Non-Native English speakers, how is your proficiency in it?

[Charlouie Jonesman]

Edit. The question is really directed to non-native speakers. Should've been obvious but there you go.

I thought about this recently and came to the conclusion that I really don't. I consume a lot of english language media and can understand most of it just fine, both spoken and written and I can write english as well, obviously, but the few personal encounters I had in english, I can barely tell them to take the next turn left or whatever it was they wanted to know. It's even worse with the odd english speaking customer we get at work every now and then. We basically communicate with hand and feet. Sure, the passive knowledge is there so I'd probably learn quickly if I ever got into a situation where I had to speak english all the time, but the point is, as of now, I barely speak english.

So what about the rest of non-native-english Resetera? Everyone here seems fluent from their messages, but are you really?

 

[Deleted member 1086]

me no know

 

[FireSafetyBear]

 

[Bakercat]

I only speak 'Mercian mister, and that's all that's needed.

 

[Platy]

I avoid it at all costs so I must speak really bad

like "will only speak english to a foreigner here if I see that the person did try to learn a few words in portuguese"

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

This is all the English you need.

I only know English, and just enough Spanish to ask what time is it, and where's the library.

 

[Vuze]

I rarely speak as well since there's just no need but I don't find it difficult to switch when I have to.

 

[Kain-Nosgoth]

i can speak it but it's definitely harder than just read and write it!

 

[Kyougar]

watching a lot of Let's plays, many people have problems reading words out loud.
And don't get me started on foreign or unknown words "I don't even try to pronounce that" is the most prevalent answer. Some can't even just pronounce an anglicised version of a foreign word they are reading.

 

[capitalCORN]

I mean, it's not my first language, or second. But having spend a near 30 years in Canada, it's now my best language.

Edit: But I am a complete mess in terms of body language. Simply a jumble of irrelevant and confusing ticks that I cannot reconcile between my languages.

 

[JigglesBunny]

You probably should have specificed that you're asking non-native speakers in the thread title despite it seeming pretty obvious. Regardless, interesting thread. I'm a native speaker obviously but I've been working on learning some Spanish purely as a hobby and I really enjoy having two languages under my belt.

Well, three since I also speak Latin but that has no conversational value so I don't count it.

 

[Arjen]

I think I'm fairly decent. My work has a lot of international clients and partners. So speaking English is a must.

 

[Cilidra]

Now days, I am quite fluent though I do have an accent and I don't always pronounce the word with the right intonation. I communicate in English with 65% of my clientele.

This far from what I grew up though, I grew up in an 99% francophone environment, I would watch some English tv and read/play video game in English. We did have English course at school. Pretty much never had to talk to someone in English until I was in my twenties (aside from English classes).

 

[Unaha-Closp]

Yes but I am from the Island known as Britain. Now if I were to let in some of my colloquialisms and Scottish dialect you would swear I was talking in tongues :D

Edit - Sorry if you only wanted non English first talking people to respond. I will go and pop the kettle on and let you all get on with it.

 

[One Eyed Willy]

As an American yes, I mean.. American English I suppose.

 

[Deleted member 2840]

Sadly I've had 0 actual conversations in English in my life(although I guess I did awkwardly explain to a guy in Dark Souls 2 how to burn the windmill).
I wish there was some foreigner living around here that I could speak in English.

 

[Charlouie Jonesman]

You probably should have specificed that you're asking non-native speakers in the thread title despite it seeming pretty obvious.

Click to shrink...

I had too much faith.

 

[Hesemonni]

<3 Dat sexy Finnish dialect <3

...Which I actually try to do my best to avoid...

 

[Rassilon]

Yeah but there's some Yorkshire dialect that might throw off non-native English speakers.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

I speak more English than Swedish, even though I live in Sweden and my family is entirely Swedish

 

[EchoChamber]

I feel I'm pronouncing everything wrong and with a thick accent.

 

[Manu]

I thought I did, then I got a job at a call center and they put me on the phone with a native speaker. Boy, I was wrong.

That was 10 years ago though so now I can hold a conversation with no issues.

