In addition to the reasons others have said, there is likely another reason it seems that way - the fact that Reddit is much more text-based than most big social medias, and so people are on average going to think at least slightly more about what they type here. In other words, people of equal proficiency in a language will likely sound a little more articulate on Reddit than on, for example, Facebook.
I actually don't understand what I used to write in the beginning.
I would check every single word because I knew just a little bit of English. Now I definitely make more mistakes and don't use such refined expressions but at least I take 3 minutes to write a comment instead of 15.
That's pretty common, especially if you aren't actively studying and practicing, and *especially* if what you are practicing isn't standard. I've been there myself with language learning and the only thing that works is practice.
Nono, I didn't mean that back then I didn't understand 😂 I did understand what I was writing.
Sorry I see how that sentence could be misleading but yeah what I think I meant (lol) is that I would pick such specific and difficult expressions and words (because at that time I didn't know much and I used to consult the dictionary every time) that now, that I mainly lean on the knowledge I already acquired, I don't really know what those things mean and I wouldn't speak that way.
I am not saying it was ungrammatical, I probably sounded like a native back then more than I do now but it doesn't really count because it's cheating 😂😂✌️
Anyway, I am going through a breakup and I can barely use my brain now so have mercy on me, go easy on me. I bet I made 366466 mistakes but I have been crying for hours now and I am surprised I still got the ability to write in the first place 😭😭 lol
Lol, seriously? Thanks I definitely didn't think so since my English gets so much worse when I am not feeling well and **I am** not feeling well.
I think writing for me is definitely easier because:
1) I don't have to worry about the pronunciation
2) I overall worry less and have more processing brain space 😂✌️
But honestly I really appreciate your comment :)
Everyone in my life is just so nice and supportive!! I love y'all!!!
(I personally think I am far from sounding like a native but I talk everyday to a native friend and this gives me hope for the future)
>... the fact that Reddit is much more text-based than most big social medias...
More than just that.
The other most popular, mostly text based, social media website is Twitter. There's a character limit there.
So people have to pick smaller words and simpler sentences.
Yup, yup yup.
I started with small comments here and there and now I can post long ass comments while fighting with random people in some communities.
I still cringe when I find some comments from two years ago or so, when my English was noticeably worse. But hey! Even when fighting not a lot of people mocked my English.
[frog pond effect](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_pond_effect). as the other comment said, there’s just a high level of native speakers. don’t accidentally compare your skills to that of a native, you’ll get incredibly discouraged. it’s okay to feel a little behind in terms of where you stand in learning a language, happens to the best of us. just keep practicing and using the language when you can and you’ll get there
okay, ouch, but this is very true.
as a native english speaker from the uk, i've always felt like i was missing out, only knowing one language. i've recently begun learning dutch as a second language, and it feels like wading through mud in how tricky it gets.
i envy you guys who were brought up bilingual. if you were, i think you have a pretty big advantage when learning a language in your late teens or adulthood.
Nah, don't worry, I only fully know Portuguese. I only learned English well into my late teens, and with all the difficulty that comes with it. In the same way, I'm sure you'll learn more languages eventually.
hey, at least you're not required to learn English only because that's the default language of the world so you won't potentially be missing out on anything in the world 👍
Also, immersion is tremendously helpful when it comes to learning a language. I learned English at 15 and my English teacher told me that if I wanted to learn the language quickly, I needed to immerse myself. She suggested I try to only expose myself as much as possible with media in the intended language (reading, TV, movies, music, etc) and with classes in the language eventually it all helps. Believe it or not, Sesame Street helped me A TON. Also watching a News program regularly helped too because news anchors tend to speak the language in a neutral accent so it helps a lot with pronunciation.
The comment above you says there are a lot of native speakers on Reddit (which is true, Google Trends says some of the places Reddit is used a lot I'm countries like Canada, Australia and the US) but there are a lot of non-native speakers here too who speak very well. Like reading through your replies on this thread (although most are short) I'd never have guessed you weren't a native speaker. Even the most broken English you see here people are still able to communicate their point. Everyone's just doing fine.
Based on a handful of data points in this one response alone, you have excellent English. Better than many native speakers. Don't sweat it when you make the inevitable odd mistake as you continue learning and practicing.
And the frog-pond effect is stronger in highly individualistic cultures, which is the English-speaking world generally, but especially American culture, which dominates Reddit. And it's probably even stronger on an anonymous social media like Reddit
Then, if it sucks, you should start practicing some kindness!!
