Холиварофорум

Анон

English thread

Let's chat in English, dear anonymous! You can write about everything here, regardless of your level.

Your English level is…

1. A1(голосов 7 [3.55%])

   3.55%

2. A2(голосов 11 [5.58%])

   5.58%

3. B1(голосов 26 [13.2%])

   13.2%

4. B2(голосов 56 [28.43%])

   28.43%

5. C1(голосов 67 [34.01%])

   34.01%

6. C2(голосов 30 [15.23%])

   15.23%

Всего голосов: 197

Гости не могут голосовать

Анон

Re: English thread

When I tried to learn one Slavic language, I was also ready to die because of this.

Believe me, it's nothing compared to people whose language doesn't even have the conception of cases. Slavic languages are tricky because your level of understanding greatly surpasses your ability to express yourself. You already have a massive passive vocabulary due to your mother tongue but it doesn't translate into communicating, and that's baffling. But to learn cases - a lot of them - from zero, that's another story.

Анон

Re: English thread

When I tried to learn one Slavic language, I was also ready to die because of this.

After 5 minutes of struggling I was like "ah fuck it, I will just use it in the same way as in Russian, you will understand me anyway!"

Анон

Re: English thread

Why so many C1? Feel like dum-dum with my pitiful weak B2 

A2-B1 here. I just didn't vote because I self evaluate my English proficiency. 

Анон

Re: English thread

at the sight of cases and declensions.

When I tried to learn one Slavic language, I was also ready to die because of this.

I know Latin to a degree. Or more like, I knew.
And yeah, 6-7 cases, 3 genders, and stuff. All in all, Latin is surprisingly similar to Russian grammar-wise. More similar than to English, that's for sure. But it doesn't help you because where Russian uses, say, dative, Latin uses accusative etc. As a result, you have to remember it all anew and there are tons of word endings, suffixes etc. But at least the concept of cases is a familiar one. Not like it helps much.

Отредактировано (2021-12-27 02:26:49)

Анон

Re: English thread

i never knew i needed this thread
bets for all fellow non-natives: how fucked up will my speech patterns be after putting a LotR audiobook as white noise for the whole night?
bonus: my entire work day consists of customer service in english and partly other completely different language.
i do this to myself 

Анон

Re: English thread

like a few dozens of youtube channels? 

Well, I've never really thought about perception of russian-native mistakes from an outside pov until this particular message, so if you have any recs that would be much appreciated 

Анон

Re: English thread

Why so many C1? Feel like dum-dum with my pitiful weak B2 

it's a matter of time and a shit ton of practise

Анон

Re: English thread

Well, I've never really thought about perception of russian-native mistakes from an outside pov until this particular message, so if you have any recs that would be much appreciated

i find morbid pleasure in looking at my own culture through foreigners' eyes, if i don't forget i'll find a few channels to share maybe tomorrow

Анон

Re: English thread

Believe me, it's nothing compared to people whose language doesn't even have the conception of cases.

I've seen some Italian guy who just had huge excel spreadsheets with each word he learnt repeated in every case 
I would give up if I had to deal with smth like that.

Отредактировано (2021-12-27 02:33:14)

Анон

Re: English thread

like from the top of my head there's Когда ты Нурия of a catalonian girl

Анон

Re: English thread

Why so many C1? Feel like dum-dum with my pitiful weak B2 

I feel like one explanation might be that a thread like this attracts people who are more proficient and more confident in their English skills than an average person hence a spike in c1-ers and the like.

Отредактировано (2021-12-27 02:30:56)

Анон

Re: English thread

I feel like one explanation might be that a thread like this attracts people who are more proficient and more confident in their English skills that an average person hence a spike in c1-ers and the like.

also consider an expat population of the forum, we are usually trilingual to some degree

Анон

Re: English thread

Now I'm interested, which Slavic language did you learn, anons? Polish?
I was learning Serbian in the university and the experience was so much different from learning more distant-related languages, 10x more fun. Like, wow, this is the first lesson and you don't know anything! Oh but wait, you understand half of the text!