 

[Elandyll]

As a French native having lived in the US for now the better part of 15 years (still haven't completely lost my accent), there are 3 levels to know if you can speak actual (US) English fluently

- Thinking in English, not translating in your head
- Having a private conversation with your (then future) wife's grand mother asking you what your intentions are, and she understands you

-And fucking understanding what the assholes on the AM radio are saying because they fucking talk at 10.000 words per second.


Those were my milestones :)

 

[scotdar]

As an native English speaker I found it amazing that people can read and write perfect english but rarely speak it. When I lived in Japan I would always just write things down if I had to ask a stranger a question. You learn quickly that the answer of no, too do you speak english does not mean they can't communicate perfectly in the written word. I don't think I could ever do that with any language, everything is just sound inside my head.

 

[Galleren]

I speak it better than my native language, and for some reason i'm more sociable if i speak english

 

[FernandoRocker]

So, a question for native English speakers.

Do you prefer non-native English speakers to talk with an accent or do you prefer us to emulate an American accent?

 

[Jyrii]

When I know what I am talking about and I can concentrate, my english is pretty good. Same happens when I am relaxed (drunk). I can usually even hide my Finnish accent pretty well.

 

[9-Volt]

I'm actually slowly forgetting my own native language, Turkish. Been abroad too long.

 

[PSqueak]

Yes, but with a noticeable weird accent.

By this i mean that words get mispronounced, not that i sound like a stereotypical mexican accent like you see on tv.

 

[Kevyt]

Sometimes I can't english at all

 

[fek]

I don't get many chances to speak in English, but I did a few job interviews recently in English and my pronunciation is obviously flawed but it worked fine.

 

[BLLYjoe25]

So, a question for native English speakers.

Do you prefer non-native English speakers to talk with an accent or do you prefer us to emulate an American accent?

Click to shrink...

i don't mind the accent...actually i quite like it! don't emulate American..they pronounce a lot of stuff wrong any way :D

 

[Cocolina]

No, I mean look at it:

But now, sire,—lat me se—what I shal seyn?
A ha! by God, I have my tale ageyn.
Whan that my fourthe housbonde was on beere,
I weep algate, and made sory cheere,
As wyves mooten, for it is usage,
And with my coverchief covered my visage;
But for that I was purveyed of a make,
I wepte but smal, and that I undertake!
To chirche was myn housbonde born a morwe
With neighebores, that for hym maden sorwe,
And Jankyn, oure clerk, was oon of tho.
As help me God, whan that I saugh hym go
After the beere, me thoughte he hadde a paire
Of legges and of feet so clene and faire
That al myn herte I gaf unto his hoold.
He was, I trowe, a twenty wynter oold,
And I was fourty, if I shal seye sooth;
But yet I hadde alwey a coltes tooth.
Gat-tothed I was, and that bicam me weel,
I hadde the prente of seïnte Venus seel.

Click to shrink...

 

[Deleted member 3208]

No sé de qué hablas OP. Yo no sé speak English.

Actually, when I speak English, people understand me. But it isn't perfect since I hardly have opportunities to talk to anybody in English.

 

[scotdar]

So, a question for native English speakers.

Do you prefer non-native English speakers to talk with an accent or do you prefer us to emulate an American accent?

Click to shrink...

The fashion of accents is pretty odd. I don't think an American accent is very popular. I was in Japan in 2000 so the trend may be very different now, but then a Canadian or Australian accent was in vogue. If you were really swanky they would go for an English accent but not a super strong one. It was probably 5% British, with the Canadians and Australians splitting the rest. You would have a couple of Kiwi's in the mix and an odd American.

 

[AztecComplex]

Rule of thumb: if you post on Era you speak English well enough. So yeah we do. I learned the language ever since I was in kindergarden thanks to bilingual schools all through my formative years. Consuming most of my entertainment in English (movies, books, games) helped a LOT too. I do have an accent and cant speak as fast as a native speaker but I can understand 99.9% of what I hear (provided its not delivered in a heavy accent like, say, Scottish because ohmygod the scottish!)

I wish learning Spanish (for real) was as important for Americans as it is for us Mexicans learning English.

 

[Charlouie Jonesman]

I speak more English than Swedish, even though I live in Sweden and my family is entirely Swedish

Click to shrink...

That's interesting. Do you have to use english at work or how come?

