다들 왜 이렇게 영어를 잘할까

주제

1. 오늘 팀원들이랑 얘기할 때 모두 영어로 책이나 영화를 본다는 사실을 알게 되었다.
2. 나도 그렇게 잘해지고 싶으면서도 좀 막막했다.
3. 지금 속도도 정말 빠른 거라는 걸 항상 생각하고 하던 대로 열심히 하자.

영작

During lunch, I talked with the coworkers about their favorite movies. What I was surprised at was that all people had watched the movies in English version, even people from other countries which its first language isn’t English. Since I’m the one who can’t watch movie without the Korean subtitle, I was really shocked but I didn’t express it. Also, my teammate from Poland told me he bought some books and showed me those books. There were various books for AI, literature, and even mathematics. Honestly, I can’t image myself reading an English book, but it looked like that was not a big deal to him.

During lunch, I chatted with my coworkers about their favorite movies. talked with is OK but neutral.

What surprised me was that everyone had watched the movies in English, even people whose first language isn’t English. more concise. English avoids heavy strucures when simpler ones exist. whose is the correct relative pronoun for people/language

Since I’m someone who can’t watch a movie without subtitles, I was genuinely shocked, though I didn’t show it. genuinely = deeper, more emotional didn’t show it = idiomatic, natural

So I just thought that like, “How can they be good at English?”. For them and me, English is the second language. Then what is the difference between them and me? Why can’t I speak, listen, and read English as much as they can do? As I already know, the answer is always ‘the amount of efforts’. Regardless of whether they intended or not, they might have been exposed to lots of materials in English. It might also be related that they have the first language which has similar structure of English. Anyway, they have learned even more things than what I’ve learned. In reality, I hadn’t talked with anyone in English before I started taking a speaking class. So I should consider them as not beginners, but actually experts. I am the beginner, not are they.

So I couldn’t help thinking, “How are they so good at English?” be good at is grammatical but feels textbook-ish.

For them and for me, English is the second language.

So what makes the difference? more convensational

Why can’t I speak, listen, or read English as well as they do?

Deep down, I already know the answer: exposure and effort. effort is uncountable exposure is actually the key concept here

Whether intentionally or not, they’ve probably been surrounded by English content for years.

It might also help that their first languages are structurally closer to English.

Meanwhile, I barely spoke English at all before I started taking speaking classes.

So instead of comparing myself to them as if we started from the same point, I should see them as people who have simply been learning longer. more accurate and less harsh Experts sets an unrealistic contrast

They’re not beginners, I am the beginner.

Even though now I’ve started thinking to learn more about English, when I just arrived in Germany, I simply wished that I would be able to speak anything in English and understand a bit what people say later. So I always keep it in mind that I’ve already been doing great in the fast pace. As there are lots of days for me in future, my English skil would get better and better, even though I might not feel the progress. Therefore, let’s try speaking whatever I want to say, keep writing a short English writing every day, expose me to much more English world! Then I can find myself be changed when I compare myself with before few years ago. Now, I’m the one who is able to wait what will be achieved in future.

Even now, I’m starting to feel more motivated to learn English, but when I first moved to Germany, all I wished for was to say simple things in English and understand at least part of what people were saying.

So I remind myself that I’m already improving fast.

And since I still have so many years ahead of me, my English skills will keep getting better, even if I don’t always feel the progress. plural skills

So let me keep speakiing whatever I want to say, keep writing short pieces every day, and keep exposing myself to more English. English world is unnatural

One day, I’ll notice how much I’ve changed compared to a few years before. English does not say find myself be changed notice how much I’ve changed is idiomatic

And now, I’m someone who can wait patiently for the future I’m building :)

알아보자

will / would

• Future vs Hypothetical
  • will → real future. You expect something to actually happen
    • I’ll go to the gym after work (I really plan to go)
  • would → hypothetical / imagined. You’re imagining something, not saying it will really happen
    • I would go to the gym if I had time. (But I don’t have time, so this is imaginary)
• Decisions now vs Polite / Softened tone
  • will → decision made now
    • I’ll help you with the ticket (I just decided)
  • would → more polite / softer
    • I would help you, but I’m in a meeting. (soft and indirect)
• Predictions vs Assumptions
  • will → prediction
    • He will love this movie (I’m confident)
  • would → assumption
    • He would love this movie if he liked action films. (But maybe he doesn’t)
• Habit in the past (ONLY would)
  • When I was a kid, I would ride my bike everyday.
• Requests
  • will → casual request
    • will you send me the file?
  • would → more polite
    • Would you send me the file?

think / assume / guess

• Think
  • Meaning: You believe something because you have some information.
  • I think he’ll join the meeting → You have some reason (maybe he said he might)
  • I think this approach will work → Based on logic or partial evidence.
  • I think she’s already on her way → Not 100% sure, but not random
• assume
  • Meaning: You treat something as true without confirming it
  • Stronger, more careless or logical, not necessarily based on evidence
  • I assumed the deployment was done, so I started testing. → You didn’t check
  • Don’t assume he know the context → Warning: it might cause problems
  • We can assume the latency is stable after the fix → Accepting it as true for now
• guess
  • Meaning: You say something with low confidence. Random, uncertain, casual
  • I guess it’ll rain tonight → very weak confidence
  • I guess she’s not coming → a casual maybe
  • I guess the migration will take longer → You don’t know; just a feeling
• believe
  • more emotional or personal conviction
  • I believe this is the right approach
• suppose
  • Close to guess, but slightly more thoughtful
  • I suppose she’ll arrive soon.
• presume
  • Formal version of assume
  • We presume the issue is related to throttling
• suspect
  • You think it’s true, usually negative or concerning
  • I suspect there’s a bug in the new version
• estimate
  • Used when talking about numbers or time
  • I estimate the task will take two days

be picked up / get picked up

• be picked up → simple passive
  • Just the passive form of pick up.
  • The task will be picked up by the consumer. → Pure fact. No extra meaning.
  • The logs will be picked up later. → just stating what will happen
• get picked up → more casual, more process-feeling
  • Still passive, but feels more natural, more spoken, and often implies the action happens automatically or eventually
  • The tasks will get picked up once the worker is healthy again → implies “it’ll happen as part of the system”
  • New messages ususally get picked up within a few seconds → Sounds like a routine/system behavior.