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DAEMONIC01

July 8, 2025

0
Day 4: How I Failed One Language and Found Another

I learned German for over 10 years, but I can't even write a line about my name. However, I never learned English properly — and now I'm writing stuff like this. I think it's funny, so I decided to share this little but true story.

In elementary school we had to choose: English or German. But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadn't have any English teacher, so they recommended to everyone to choose German because it's really worthy in our region. They thought that's enough to us to commit ourselves to learn German. Surprise, it wasn't.

So I had to learn German for 8 years there, do my homework and prepare for tests. We had a teacher who did her job as if she had gotten her degree from her neighbor, so she couldn't even teach anything to herself, let alone to anyone else. After so many tears we finished elementary school and I went to high school, where they said, "If you learned German in the elementary school, you have to stick to it here too." So I was stuck in this nightmare. In the first 3 years I had a really bad teacher, but then we got a new one, who finally had the abilities and skills to teach German, so after another 2 years we finished high school and I was finally done with German language. Forever.

My family thought about me that I have no sense of language and I believed this thing. A few years ago, I decided to go to university, so I had to take a B2 level exam in any language. I knew German is absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and few months to prepare. The exam wasn't easy, but due to the COVID there wasn't oral exam. After then I stopped working on my English knowledge, but I realized I have to, so I started again with a new goal. I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years from now.

Yeah, that's my long language learning journey. I hated languages and believed I can't learn any of them because I have no sense of language, but it wasn't right. Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want. Of course it's not easy, but I think we don't learn languages because it's easy, right? Knowing a language opens up the world for us and make us capable to get to know another culture and many new people.

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DAEMONIC01's avatar
DAEMONIC01

July 8, 2025

0
araigoshi's avatar
araigoshi

July 8, 2025

442
DAEMONIC01's avatar
DAEMONIC01

July 9, 2025

0

Day 4: How I Failed One Language and Found Another

I learned German for over 10 years, but I can't even write a line about my name.

However, I never learned English properly — and now I'm writing stuff like this.

I think it's funny, so I decided to share this little but true story.

In elementary school we had to choose: English or German.

They thought that's enough to us to commit ourselves to learn German.

Surprise, it wasn't.

So I had to learn German for 8 years there, do my homework and prepare for tests.

We had a teacher who did her job as if she had gotten her degree from her neighbor, so she couldn't even teach anything to herself, let alone to anyone else.

After so many tears we finished elementary school and I went to high school, where they said, "If you learned German in the elementary school, you have to stick to it here too."

So I was stuck in this nightmare.

In the first 3 years I had a really bad teacher, but then we got a new one, who finally had the abilities and skills to teach German, so after another 2 years we finished high school and I was finally done with German language.

Forever.

A few years ago, I decided to go to university, so I had to take a B2 level exam in any language.

The exam wasn't easy, but due to the COVID there wasn't oral exam.

I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years from now.

Yeah, that's my long language learning journey.

DAEMONIC01's avatar
DAEMONIC01

July 8, 2025

0

Day 4: How I Failed One Language and Found Another

Surprise, it wasn't.

So I had to learn German for 8 years there, do my homework and prepare for tests.

So I was stuck in this nightmare.

Forever.

DAEMONIC01's avatar
DAEMONIC01

July 8, 2025

0
araigoshi's avatar
araigoshi

July 8, 2025

442

So I had to learn German for 8 years there, do my homework and prepare for tests.


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This sentence has been marked as perfect!

So I had to learn German for 8 years there, doing my homework and prepareing for tests. So I had to learn German for 8 years there, doing my homework and preparing for tests.

Past tense since this happened in the past

We had a teacher who did her job as if she had gotten her degree from her neighbor, so she couldn't even teach anything to herself, let alone to anyone else.


We had a teacher who did her jobtaught as if she had gotten her degree from her neighbor, so she couldn't even teach anything to herself, let alone to anyone else. We had a teacher who taught as if she had gotten her degree from her neighbor, so she couldn't even teach anything to herself, let alone to anyone else.

Better to use "taught" than "did her job" to be clear

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

I hated languages and believed I can't learn any of them because I have no sense of language, but it wasn't right.


I hated languages learning and believed I caouldn't learn any of them because I haved no sense of languagekill for it, but ithat wasn't right/true. I hated language learning and believed I couldn't learn any of them because I had no skill for it, but that wasn't right/true.