If foreign language learning at school started with Slavic languages, no one would say shit like "Just leave me, I have no natural abilities to learn languages".
Too bad Slavic ones are kinda useless :(

Анон

Re: English thread

Why so many C1? Feel like dum-dum with my pitiful weak B2 

Don't stress, nonnie! Levels are not set in stone and are more nominal than anything. What really matters is what can you do with your language skills and is it enough for your needs or not. Also, tons of practice and you'll get everywhere eventually.

I clicked on C1 too because online tests usually give me either C1 or C2 but I feel like I'm not there yet for C2. However, different tests give you different results. And also, if you have a vocabulary of C2 but can barely speak it's not really a C2. Different skills are better to be evaluated separately but it's too complicated for this basic level system (language proficiency exams like TOEFL do exactly this, though).

Анон

Re: English thread

I've seen some Italian who just had huge excel spreadsheets with each word he learnt repeated in every case

Now I feel like my gigantic list of German nouns with their plural form was not so weird.   

Анон

Re: English thread

Когда ты Нурия

Wow she speaks Russian faster than I do O_O

Анон

Re: English thread

And also, if you have a vocabulary of C2 but can barely speak it's not really a C2.

So true. I can read pretty much any text, safe for some specific technical literature, and I understand speech easily, but I'm much less confident in my writing and I always see it as clumsy and unnatural. As for my speaking practice, it's nonexistent.

Анон

Re: English thread

Huh, speaking of, did any of you take TOEFL or IELTS? Was it worth it?
My current job doesn't require any language skill confirmation but I'm still kinda considering it. I was always told that it's like the one and only true evaluation of your English level but is it tho?

Анон

Re: English thread

But srsly tho there should be some advanced russian learners out there, I'd love to hear their take on native/non-native perception of language

I don't remember what a Holiwarka's registration process is like already but maybe we could try to make this thread Holiwarka's /int? Like, lure English-speaking Russian learners here?
I think I saw people on FFA who're learning Russian or are interested in something Russian. Will they be able to register here if I give them the link to this thread, what do you think? Or there is a Cyrillic keyboard needed or something?

Анон

Re: English thread

Also youtube
SHANKANAKA - Chinese girl speaking Russian

Анон

Re: English thread

I can recommend these two YouTube-channels
https://youtube.com/channel/UCG-H63xUvV … pnA/videos
https://youtube.com/channel/UCInmf_GxqZ … SkA/videos

Анон

Re: English thread

Now I'm interested, which Slavic language did you learn, anons? Polish?

I learned Serbian after I heard people speak it and fell in love with it. I even went to Belgrade for a year and got a language certificate. At the time it was the language I was most proficient in because people got no idea I'm a foreinger upon hearing me - and they knew typical Russian accent well. My original dialect was placed somewhere in South Serbia and that's all. I suspect it is an achievement I could not repeat with any other non-Slavic language after living just a year in the country.

Анон

Re: English thread

I was always told that it's like the one and only true evaluation of your English level but is it tho?

I think it's bullshit. These exams are so formalized that even natives need special training to pass them adequately. They're kinda not unlike ЕГЭ - you need not as much knowledge as a training in passing ЕГЭ.
Besides, they're paid (and pretty expensive) and the results are valid only for some time like a year or two so there is no point in passing them without a clear goal/requirement.

Анон

Re: English thread

Holiwarka's /int

I think it would be cool, anon

Анон

Re: English thread

Huh, speaking of, did any of you take TOEFL or IELTS? Was it worth it?
My current job doesn't require any language skill confirmation but I'm still kinda considering it. I was always told that it's like the one and only true evaluation of your English level but is it tho?

eh, only in a short period of teaching english getting good scores on the test would get me a raise, but any other time i worked in companies where i was directly communicating in english no one ever asked if i have any papers, they would test me in their own way every time