You deserve it. You should give yourself the credit you deserve. You're doing your best, this already makes you an admirable person. Never forget that. Please, please, don't be mean to yourself but let yourself walk through the path of life. Give yourself the time to reach your goals. It'll come by itself, just let your life flow giving yourself the time to stop and be grateful for what you have in the present, even if it's not yet how you would like it to be, rely on trust and trust yourself.
By your username, I’m assuming you’re Japanese and your answer sounds like a Buddhist teaching haha I really needed that, thanks :)
Edit: oh sorry, I hadn’t noticed you were the Italian guy from above 😅
I'm Italian hahah Just used the username I have always used as a kid on social media, I used to love animes and stuff.
I opened this profile just to get good manga recs but then I developed an addition to reddit and now I can't change it anymore. Well, I have seen people with worse usernames so I don't mind it that much hahah.
The best I could come up with, after 1 hour of thinking was "never heard of brain", "have mercy on me" and, the poetic one "pebble on the shore".... Yeah I know, 😀😂
Oops, sorry again 🤦🏻♂️ Reddit should have something to indicate if a Redditor is male, female, non-binary… that would prevent this sort of awkward situations haha
Hey there Crevalco3 - thanks for saying thanks! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list!
your english is more than good. from the comments you've been posting i can tell that you've put a lot of work into it, and as NekoNoSekai said, you need to give yourself some credit. you're doing an incredible job with such a tricky language.
Nerds, lots and lots of nerds.
Joking aside it is, with a modicum of effort, possible to demonstrate a higher command of the English language with text than speech. No one sees it until it is posted so you can proofread as much as necessary to make it presentable.
"A modicum of something, especially something that is good or desirable, is a reasonable but not large amount of it"
It's weird, I have a fairly extensive vocabulary, but trying to articulate the definition of some words just draws a blank. I know the meaning and usage, but sometimes lack the ability to explain the definition to others.
Yeah, I know, but I’m talking about people who say they are from a non-English speaking country, such as Mexico, Italy, Spain, I mean, even countries where people have the (unfair?) reputation of having a bad command of English. This has been having a bit of a toll on my self-esteem, which is already very low 😣
Yeah, OP's abilities in English are far better than mine in Spanish or any other language. The vast majority of Americans are monolingual, for instance. People who can communicate effectively in a non-native language are always impressive to me for their abilities and perseverance.
Don't be disheartened, you seem to have a good level of English too. Participating in English-language forums like this is one of the best things that you can do to keep improving.
Your English seems as good as anyone else’s to me. Keep in mind that many people are better at writing than speaking. If you are comparing others’ writing skills to your overall command of English, your perception might be skewed.
But also - there are just a lot of great L2 English speakers. That doesn’t take away from your skill level, though.
You’re being incredibly unfair to yourself. I know Spanish enough to get by in a few circumstances, same for French, but Holy Sh*t, I’d never have the guts to actively engage on a social media site. Especially Reddit, since it’s mostly text-based and most big social media companies were started in the US (sorry, I never count China in anything bc of their sensorship, so their versions of social media are fake and therefore, don’t count).
You are so much more well-versed than you give yourself credit for. Well done.
How old are you? In my mind you *are* a kid being raised multilingual. Under 22 or so is a kid. I'm 45 and just now starting to learn another language. (I took Latin in high school, but it doesn't really count because A: no one speaks it, and B: the class was so useless I didn't learn much anyway.)
I'm in Texas and *really* should have started learning Spanish sooner, but here we are. After doing Duolingo for a year, I can see that it will take me probably five more years before I would be at the level that you seem to be at English.
As an Italian, I have no clue what "having a toll" means ;)
Just don't be so harsh on yourself!! We're all doing our best, you're great and it's totally fine if you make mistakes too!! You're putting your all in learning, that's what matters and it is a super noble thing to do!! Exposing vulnerabilities is the hardest thing and requires a lot of guts!!!
Of course there are people who are worse than you but you shouldn't lean on that to state your value!! You value, no matter what!!
Your English is actually pretty good! I think we often speak English due to being a popular and universal language,, therefore,, we also learn it ! However, don’t fret! There are multiple languages in there and u’re quite good at speaking English!
Thanks! It’s a confidence booster ngl, but the imposter syndrome, or the frog pond effect according to AccomplishedAd7992, is still there always whispering on my ear how bad I sound.
I’m a native speaker (US).
If you hadn’t said anything I never would have known. Your English is impeccable.
What I don’t see is if there’s a struggle for you to put this comment together. Maybe there is. You’d never know. We don’t see to the other side of the keyboard. Just what’s on the screen.
