesn't make sense.
To be honest, "flipism" doesn't make any sense, but most people could figure out what it means. Which is another way we learn. We use what we know and try and figure it out.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your example. Most people answering this question clearly don’t understand English is phonetic and Chinese is analytic. We learn how to speak the same way but what makes a well spoken person stand out is different.
LeilLikeNeil@reddit
It is our native language.
These-Ad2374@reddit
Let me just say that the US has a wide range of cultures & languages so many people in the US speak a language other than English as their first language, or multiple languages other than English
sneezhousing@reddit
The way you learned Chinese it's what's spoken by your family, people in stores , your friends. It's most of our first language first words spoken.
Sara-Sarita@reddit
When you think of an English word, or learn of a new word in any language, you should think of the concept. Right? Not the word. Don't think "this is this so that must mean this". Think of it as being a new name for something. Don't think of the translation, just think of the meaning behind it. In the same way a thing can have multiple names in the same language, think of the thing having another name that just happens to be from another language. It's not good to think of it as an arcane code. Just think of everything as a new word for something you already know, rather than a whole process you have to do of making one sound equivalent to another sound and then finding meaning in your thoughts of it. First off every language has things that don't translate to another language barely, and second it's a very cumbersome way to teach yourself to think, and will impede your sense of the language you're trying to learn as a whole since every language speaks differently in syntax, descriptives, etc. No language is 1:1 to another, each has its own system of saying things and trends. Instead of trying to categorize your English into Chinese, you should consider English a new rearrangement of the same pieces, if that makes sense. All languages cover the same territory of life, just with different shaped parts that work together differently. Like two identical pieces of cloth with different patterns. So you should try to think more directly with your language learning, even if it's hard at first; the translation phase should only last so long: it's a bridge to connect the new word with what it means, not a car to drive around in and not get out of. I think this sounds like your main problem, that for a while you didn't think of English as a world on its own but rather a series of closets for each bit of Chinese, but now you are realizing and have found your previous method of travel inadequate for exploring further. But it's good that you're learning now! As long as you can keep your way of thinking flexible and adjust you can keep improving. I hope my explanations make sense to you and I'm not wildly off the mark haha. Good luck!
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your long reply! I think I really just need to shift my brain
PuppySnuggleTime@reddit
We learned English the same way you learned Chinese. We don’t remember it because we were all children.
jtoohey12@reddit
If you already consider yourself fluent and looking to expand your vocabulary maybe try reading classic English / American English literature? Most middle schoolers to high schoolers first start learning advanced vocabulary this way in school. It might not translate to everyday conversation but it would definitely teach you new words and phrases.
ian9921@reddit
We think in English the exact same way you think in Chinese.
If you use any foreign words enough, eventually they just stop being foreign words you have to translate and start being normal words.
MycologistLower5247@reddit
As others have said, those of us who grew up in English-speaking communities learned it the same way you learned Chinese.
I think you may be wondering how we remember the meanings of words we encounter for the first time as adults—is that correct?
For me, I remember new words better when I look up their etymology/roots. For example, "brachycephaly" is a weird-looking word, but if I look up the etymology and see that "brachy" comes from the Greek word for "flat" and "cephaly" comes from the Greek word for "head," I'm able to remember that "brachycephaly" means a flat head. It makes the word look less like a weird jumble of letters and more like something with meaning.
It's like recognizing the radical 氵 and being able to remember more easily that that character relates to water.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
Thank you for understanding what I am asking!! Literally. Even though everyone in English speaking countries speak English but not everyone speak the same level English. I am asking for going beyond my current level of understanding in English.
rainidazehaze@reddit
Once again, does everyone in Chinese speaking countries speak Chinese at the same level??
MycologistLower5247@reddit
Of course! I'm sorry that so many people are piling onto you.
Terminator7786@reddit
How did you learn Chinese? There's your answer.
azorianmilk@reddit
How did you learn Chinese?
byebybuy@reddit
As someone who has a strong conversational working knowledge of another language: if you are translating in your head, you cannot say that you are fluent.
It just takes a ton of practice and immersion to get to the point where you don't have to think about it. For me, when I could look at a number and think first of the word for that number in the other language, I knew I was getting close.
Bake_knit_plant@reddit
Agreed!
I always hated thinking about using the word fluent in another language. I would say "oh I'm conversational" or "oh I get by*.. but last February I spent a month in South America. Not only in South America but in Uruguay for most of my time with a side shot to Buenos Aires. I did not speak in English or think in English for an entire month.
They say that 5 to 10% of the people in Uruguay speak english. I never met them! But I thought in Spanish, I spoke in Spanish, I lived my life in Spanish - and I will not hesitate now to say that I'm fluent.
I was quite the experience for all my Uber drivers and bus drivers and such who met me - 66-year-old woman with bright blue hair who speaks Spanish with an unrecognizable accent? They were fascinated. In fact, most of them thought I was German if they ventured to guess.
