I have rare chances to talk with native speakers. Some of my classmates do not pay attention to pronunciation. And my teachers who teach us English are not particularly realising this problem existing in many students. Those students like to speak in English rather than practice their pronunciation well. Sometimes I found that the wrong pronunciation may be accepted by Chinese teachers who teach English but can't make native speakers understand. I wonder if you feel happy when you are learning a foreign language. And what's your happiness in learning it?
I'll be happy for the discussion with you. Thank you.
Unfortunately I only speak one language in addition to my native language (Greek) and that is English. So my comments will revolve around my experience learning English.
In Greece it is traditional for parents to send their kids to a private school to learn English.
It is a combination of a status symbol and also a practical way to provide more tools in a competitive world. So usually most kids start learning English by the age of 9 or 10 and are ready for the Cambridge Proficiency exam by the age of 15 to 16. Most of the schools have good teachers. Greece has sort of a tradition with the English language for some reason. Some could even say an obsession with it.
Anyway. I was lucky because I always loved English. Learning was not a task for me. It was in fact something I liked to do. I watched movies with out reading the subtitles. I read Stephen King books. Nothing of that was required. I just loved doing it. So I gradually improved in a sort of effortless way.
So was I happy when I was learning it? I really was. In fact I still am.
It's a nice experience ! Thanks.