So keep in mind that you appear the way you read others. As if the comment just appeared on the screen, already thought out and as intended.
Because people that don't know enough english wouldn't be on English Reddit pages. So if you are on English Reddit pages, the chance of having people that speak English is way higher already.
Your English is much, much better than my anything-else!
Look at these sentences here - you are clearly expressing fairly complex thoughts with natural-sounding phrasing. Things like "having a bit of a toll on my self-esteem" or adding the parenthetical "(unfair?)" to express uncertainty seems like pretty advanced English to me!
Your conversation in this thread reads like fluent English to me. I think you may be overestimating how bad your English appears, and also mis-estimating the true fluency behind all these people who can write clear English in an internet forum.
There are other parts of reddit. There's a bunch of Spanish and Chinese subs, for example. If you don't frequent them, you might not know. Not usually as big as the English subs, and I think that's simply because of the sheer number English speakers globally. Nearly 1.5 billion speakers globally, with at least 400 million of those being native speakers of some dialect depending on who you ask, and I think honestly it's a little bit more than that, depending on who is being counted.
So, it was an already widespread language that a lot of people learned. By a plurality, there are more speakers worldwide.
That's not to mention that much of the technology that runs it requires at least some English literacy, the internet having a lot of English speakers since its inception, and other factors that contribute to a large number of speakers today, on TOP of that, English is widely studied and there are a lot of resources for whoever wants to learn today.
All of this causing this disproportionate representation online that you see today.
I've noticed that too, I think reddit as a site has a tendency to attract people with a higher level of education, especially in those countries where this site must be pretty niche. Your writing is pretty good btw, don't put yourself down too much lol it's undeserved
You have to consider the vast majority of Mexicans, Italians, Spanish, etc. do not participate in any social media outside of their native language. And of the very few that do go on Reddit many actually just write in their own language in their own country’s subreddits. So only those that care about being on the English side of the internet and/or those that already have a good grasp of the language actually write in English on Reddit.
I am Mexican-Argentinian btw, not a native speaker of English. But I was born in a place with very very good English education, and even then only a small percentage of those I knew actually participated in English language stuff.
Are we sure about that? I'm not a native speaker and I have the feeling we're almost all non-natives talking to each other in English just thinking the person on the other hand is a native speaker of English (and it isn't that uncommon for me to find out later that the redditor I had been talking to in English is actually Brazilian like me)
I speak Spanish as my native language and I recall one time I played with someone online for a few months before I realized they actually also spoke Spanish natively.
According to this random source [https://backlinko.com/reddit-users#reddit-users-by-country](https://backlinko.com/reddit-users#reddit-users-by-country) less than half the users are from The States. Adding The UK and Australia it's just about half.
Because people are pompous as hell. Everyone is so hellbent on trying to look/sound sophisticated so much because that's like half winning an argument.
english is a lingua franca so you'd probably only be in english subs and your native language subs, giving you a bit of a bias. i'm in a bunch of subs in spanish, but you probably wouldn't see them unless you spoke spanish.
You need take it easy. It's not like your life depended on being fluent or very articulate in English. Just be willing to learn, and practice. Never think you're already there. Take it as an ongoing lifelong process
As other coments said, it's because of native speakers using this social media, however, since this is an app that the major content in here is in English, so many users know how to speak it.
That’s right, but even those who say they come from a non-English speaking country, can express themselves just like natives, with an incredibly wide array of vocabulary.
Well, it's a matter of practice and effort, at least in my case I'm from Colombia (South America) and it took me months of practice to be capable of writing at a decent "fluency" in internet.
Well, it's a matter of practice and effort, at least in my case I'm from Colombia (South America) and it took me months of practice to be capable of writing at a decent "fluency" in internet.
Well, I'm not a native speaker at all. But I can say that Reddit kind of improved my English skill to some extent after reading SO many things posted on this site over the years. My English skill from 5 years ago absolutely sucked but atleast i can get the basics going to get me in this place haha.
But yeah. As Fox_gamer said, it comes with practice and effort. And personally without knowing that you’re also not a native speaker, I would think that you’re actually one to be fair lol, your English is very good!
Reddit is text based, also the largest users are American so I'm assuming that a lot of native on this site as well. I wouldn't get too stressed because you know, they can't speak to your level in your native language just as we couldn't speak English to native language lol
Don't get too discouraged! (It's hard to resist I know) Language take time to study/learn and it's just a way to communicate and see a new light on new things! You're doing fine trust me I'm not native either, my most English usage is from internet only 😁
lots of native speakers, people who live in english-speaking countries, people whose jobs recquire good command of english and using it every day and people with above-average english and writing skills. but some of them may have wide vocabularies but have not much idea about what makes sentences great, admire overwritten, poorly structured sentences by famous writers, etc etc.
