The Question
My students always ask me: “How did you learn English?” My answer is always the same, “Because I have been in an English environment since I was a child,” which is true, but I would like to provide more insights on it.
Childhood Interests
During my childhood there were many things that called my attention; learning a language was not one of them. Despite the fact that my parents thought that I loved learning languages, I was more inclined toward other things like History.
Discovery of Age of Empires
It all began when one day we went with my dad to a store called Siman. My father used to take us there from time to time to buy some things. That specific time, I went to the videogames section and found a big box of a game that caught my attention. That’s how I discovered “Age of Empires II: Expansion Edition.”
What caught my attention was that on the front of the box there were knights, castles, and screenshots of the game. So I asked my dad to buy it. Since I installed the game on the computer, I played it for hours.
Game Mechanics
In the game, you have the option to play as one civilization like Huns, Mongols, Mayans, Aztecs, Spanish, Saracens, among others. You have to build your own empire fighting against the AI of the game, which is another civilization that constantly attacks you to hinder your progress.
The most interesting part was the stories that it allowed you to play. You could be Attila the Hun, El Cid Campeador, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan, and many other “heroes” of history. The beauty of the game is that each civilization has its own language, units, technologies, and architecture.
Learning Through Play
I was repeating the words that I heard from the units like the Britons that used phrases like: “Ready,” “Fight,” “Gatherer.”
My parents heard that and thought that I liked learning languages and that it was easier for me. Which was not that wrong. Anyway, I played that game every day for hours and learned the story of each “hero” through the campaigns.
Gaming Without Translation
Also, with the passage of time, I had a Nintendo GameCube and a game that did not have the “Spanish” language in the settings, so with a dictionary, I was translating most of the conversations, which was a huge challenge because the game was Metal Gear Solid 2: Twin Snakes. If you know the Metal Gear saga, you understand that those games are more like movies because of the long cutscenes.
So, in the end, I can say that my desire for language learning came indirectly from videogames—to understand them and play without a dictionary in hand. It took me years, of course, but with the passage of time, I was able to understand English since I was a teenager.
Formal Education
Before my father passed away, he enrolled me in an English Academy. I had to go to English classes every Saturday, and I didn’t like it because I preferred to stay at home playing Age of Empires 2. I didn’t finish the English program at the academy, but it indeed helped me.
Then, when I got to high school, I got the English Diploma along with the high school diploma. By the time I got to the university, I was able to understand and speak English, not as I do now, but I could handle myself. I decided to study English as my major, so that also helped me to get more and more connected with the language.
Professional Development
In 2014, I started to work in a call center, and that was the pivotal point for my English. Trying to understand people on the phone was a huge challenge for me, but I managed to adapt quickly, and my listening and speaking skills were boosted 1000%.
Ongoing Learning
Currently, I am still learning new things about English. It amazes me how languages are more than just words; they are culture, they are part of a legacy of civilizations that evolved through time, which also has to do with history, something that I really enjoy discovering.
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