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5 Things I learned about English from 2 weeks on Reddit

alina_shtroblia
Hey everyone! 👋 I’ve been using Reddit for the past two weeks to improve my English, and here’s what I’ve discovered: 1. Context Beats Grammar Rules✍️ Native speakers don’t always stick to perfect grammar - what matters is how natural it sounds. 2. Slang Is Everywhere 🗣️ Phrases like “spill the tea” ☕ or “hot take” 🔥 seemed confusing at first, but context helped me figure them out. 3. Tone Changes Everything 🤔😅 The same sentence can feel friendly or sarcastic depending on punctuation, emojis, or subreddit vibe. 4. Mistakes Are Okay ✅ Even when my grammar wasn’t perfect, people were kind and focused on understanding me. 5. It’s Like Language Immersion🌍 Reddit exposes you to real, everyday English that’s impossible to learn from a textbook. Anyone else using Reddit to practice English? Share your experience! 😊

17 comments

Turbo1518•
Glad to see this is working out for you. Also, this was a very well articulated post. Well done.
MelanieDH1•
This is great! The important thing is learning how people speak in real life and not just what is taught in a textbook! I am a native English speaker and when I see some of the posts here, it surprises me that a lot of textbooks/study materials are teaching people either incorrect grammar or awkward sentences structures that no one would ever use in real life.
great_catsi_786•
Plz help I want to be fluent in English
kgxv•
This is such a wholesome post
Umbra_175•
👍
Sensitive_Insect_175•
The best thing about learning English on Reddit is that I have to force myself read long texts without using translator. This absolutely improves my understanding ability at a higher speed!
AletheaKuiperBelt•
I've got one more for you: ask if you want corrections. It's pretty rude to offer unsolicited corrections, so if we can understand you ok, we won't. Unless it's a language focussed sub. FWIW I would not correct a single thing in your post. Great work!
doyouthinkitsreal•
Great takeaways. 
FloridaFlamingoGirl•
Thanks for sharing! As for your third point, I think Internet communication can be very challenging and limited in terms of tone. It's much easier to misinterpret what someone says online, or to be misinterpreted yourself, than when you're talking to someone face to face.  As for the first point, yeah, spoken English and English in social media posts is often much more casual (and sometimes much more rambling) than formal written English in essays, work emails, etc. Also, characters in movies and TV shows will often be loose with their grammar, just because it comes off like real conversation that way. I see a lot of people on this sub asking, "why isn't this television character speaking in perfect English grammar?" Well, that's because he's a character on TV, not an author writing a book. 
SteamySpectacles•
Thank you for sharing your insight! Would you say the same can apply to your native language?
TomSFox•
>Native speakers don’t always stick to perfect grammar - what matters is how natural it sounds. That is… literally the same thing.
Ok-Statistician-5287•
Yeah, I’m learning English with Reddit around 1 week :) And I’m really enjoying do that!
Agreeable-Fee6850•
Re: 3 tone changes everything. Be aware that what you read and hear on Reddit has it’s own particular register - which differs significantly from what you would read and hear in other contexts. From what you have written, you seem aware of this, but Reddit is not ‘the true English’ - each context has its own English.
Yourlilemogirl•
I like you, you get us. Good job bruh 👏😄
Linquter•
I'd also add that considering English as a lingua franca, there is a high quantity of people who speaks English as a second language on the internet and they're likely to make similar mistakes. When mistakes occur repetitively, it may cause labouring under a misapprehension for the learners. It is always better to double check the things you learn from the internet in order to prevent that.
Dilettantest•
My gosh, you’re gonna be speaking English really well, really soon! Congrats on finding the secret to learning foreign languages! Secret #4 is so powerful!
Ulu-Mulu-no-die•
I do use reddit every day, not only to practice English, but also because it's the only chance I have to talk to people from all over the world. Being exposed to different cultures, habits and believes truly opens your mind and makes you see many things from different perspectives, you can grow as a person, much more than being "relegated" to your own country.