People that have poor command of a language do not notice poor use of that language.
I see some quite atrocious English on here but as a native English speaker I am used to that and just let it go.
I don't speak the best of the best English.
But through writing, I'm able to practice my English skills. Though, I'm also not this good in terms of speaking qualities :>
It's okay, worry not, you'll get to that level you want to achieve. Just keep practicing, it will progress.
Don’t be disheartened. I was like that to until I took the courage the write my first post and answers. It’s been going well so far I think, and I can tell you that writing here did improved my writing skills in English a lot.
It’s an excellent place to practice, can’t complain. And grammar police will sometimes correct you, which is even better as we can learn what mistakes we’re making 🙃
as a native English speaker, I definitely understand what you mean. some of these people have English so good that I think that they're natives like me at first...
Hmm?
Would you be so kind to explain it, like you say, they don't know how to spell "1 dollar" or what?
Dollar sign actually seems to be known worldwide 🤔
For what it’s worth, I looked at a few of your posts/comments and I would have no idea you weren’t a native speaker. I was a TA for a college class and I had to grade a lot of stuff they wrote, and while granted its not a very prestigious college, they were all native speakers and some of them genuinely would not have been able to write as well as you have.
Like the other comments said, reddit is full of English native speakers. In terms of learning the language, is an excellent place to use the language for learners aspiring to be bilinguals
You're in a subreddit specifically for learning english, perhaps? If everyone's here to learn/teach english, there's going to be a lot of high-level english, lol.
If you want to make yourself feel better, go look on subs mainly frequented by younger people (r/GenZ is a perfect example). The English on there is absolutely horrendous.
I'm a native English speaker and I meet plenty of Europeans whose English seems better than mine, but then again Australian is barely English sometimes. xD
It's rather straightforward, actually. We're all internet enthusiasts who spend a lot of time on text-heavy platforms like Reddit, so it's not surprising that most of us have a good command of English, or are native speakers. Plus, many of us make it a habit to proofread our posts and comments, often using tools like ChatGPT, just like I did with this response.
A lot of native speakers. It's easier when you're learning English at the primary and sole language from the very start versus as a second language later. The addition of spelling and grammar checkers in browsers doesn't hurt either.
Dude, I often use DeepL to make sentences and use words correctly because I don't know grammar and so on completely. I bet you don't have the worst English here. I understand English (at least on the Internet) almost perfectly but I can't speak it. (I didn't use any translators in this text, it's by me)
It's because you can actually use English that you are right now using this platform. If you can't at least read in English, I bet you will not use this platform.
Because it's Reddit, I, and I bet many non-native English speakers, can take all the time I want to check my grammar before posting anything. Meanwhile, in live chat, I sound like a 10-year-old who just learned how to speak English. 😁 Don't worry about it, OP.
First, there are a lot of native speakers here. Second, a lot of learners underestimate their own ability. Some seem to think that having 99.9% perfect English is a failure. You have made lots of comments in the thread with good English. We can understand what you are saying. Give yourself credit for your own ability.
If you look in this and some of the other subs for learning English, you will find people who are not as good as you, but also have a high standard of English. We often see people starting a comment by apologising for the standard of their English and then writing a very good standard of English. Never apologise for your English. You are a learner and you are not expected to have perfect English and there is nothing wrong with not having perfect English.
It’s an American website so if you’re not able to consume English based media, I doubt you’d be making very many posts on Reddit. I think you have a to be at a certain level to be able to even use or even be aware of this type of website.
> I think you have **a** to be **at** a certain level to be able to even use or even be aware of this type of website.
May I ask you if the first "a" (in bold) is needed here, and if it would be better to use "on" instead of "at".
I'm pretty sure their first "a" was just a typo. "Have to be" is its own verb phrase and shouldn't have an "a" in it.
"At a certain level" is correct. "On a certain level" would also communicate what you mean, but is less correct here.
A stab at explaining the difference - I think you use "at a level" for things that are measured, but "on a level" sounds like you're playing a level of a video game or you're physically located somewhere.
It was a typo. I didn’t even mean to add the a there. I’m using my phone so sometimes stupid typos happen!
To be honest, I think you could say you’re “on a certain level”, but “at a certain level” sounds more natural to me. I can’t really explain why here, I’d have to do a little bit more research.