 

[Socivol]

This is how I am with German. I could read it and write it but when it comes to speaking....awful. I get really nervous because one of my friends is a native speaker and told me I have a very "American" accent when I speak German so I always feel like native speakers don't understand me well.

 

[Sidebuster]

So, a question for native English speakers.

Do you prefer non-native English speakers to talk with an accent or do you prefer us to emulate an American accent?

Click to shrink...

I'm just happy I don't have to learn another language. You can talk however you feel works best for you. I do have experience with groups of Swedes visiting and speaking better than I do. It would "irritate" me in a sort of light hearted way. Though I noticed they were a bit hard on our mutual friend that was trying to learn to speak their language and always be correcting him even if they clearly understood him.

 

[Stinkles]

I have a dumber version of the OP problem. I can understand two thirds of a conversation in Japanese and 90% German and Spanish but lock up hard on responding verbally.

 

[Pimienta]

Yes, but a bit clumsily since I don't have anyone else to talk to. =/

 

[ClamBuster]

I'm actually slowly forgetting my own native language, Turkish. Been abroad too long.

Click to shrink...

is it true that can happen?

the reason i ask is because i work with a serbian lady who is probably 40, and has been over here (england) for 15 years. she's not part of a serbian community, her hubby is english, her kids only speak english, and she never really goes home because she doesn't really have any family. when i asked her once if she forgets her own language she said yes

i remember asking her what a bucket was in serbian... and she couldn't remember

 

[Navidson REC]

Yeah, I'd say I'm almost as fluent as I am in my native language at this point. Having lived abroad helped though.

Actually, sometimes English words come faster to me than their German counterparts.

 

[Famassu]

I don't get to speak English a whole lot so when I have to start, it might take awhile until I get a bit smoother at it. The start can be a bit clumsy sounding but usually once that English speaking switch is turned on, it gets better once my brains properly acclimate to English pronunciations and all that.

 

[dreams]

So, a question for native English speakers.

Do you prefer non-native English speakers to talk with an accent or do you prefer us to emulate an American accent?

Click to shrink...

Definitely keep your own accent - it's natural! American accents are overrated anyway. There's really no such thing as having "no" accent. Most native English speakers find accents to be charming.

To everyone posting in this thread who is non-native English: I honestly would not have known you weren't a native speaker. You all write so well. I'm currently learning Dutch, and it is so hard to move past the translating everything in your head stage. I am definitely not confident speaking, though taking a class focused mostly on speaking exercises helps a lot.

Edit:

Rule of thumb: if you post on Era you speak English well enough. So yeah we do. I learned the language ever since I was in kindergarden thanks to bilingual schools all through my formative years. Consuming most of my entertainment in English (movies, books, games) helped a LOT too. I do have an accent and cant speak as fast as a native speaker but I can understand 99.9% of what I hear (provided its not delivered in a heavy accent like, say, Scottish because ohmygod the scottish!)

I wish learning Spanish (for real) was as important for Americans as it is for us Mexicans learning English.

Click to shrink...

As an American, same here. I wish it was mandatory. My high school only offered two years of it, and that's barely enough to ask to use the bathroom or something.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

That's interesting. Do you have to use english at work or how come?

Click to shrink...

Yes, I work at a University, so it's a very international place to work.

 

[GangWarily]

Well I passed the naturalization test in the USA soo...

Spoiler

It was insultingly easy

 

[PSqueak]

is it true that can happen?

the reason i ask is because i work with a serbian lady who is probably 40, and has been over here (england) for 15 years. she's not part of a serbian community, her hubby is english, her kids only speak english, and she never really goes home because she doesn't really have any family. when i asked her once if she forgets her own language she said yes

i remember asking her what a bucket was in serbian... and she couldn't remember

Click to shrink...

While i in no way am in a position where i can forget my native tongue, the high usage of english in my life has made me start thinking in english multiple times during my day.

 

[EnlightenedMint]

English, quite good.

 

[Deleted member 35204]

I live in a country where no one talks english, even people with supposedly an higher education sometimes come out with really laughable stuff...
...the result is that i can type sentences that even if not perfectly correct are understandable by the vast majority of english speakers but if i have to actually speak it's a mess because never in my 20+ years of life had the chance to have a conversation with a native speaker.
Spoken comprehension is so-so.