Learning English Through TPM

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

This may seem targeted to the TPMers who don't speak English as their first language, but if you have something to add go ahead!

I say I have learned lots of English from TPM. I have to check my dictionaries quite often, and that's how I learn new words.

One of my most recent discoveries has been the game Lingo!. I also learned the word 'atrocious' from Andrew's post when I was browsing an old videogame thread the other day.

The first grammatical help I still remember was actually Yami Yugi's signature. It read somewhere along these lines 'Not only is Yami Yugi a master dueler, he is also full of confidence and strength.'.

Let me tell a short story to end this post: When I was in lukio (a school Finns normally go from the age of 16 to the age of 18) I refused to take the course preparing to the matriculation examination. I said to the teacher that I had my own method to learn (meaning TPM). However, I didn't do well at the listeing comprehension part. Later, by accident, I heard my headmaster telling to the becoming thrid-graders about me! He said that the students should take the course and used me as an example, saying that there was this guy who told he had his own method of studying and his result fell. But later after taking the written part I did so well that my full result was Eximia, which is the second best grade in the exam! So I had to do quite well in the writing part.

[Lady Vulpix]

I hope you've found a way to improve your listening comprehension, because that's important too!

I've learnt a lot of my English from TPM, especially from reading other people's stories, but also other posts. And yes, I've learnt a few words from Lingo too.

I also remember learning the word 'despicable' when a Catalunian member called me and Alex (lvl100mewtwo) that because I thought what he had posted was in French and Alex, whose first language is French, thought it was in Spanish. I'm still sorry about that, but it was curious nonetheless.

These days my English skills improve mostly through my annual trips to Anthrocon, but I wouldn't have made it there if it hadn't been from TPM (found out about AC on a forum I found through a webcomic, which I found about while posting on another forum which was made by people I met on TPM). So in a very indirect way I guess I can thank TPM most of the English I've learnt after my First Certificate.

There's are also other sources, of course, like books, comics, TV, movies and videogames. But you don't get to talk (or write) in them, and any learning is incomplete unless you can put it into practice, which is something at which TPM helps a lot.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I hope you've found a way to improve your listening comprehension, because that's important too!

I believe the listening comprehension part was particularly difficult that time. Plus, I was super tired when I had to do it. Nearly slept through it.