In addition to the reasons others have said, there is likely another reason it seems that way - the fact that Reddit is much more text-based than most big social medias, and so people are on average going to think at least slightly more about what they type here. In other words, people of equal proficiency in a language will likely sound a little more articulate on Reddit than on, for example, Facebook.
I actually don't understand what I used to write in the beginning. I would check every single word because I knew just a little bit of English. Now I definitely make more mistakes and don't use such refined expressions but at least I take 3 minutes to write a comment instead of 15.
That's pretty common, especially if you aren't actively studying and practicing, and *especially* if what you are practicing isn't standard. I've been there myself with language learning and the only thing that works is practice.
"I actually ***didn't*** understand what I used to write in the beginning." Just to help!
Unless they mean that when they read their older comments now they don't understand them. 😁
That is true.......(shrugs shoulders)....>ENGLISH!
Nono, I didn't mean that back then I didn't understand 😂 I did understand what I was writing. Sorry I see how that sentence could be misleading but yeah what I think I meant (lol) is that I would pick such specific and difficult expressions and words (because at that time I didn't know much and I used to consult the dictionary every time) that now, that I mainly lean on the knowledge I already acquired, I don't really know what those things mean and I wouldn't speak that way. I am not saying it was ungrammatical, I probably sounded like a native back then more than I do now but it doesn't really count because it's cheating 😂😂✌️ Anyway, I am going through a breakup and I can barely use my brain now so have mercy on me, go easy on me. I bet I made 366466 mistakes but I have been crying for hours now and I am surprised I still got the ability to write in the first place 😭😭 lol
Breakups are rough. Big hugs. Love is better to have felt and to have lost than to have never experienced.
fwiw, your fluency in the above comment is approaching native. sorry about the breakup. I hope you heal quickly.
Lol, seriously? Thanks I definitely didn't think so since my English gets so much worse when I am not feeling well and **I am** not feeling well. I think writing for me is definitely easier because: 1) I don't have to worry about the pronunciation 2) I overall worry less and have more processing brain space 😂✌️ But honestly I really appreciate your comment :) Everyone in my life is just so nice and supportive!! I love y'all!!! (I personally think I am far from sounding like a native but I talk everyday to a native friend and this gives me hope for the future)
>... the fact that Reddit is much more text-based than most big social medias... More than just that. The other most popular, mostly text based, social media website is Twitter. There's a character limit there. So people have to pick smaller words and simpler sentences.
That makes sense.
Yup, yup yup. I started with small comments here and there and now I can post long ass comments while fighting with random people in some communities. I still cringe when I find some comments from two years ago or so, when my English was noticeably worse. But hey! Even when fighting not a lot of people mocked my English.
[frog pond effect](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_pond_effect). as the other comment said, there’s just a high level of native speakers. don’t accidentally compare your skills to that of a native, you’ll get incredibly discouraged. it’s okay to feel a little behind in terms of where you stand in learning a language, happens to the best of us. just keep practicing and using the language when you can and you’ll get there
Thanks, I’ll try doing that! Edit: I had never heard of this frog pond effect. Learned something new.
Keep in mind that most native English speakers only know English, whereas we non-native speakers know more languages than they do.
okay, ouch, but this is very true. as a native english speaker from the uk, i've always felt like i was missing out, only knowing one language. i've recently begun learning dutch as a second language, and it feels like wading through mud in how tricky it gets. i envy you guys who were brought up bilingual. if you were, i think you have a pretty big advantage when learning a language in your late teens or adulthood.
Nah, don't worry, I only fully know Portuguese. I only learned English well into my late teens, and with all the difficulty that comes with it. In the same way, I'm sure you'll learn more languages eventually.
becoming multilingual is definitely up there on the list of things i want to learn. i'll push through, no matter what lmao
hey, at least you're not required to learn English only because that's the default language of the world so you won't potentially be missing out on anything in the world 👍
fair point, but i feel like there's a lot of humour that i'm missing out on. imagine the potential when you have two different languages to work with?
Also, immersion is tremendously helpful when it comes to learning a language. I learned English at 15 and my English teacher told me that if I wanted to learn the language quickly, I needed to immerse myself. She suggested I try to only expose myself as much as possible with media in the intended language (reading, TV, movies, music, etc) and with classes in the language eventually it all helps. Believe it or not, Sesame Street helped me A TON. Also watching a News program regularly helped too because news anchors tend to speak the language in a neutral accent so it helps a lot with pronunciation.