I attribute that to my first Spanish teacher was French Canadian but married a Cuban guy so she had an interesting accent, my second Spanish teacher was Mexican from the East Coast, my college Spanish teacher was oddly enough the Cuban husband of my original Spanish teacher, and then I worked in a factory for 20 some years and I specifically worked with the Mexican women from Monterrey. And the cherry on top is my best friend is Puerto Rican. I've visited almost every country in Central America as well. I guess it's good that they can't recognize my accent - most of them thought I was a native speaker but they didn't know from where :-)
jessek@reddit
That’s what my Spanish teacher taught us: translation is the hardest way to approach a language. You need to learn to think it the language if you want to be fluent.
Thesmallestlittlebee@reddit
By listening to other people speak English. I know quite a few people who improved by watching American TV shows
Different_Bat4715@reddit
I knew a Russian woman who told me that she learned English by listening to Danielle Steele romance novels, because it’s simple and easy to follow.
Thesmallestlittlebee@reddit
Whatever works! I met a Korean woman who learned by watching That Seventies show so she would say “burn!” When she meant joking
DontShakeCakeLake@reddit
I heard that watching children's shows is a great way to learn. They generally speak slower and in simpler English (or whatever language). They are also more repetitive.
MarkRick25@reddit
Dang, that's actually a great idea
donuttrackme@reddit
Lol that's hilarious.
mossfluff@reddit
I met a teen in Russia who said he learned all his English from Slipknot songs.
SeaGurl@reddit
Ive heard soap operas for similar reasons.
Thesmallestlittlebee@reddit
As well as reading out loud, no shame in reading children’ books
Traditional_Trust418@reddit
We learn English the same way you learned your native language: it just came naturally because it's our native language. We were just exposed to it until we learned it
ParadoxicalFrog@reddit
Everyone learns their native language the same way. All (or most of) the people around them are speaking it from the time they're born, so they start learning very simple words as babies. Then they graduate to simple sentences, and it just gets more complex from there.
To learn a foreign language, you have to stop trying to translate it in your head. Connect the words to their meanings, just like when you were a baby. Eventually, you'll be able to switch gears fluidly.
cantseemeimblackice@reddit
When I come across a word I don’t know, or I’m not sure what it means or how to say it or how to spell it, I often look it up. I may not remember next time, but sometimes I do, and gradually keep building.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
So if you encountered a word that you don’t understand, do you write it down and keep refresh your memory or you can remember the word instantly?
cantseemeimblackice@reddit
It would help if I would keep a list, but I don’t.
Insightseekertoo@reddit
According to Noam Chompsky there is a critical time in child development when the brain is most susceptible to language acquisition. IIRC the theory is that the brain basically wires itself according to the associations it hears most often until a certain level and then active learning takes over. At some point intentional effort pushes the learning forward for more advanced linguistic ability.
greatteachermichael@reddit
BTW- don't think in Chinese and then translate it into English. Learn to think in English. If you have to go back to the basics and practice super simple phrases until you've internalized those phrases do that first. You should be able to say things without thinking about them.
Even if you have to go back to A1, beginner "What's your name?" Then do that. Practice the shit out of a grammar structure again and again until you go onto the next one. Since you already have a foundation, it should actually go rather quickly.
anonymousambassasor@reddit
Look for an app you can speak with or seek out others who speak English and converse only in English.
And like others said we learned English the exact same way you learned Chinese.
You learned hard language especially for someone who is native to Chinese speaks. Your English is great. Good job!
Silly_Animator@reddit
In school we have a dedicated English class every year that teaches basic grammar and reading comprehension. Part of that is learning new words. When I was in school it consisted of definitions of new words and writing out sentences using the new words. We would also have spelling tests. Sometimes there would also be short stories which included the words so we would have context. Foreign languages were taught in similar ways where I grew up but with more comparisons to English ( ie if you want to say something in past tense like in English you would use this form in Spanish)
IconoclastExplosive@reddit
Well, how'd you learn Chinese? We probably had the same process but with English instead
Norwester77@reddit
We learn English the way you learned Chinese: unconsciously, as babies and toddlers.
front_torch@reddit
Well... I was born American by Americans who were also born by Americans who were also born by Americans. If you go back far enough, it was the language everyone was speaking.
DrBlankslate@reddit
We learn it because we grow up speaking it, the same way you learned Chinese.
1massagethrowaway@reddit
I do not speak Chinese, but I know a lot of people who do and I think the level of detail you seem to be looking for would perhaps best be answered by a native English speaker who also speaks fluent Chinese. I tried learning Chinese so I kind of get why you’re asking this.
Appropriate-Food1757@reddit
Just by existing here as babies
aodamo@reddit
Step 1: immersion. It is my native language, so I've developed a lot of connections between words, word roots, and meanings since I was young. It was also taught purposefully in school.
Step 2: read books with more complex vocabulary. I remember that I was still learning new words around 13 years old from books that were above my age group's supposed reading level. I mostly guessed new words by looking at the context and comparing the roots, prefixes, and suffixes to words that I already knew.
