Can you learn English without formal classes? Here’s my story!
The challenges
Hey, at first, English was not my mother tongue. I still remember my school days when it was my turn to read a chapter—I would freeze and feel embarrassed. Science was my favorite subject, but back then, social media hadn’t boomed yet.
After social media, especially Facebook and YouTube, became popular, I started consuming English video content. I was impressed by European culture and how they progressed every day. Whatever they did, I just felt wow! I wanted to understand what they were doing, how they were doing it, and what they were saying.
It felt like if I could understand this language, my whole journey would change. I would have access to so much more information. Plus, knowing English felt like something cool and professional.
Lessons and methods
So, I started reading my school books, buying a dictionary, and looking up the meanings of words. I listened to English songs, watched videos and movies with subtitles, and talked to myself in broken English. I also started writing my thoughts in English. After doing all these things, I was able to understand basic English, but when it was time to speak, my mind would go blank.
Still, in my small friend circle, we challenged each other to stay motivated.
After getting a job, I had the chance to practice my English. I realized that different people had different accents. I could understand them, but when it was my turn to respond, I could only give basic replies. Sometimes, I felt scared—What if I made a mistake? Is this word correct in this sentence? But through trial and error, and constant practice, I improved.
Now, I can communicate at a basic level and understand what others are saying. I’m still in the process of learning, and adding new words to my sentences while speaking. The main purpose of learning English is to communicate, so don’t feel shy or awkward about improving yourself.
Learning English has opened many doors of opportunity for me. If you want to access information or connect internationally, you need to know English. Almost everything on the internet is in English, so I think it’s necessary to learn the basics of this language.