"True" fits here better because you could describe this as factual: you DID have the skills to learn another language (English). Right and wrong are often used in contexts where facts cannot be used to make the call. (He wasn't the right man for her. She said I spilled the soup, but that's not true).

I hated languages and believed I caouldn't learn any of them because I thought I haved no sense of language, but itI wasn't right wrong. I hated languages and believed I couldn't learn any of them because I thought I had no sense of language, but I was wrong.

By adding the "thought" again after "believed" earlier in the sentence it reinforces the idea that this was only your belief, not the reality. Without it, I almost forgot that it was just your opinion.

I hated languages and believed I caouldn't learn any of them because I have no sense of language skills, but ithat wasn't right. I hated languages and believed I couldn't learn any of them because I have no language skills, but that wasn't right.

"couldn't" is past tense of "can't". Since you longer believe it and you're talking about your past experience, better to use past tense.

Of course it's not easy, but I think we don't learn languages because it's easy, right?


Of course, it's not easy, but I think we don't learn languages because it's easy, right? Of course, it's not easy, but we don't learn languages because it's easy, right?

"I think" is unnecessary here and sounds unnatural in this placement

Of course it's not easy, but I think we don't learn languages because it's easy, right? Of course it's not easy, but we don't learn languages because it's easy, right?

"I think" is unnecessary because you are making a truth claim.

Of course it's not easy, but I don't think we don't learn languages because it's easy, right? Of course it's not easy, but I don't think we learn languages because it's easy, right?

I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years from now.


I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years (from now). I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years (from now).

You could leave off the end here and still be understood

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years from now. I want to be fluent and take a C2 exam within 2 years.

"within" and "from now" are redundant, so you would only use one. "2 years from now" = "you want to take an exam in 2 years" "within 2 years" = "you want to take an exam at some point in the next 2 years" I picked "within" as the broader option.

Yeah, that's my long language learning journey.


Yeah, that's my long language -learning journey. Yeah, that's my long language-learning journey.

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After so many tears we finished elementary school and I went to high school, where they said, "If you learned German in the elementary school, you have to stick to it here too."


After so many tears, we finished elementary school and I went tostarted high school, where they said, "If you learned German in the elementary school, you have to stick to it here too." After so many tears, we finished elementary school and I started high school, where they said, "If you learned German in the elementary school, you have to stick to it here too."

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

So I was stuck in this nightmare.


This sentence has been marked as perfect!

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

In the first 3 years I had a really bad teacher, but then we got a new one, who finally had the abilities and skills to teach German, so after another 2 years we finished high school and I was finally done with German language.


In the first 3 years, I had a really bad teacher, but then we got a new one, who finally had the abilities and skills to teach German, s. So after another 2 years, we finished high school and I was finally done with the German language. In the first 3 years, I had a really bad teacher, but then we got a new one who finally had the abilities and skills to teach German. So after another 2 years, we finished high school and I was finally done with the German language.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

Forever.


This sentence has been marked as perfect!

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

My family thought about me that I have no sense of language and I believed this thing.


My family thought about me that I haved no sense of language skills, and I believed ithis thing. My family thought that I had no language skills, and I believed it.

"About me" is redundant and unnecessary here. I'm not 100% sure if I understood your meaning, but if you mean to say your family thought your language-learning skills were poor, this is how I edited it.

My family thought about me that I haved no sense of language, and I believed this thingem. My family thought that I had no sense of language, and I believed them.

My family thought about me that I haved no sense ofkill for languages and I believed this thingem. My family thought that I had no skill for languages and I believed them.

"thought about me that I" "that I" already implies the "about me" so better to remove it.

A few years ago, I decided to go to university, so I had to take a B2 level exam in any language.


A few years ago, I decided to go to university, soand I had to take a B2 -level exam in any language. A few years ago, I decided to go to university, and I had to take a B2-level exam in any language.

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I knew German is absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and few months to prepare.


I knew German iwas absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and few months to prepare. I knew German was absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and few months to prepare.

I knew German is absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and a few months to prepare. I knew German is absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and a few months to prepare.

"Few" would indicate that the number of months was small. "A few" would indicate that there were several months.

I knew German iwas absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and a few months to prepare. I knew German was absolutely not an option, so I chose English because I already had a pretty good vocabulary and a few months to prepare.