Step 3: Look up college prep work, like SAT words. They are decently advanced--not terribly common, but I just skimmed over a list of "1000 common SAT words" and I knew about 90% of them, and use maybe 30%? Overusing them will make you sound pretentious, but a lot of them are used often enough in writing.
OG-BigMilky@reddit
One important trait is to THINK in the language you’re trying to speak. That helps a lot when speaking it.
officerboba@reddit
Interacting with people and the world
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
I learned English the same way you learned Chinese.
landonburner@reddit
Some know more words than others. I'm my experience people who were avid readers have better vocabularies.
Right_Grape_4274@reddit (OP)
You are the only one gets my question lol, everyone in English speaking country speak English but some just speak better and way more articulate.
Regular_Efficiency61@reddit
The answer is still the same.
We learn English words the exact same way you learn Chinese words.
There is no difference. You learn by exposure and using the words.
donuttrackme@reddit
How do you memorize Chinese words?
Chay_Charles@reddit
It is confusing even if it is your first language. IDK how anyone learns it as a second language.
ToastetteEgg@reddit
If a baby grows up with an American and a Chinese parent, and they speak only their native language to the baby from birth, it will learn perfect unaccented English and Chinese. If the baby also has a Spanish nanny from birth it can also learn perfect Spanish. Human brains are language sponges if taught from early life.
Perplexio76@reddit
My cousin married a Mexican. He said it took him several years before he was able to think in English. Early on he'd think in Spanish and translate to English in his head, like you do with Chinese to English.
thatsad_guy@reddit
The same way anyone learns their native language
searchableusername@reddit
read english books, particularly literature
Push_the_button_Max@reddit
Watch American Movies in English, and also have the English subtitles on.
Your goal is to stop translating in your head. That’s the biggest hurdle to jump for fluency
Lost-Meeting-9477@reddit
You do know that English and American is the same language,right? It's just pronounced a little different.
Particular_Bet_5466@reddit
So at age very young age we have an incredible ability to learn language that fades as we get older. That’s how you learn your native language.
We also learn the “rules” of English in school when we are very young that further aids this.
creamcandy@reddit
If you want the thing badly enough, you learn how to ask for it. Like a blarlardo
Calm_Independence796@reddit
Um like you learn any other language idk😭😭
Ok-Pumpkin400@reddit
Keep practicing!
deez_nuts_77@reddit
it’s an idea called “comprehensible input”. As children our parents talk to us and we pick up words until we eventually understand. As an adult it’s much harder, but the idea is if you watch easier to understand english videos, that you are INTERESTED in watching, it will help you overall.
mikutansan@reddit
By sticking our fingers in our butt and repeating “ I’m an idiot”
jessek@reddit
The same way literally every human being learns their native language
AtTheRealFuture@reddit
Gonna point out, aside from general immersion, being read to *and* reading is a significant part of learning a native language. Of course, not all kids are regularly read to at home, but “story time” and being read increasingly more complex books throughout pre/elementary school is really important to language development.
So, read books!
JoyDVeeve@reddit
How did you learn Chinese?
ExtraGreasy@reddit
When I was a child I read a TON. Eventually as you read faster and faster, you translate in your head less and less.
Still_Can_7918@reddit
Well 78% of Americans only speak English at home so the way you learned Chinese.
Another 9% have proficiency in English which means that they more than likely learned it through immersion: a combination of the people around them, schools, media, etc.
That is 88% of the population knowing English. I still have no idea why it is such a divisive issue of making it a national language. Most of the states including California have English as their only official language.
The only three states with another language with English as their state language are: South Dakota (Sioux and English), Hawaii (Hawaiian and English), Alaska (Various native languages and English)
Brennisth@reddit
Reading. Lots and lots of reading. Something we hear a lot is "don't make fun of someone who mispronounces a word, it means they learned it by reading." Every language I have learned I have learned first by studying basic grammar, second by watching children's movies and listening to Broadway soundtracks, and third by reading--both translations of books I already know very well, and original children's / young adult books within that target language. For me, words are learned by context, not dictionary definition.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
We learned English the same way you learned Chinese.
Traditional-Joke-179@reddit
What is this question lol. Everyone acquires their native language the same, through the natural learning process as a baby where you hear and innately start understanding and repeating.
VansterVikingVampire@reddit
I don't remember. I learned it really young. But from what I hear, immersion is the best thing for getting used to thinking in a language. And it still might not come easy.
casapantalones@reddit
It’s the native language for many of us; we learn it by immersion as infants.
Individualchaotin@reddit
English is my 3rd language. I learned it like you did.
Just-a-nerd2@reddit
I grew up in an english speaking country
Penguins_in_Sweaters@reddit
For many Americans, English is the first and, in many cases, the only language that we learn at a young age. That's an impossible question in the same way "how did you learn Chinese?" would be a ridiculous question to ask a native Chinese speaker.
Live-Ad2998@reddit
We are born hearing it, learning a way to communicate is basic child development.
Ask yourself how you learned your language.
kamakazi339@reddit
Basically like any primary language: Immersion
o93mink@reddit
The exact same way you learned Chinese