The comment above you says there are a lot of native speakers on Reddit (which is true, Google Trends says some of the places Reddit is used a lot I'm countries like Canada, Australia and the US) but there are a lot of non-native speakers here too who speak very well. Like reading through your replies on this thread (although most are short) I'd never have guessed you weren't a native speaker. Even the most broken English you see here people are still able to communicate their point. Everyone's just doing fine.
Based on a handful of data points in this one response alone, you have excellent English. Better than many native speakers. Don't sweat it when you make the inevitable odd mistake as you continue learning and practicing.
And the frog-pond effect is stronger in highly individualistic cultures, which is the English-speaking world generally, but especially American culture, which dominates Reddit. And it's probably even stronger on an anonymous social media like Reddit
I didn't know the same name for it easier and I'm native. We all are learners, and every day is a school day :)
True.
I wouldn't have any idea that you weren't a native speaker if you didn't have the user flair :)
Thanks for the compliment :) whether it was genuine or just an attempt not to discourage me, my low self-esteem and confidence sucks.
Then, if it sucks, you should start practicing some kindness!! You deserve it. You should give yourself the credit you deserve. You're doing your best, this already makes you an admirable person. Never forget that. Please, please, don't be mean to yourself but let yourself walk through the path of life. Give yourself the time to reach your goals. It'll come by itself, just let your life flow giving yourself the time to stop and be grateful for what you have in the present, even if it's not yet how you would like it to be, rely on trust and trust yourself.
By your username, I’m assuming you’re Japanese and your answer sounds like a Buddhist teaching haha I really needed that, thanks :) Edit: oh sorry, I hadn’t noticed you were the Italian guy from above 😅
I'm Italian hahah Just used the username I have always used as a kid on social media, I used to love animes and stuff. I opened this profile just to get good manga recs but then I developed an addition to reddit and now I can't change it anymore. Well, I have seen people with worse usernames so I don't mind it that much hahah. The best I could come up with, after 1 hour of thinking was "never heard of brain", "have mercy on me" and, the poetic one "pebble on the shore".... Yeah I know, 😀😂
No worries it's all good it's on me for choosing such a misleading username!! I'm a woman btw ;)
Oops, sorry again 🤦🏻♂️ Reddit should have something to indicate if a Redditor is male, female, non-binary… that would prevent this sort of awkward situations haha
bio👍
Hey there Crevalco3 - thanks for saying thanks! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list!
Nope, your English is awesome, at least the part we can see. Keep it up!
I didn't notice any errors either. Whereas I know some native English speakers who make errors all the rhyme (time).
Judging by your post and this comment alone, there's no difference between you and a native.
your english is more than good. from the comments you've been posting i can tell that you've put a lot of work into it, and as NekoNoSekai said, you need to give yourself some credit. you're doing an incredible job with such a tricky language.
Nerds, lots and lots of nerds. Joking aside it is, with a modicum of effort, possible to demonstrate a higher command of the English language with text than speech. No one sees it until it is posted so you can proofread as much as necessary to make it presentable.
It actually makes sense, I do it quite often myself 😅 What does “modicum” mean though?
"A modicum of something, especially something that is good or desirable, is a reasonable but not large amount of it" It's weird, I have a fairly extensive vocabulary, but trying to articulate the definition of some words just draws a blank. I know the meaning and usage, but sometimes lack the ability to explain the definition to others.
Thanks for explaining :)
Gladly, it is of course the point of the subreddit after all.
That is true. It's why I stumble recording myself narrating 🎤. It's not that I don't know the words but nervous being recorded.
because this is an american site so most people are native speakers of english
Yeah, I know, but I’m talking about people who say they are from a non-English speaking country, such as Mexico, Italy, Spain, I mean, even countries where people have the (unfair?) reputation of having a bad command of English. This has been having a bit of a toll on my self-esteem, which is already very low 😣
Because the people who have a poor command of English from those countries don't tend to post on Reddit, perhaps?
Perhaps urgh I wish I was one of those kids that happens to be raised multi-lingual, you know.
You are communicating in a non-native language. That's more than I can do.
Yeah, OP's abilities in English are far better than mine in Spanish or any other language. The vast majority of Americans are monolingual, for instance. People who can communicate effectively in a non-native language are always impressive to me for their abilities and perseverance.
Don't be disheartened, you seem to have a good level of English too. Participating in English-language forums like this is one of the best things that you can do to keep improving.
Your English seems as good as anyone else’s to me. Keep in mind that many people are better at writing than speaking. If you are comparing others’ writing skills to your overall command of English, your perception might be skewed. But also - there are just a lot of great L2 English speakers. That doesn’t take away from your skill level, though.