The exam wasn't easy, but due to the COVID there wasn't oral exam.


The exam wasn't easy, but due to the COVID, there wasn't no oral exam. The exam wasn't easy, but due to the COVID, there was no oral exam.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

After then I stopped working on my English knowledge, but I realized I have to, so I started again with a new goal.


After thenat, I stopped working on my English knowledge, but then I realized I have to continue, so I started again with a new goal. After that, I stopped working on my English, but then I realized I have to continue, so I started again with a new goal.

This is fine, but it leaves your readers wondering why you "have to" keep studying English. Is it because school or work requires it of you? If it just your own personal requirement, change this to "I realized I need to"

After thenat, I stopped working on my English knowledge, but I realized I haved to, so I started again with a new goal. After that, I stopped working on my English, but I realized I had to, so I started again with a new goal.

After thenat I stopped working on my English knowledge, but I realized I have to work on it, so I started again with a new goal. After that I stopped working on my English knowledge, but I realized I have to work on it, so I started again with a new goal.

You need a verb after "I have to" here.

Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want.


Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want to. Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want to.

Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want to. Now I think anyone can learn any language if they really want to.

🤷‍♂️

Knowing a language opens up the world for us and make us capable to get to know another culture and many new people.


Knowing another language opens up the world for us and make us capable to get to know another culture and many new people. Knowing another language opens up the world for us and make us capable to get to know another culture and many new people.

Knowing a language opens up the world for us and makes us capable tof getting to know another culture and many new people. Knowing a language opens up the world for us and makes us capable of getting to know another culture and many new people.

Knowing a language opens up the world for us and make us capable to get to know another culture and many new people. Knowing a language opens up the world for us and make us able to get to know another culture and many new people.

Day 4: How I Failed One Language and Found Another


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This sentence has been marked as perfect!

I learned German for over 10 years, but I can't even write a line about my name.


I learnstudied German for over 10 years, but I can't even write a linsentence about my name anymore. I studied German for over 10 years, but I can't even write a sentence about my name anymore.

I suggest to add "anymore," as a precision that, of course, during the 10 years of active study, you were able to write a basic sentence, but it has been so long that you don't even remember that -anymore-.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

However, I never learned English properly — and now I'm writing stuff like this.


However, I never learned English properly/formally—and now I'm writing stuff like this. However, I never learned English properly/formally—and now I'm writing stuff like this.

This is just a personal opinion, but em dashes (—) are virtually never used by English natives, this does not even exist on our keyboards. It's usually a sign that a text came directly from an AI like ChatGPT. But it is not grammatically incorrect to use. However, if you wanted to sound natural, using a regular dash (-) is advised. When you say you never learned English properly, it implies you learned English, but poorly/incorrectly. From the rest of your text, it sounds like you might mean that you never had English classes. If what you mean is the latter, use "formally."

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

I think it's funny, so I decided to share this little but true story.


I think it's funny, so I decided to share this littleshort but true story. I think it's funny, so I decided to share this short but true story.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

In elementary school we had to choose: English or German.


In elementary school, we had to choose: English or German. In elementary school, we had to choose: English or German.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadn't have any English teacher, so they recommended to everyone to choose German because it's really worthy in our region.


But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadidn't have any English teachers, so they recommended tohat everyone to choose German because it's really worthyhighly valued in our region. But it wasn't a real choice because the school didn't have any English teachers, so they recommended that everyone choose German because it's highly valued in our region.

But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadn't have any English teacher, so they recommended to everyone to choose German because it's really worthy something/it in our region. But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadn't have any English teacher, so they recommended to everyone to choose German because it's really worth something/it in our region.

But it wasn't a real choice because the school hadidn't have any English teacher, so they recommended to everyone to choose German because it's really worthywhile in our region. But it wasn't a real choice because the school didn't have any English teacher, so they recommended everyone to choose German because it's really worthwhile in our region.

They thought that's enough to us to commit ourselves to learn German.


They thought that' was enough tofor us to commit ourselves to learning German. They thought that was enough for us to commit ourselves to learning German.

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

They thought that' was enough to us to commit ourselves to learn German. They thought that was enough to us to commit ourselves to learn German.

"that's" = "that is"

Surprise, it wasn't.


This sentence has been marked as perfect!

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

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