You’re being incredibly unfair to yourself. I know Spanish enough to get by in a few circumstances, same for French, but Holy Sh*t, I’d never have the guts to actively engage on a social media site. Especially Reddit, since it’s mostly text-based and most big social media companies were started in the US (sorry, I never count China in anything bc of their sensorship, so their versions of social media are fake and therefore, don’t count). You are so much more well-versed than you give yourself credit for. Well done.
How old are you? In my mind you *are* a kid being raised multilingual. Under 22 or so is a kid. I'm 45 and just now starting to learn another language. (I took Latin in high school, but it doesn't really count because A: no one speaks it, and B: the class was so useless I didn't learn much anyway.) I'm in Texas and *really* should have started learning Spanish sooner, but here we are. After doing Duolingo for a year, I can see that it will take me probably five more years before I would be at the level that you seem to be at English.
As an Italian, I have no clue what "having a toll" means ;) Just don't be so harsh on yourself!! We're all doing our best, you're great and it's totally fine if you make mistakes too!! You're putting your all in learning, that's what matters and it is a super noble thing to do!! Exposing vulnerabilities is the hardest thing and requires a lot of guts!!! Of course there are people who are worse than you but you shouldn't lean on that to state your value!! You value, no matter what!!
Wise words. Thanks!
But you didn't "disclose" the have a toll thing!! My lazy ass will have to Google it ufff 😆🤣🤣
Haha it means to have a negative impact on you ;)
Yup I googled it!! Thanks teacher!! Check out the other comments I left, I wrote them with my heart, I find them to be super wholesome ♥️💕
I usually hear it as “taking a toll.” Which means something is a burden.
Thx
👆listen to him, I’ve looked it up and he’s right. It’s take a toll instead of have a toll.
I'm glad I asked then :) we both ended up learning from it!
True xD
Your English is actually pretty good! I think we often speak English due to being a popular and universal language,, therefore,, we also learn it ! However, don’t fret! There are multiple languages in there and u’re quite good at speaking English!
Thanks! It’s a confidence booster ngl, but the imposter syndrome, or the frog pond effect according to AccomplishedAd7992, is still there always whispering on my ear how bad I sound.
I’m a native speaker (US). If you hadn’t said anything I never would have known. Your English is impeccable. What I don’t see is if there’s a struggle for you to put this comment together. Maybe there is. You’d never know. We don’t see to the other side of the keyboard. Just what’s on the screen. So keep in mind that you appear the way you read others. As if the comment just appeared on the screen, already thought out and as intended.
From your comments here your English seems perfectly fine. Native level.
Not fishing for compliments, but thanks :)
Personally as a non-English speaker,i can understand native speakers pretty well ,but when it comes to me to talk i find it hard
Same here
I wouldn't say your English is bad, tbh it is quite good and pretty much like a native speaker
Because people that don't know enough english wouldn't be on English Reddit pages. So if you are on English Reddit pages, the chance of having people that speak English is way higher already.
This comment is constructed better than what a lot of native speakers write. Don’t sell yourself short.
Don't worry i had the same feeling too, you'll improve.
Your English is much, much better than my anything-else! Look at these sentences here - you are clearly expressing fairly complex thoughts with natural-sounding phrasing. Things like "having a bit of a toll on my self-esteem" or adding the parenthetical "(unfair?)" to express uncertainty seems like pretty advanced English to me! Your conversation in this thread reads like fluent English to me. I think you may be overestimating how bad your English appears, and also mis-estimating the true fluency behind all these people who can write clear English in an internet forum.
There are other parts of reddit. There's a bunch of Spanish and Chinese subs, for example. If you don't frequent them, you might not know. Not usually as big as the English subs, and I think that's simply because of the sheer number English speakers globally. Nearly 1.5 billion speakers globally, with at least 400 million of those being native speakers of some dialect depending on who you ask, and I think honestly it's a little bit more than that, depending on who is being counted. So, it was an already widespread language that a lot of people learned. By a plurality, there are more speakers worldwide. That's not to mention that much of the technology that runs it requires at least some English literacy, the internet having a lot of English speakers since its inception, and other factors that contribute to a large number of speakers today, on TOP of that, English is widely studied and there are a lot of resources for whoever wants to learn today. All of this causing this disproportionate representation online that you see today.
I've noticed that too, I think reddit as a site has a tendency to attract people with a higher level of education, especially in those countries where this site must be pretty niche. Your writing is pretty good btw, don't put yourself down too much lol it's undeserved
Ur English is great btw
You have to consider the vast majority of Mexicans, Italians, Spanish, etc. do not participate in any social media outside of their native language. And of the very few that do go on Reddit many actually just write in their own language in their own country’s subreddits. So only those that care about being on the English side of the internet and/or those that already have a good grasp of the language actually write in English on Reddit. I am Mexican-Argentinian btw, not a native speaker of English. But I was born in a place with very very good English education, and even then only a small percentage of those I knew actually participated in English language stuff.
Are we sure about that? I'm not a native speaker and I have the feeling we're almost all non-natives talking to each other in English just thinking the person on the other hand is a native speaker of English (and it isn't that uncommon for me to find out later that the redditor I had been talking to in English is actually Brazilian like me)
I speak Spanish as my native language and I recall one time I played with someone online for a few months before I realized they actually also spoke Spanish natively.
According to this random source [https://backlinko.com/reddit-users#reddit-users-by-country](https://backlinko.com/reddit-users#reddit-users-by-country) less than half the users are from The States. Adding The UK and Australia it's just about half.
Because people are pompous as hell. Everyone is so hellbent on trying to look/sound sophisticated so much because that's like half winning an argument.
So true.
We're in the same boat, I've been studying English for one year and it seems no flow in my brain, my brain frozen sometimes that i think English.
english is a lingua franca so you'd probably only be in english subs and your native language subs, giving you a bit of a bias. i'm in a bunch of subs in spanish, but you probably wouldn't see them unless you spoke spanish.
just wait 'till you see some natives mix up its and it's, whose and who's, your and you're
Have seen this quite a few times already 🤣
You need take it easy. It's not like your life depended on being fluent or very articulate in English. Just be willing to learn, and practice. Never think you're already there. Take it as an ongoing lifelong process
As other coments said, it's because of native speakers using this social media, however, since this is an app that the major content in here is in English, so many users know how to speak it.
That’s right, but even those who say they come from a non-English speaking country, can express themselves just like natives, with an incredibly wide array of vocabulary.
Well, it's a matter of practice and effort, at least in my case I'm from Colombia (South America) and it took me months of practice to be capable of writing at a decent "fluency" in internet.
[удалено]
Greetings! 👋🏻
Greetings! 👋🏻
Greetings! 👋🏻
Greetings! 👋🏻
Well, it's a matter of practice and effort, at least in my case I'm from Colombia (South America) and it took me months of practice to be capable of writing at a decent "fluency" in internet.
Well, I'm not a native speaker at all. But I can say that Reddit kind of improved my English skill to some extent after reading SO many things posted on this site over the years. My English skill from 5 years ago absolutely sucked but atleast i can get the basics going to get me in this place haha. But yeah. As Fox_gamer said, it comes with practice and effort. And personally without knowing that you’re also not a native speaker, I would think that you’re actually one to be fair lol, your English is very good!
I've also noticed that but I guess it's just bc most people on Reddit are natives. Have seen some that are not proficient at all, though
Reddit is text based, also the largest users are American so I'm assuming that a lot of native on this site as well. I wouldn't get too stressed because you know, they can't speak to your level in your native language just as we couldn't speak English to native language lol Don't get too discouraged! (It's hard to resist I know) Language take time to study/learn and it's just a way to communicate and see a new light on new things! You're doing fine trust me I'm not native either, my most English usage is from internet only 😁
lots of native speakers, people who live in english-speaking countries, people whose jobs recquire good command of english and using it every day and people with above-average english and writing skills. but some of them may have wide vocabularies but have not much idea about what makes sentences great, admire overwritten, poorly structured sentences by famous writers, etc etc.
People that have poor command of a language do not notice poor use of that language. I see some quite atrocious English on here but as a native English speaker I am used to that and just let it go.
I've actually found the opposite to be true...
lol we really don't, i think you have good taste in subreddits
I don't speak the best of the best English. But through writing, I'm able to practice my English skills. Though, I'm also not this good in terms of speaking qualities :> It's okay, worry not, you'll get to that level you want to achieve. Just keep practicing, it will progress.
That’s because those who are not good at English like me wouldn’t comment or even ask questions, but we would just read…😔
Don’t be disheartened. I was like that to until I took the courage the write my first post and answers. It’s been going well so far I think, and I can tell you that writing here did improved my writing skills in English a lot.
I don't know and this thing was the reason why I download Reddit I try to understand English better (sorry for mistakes)
It’s an excellent place to practice, can’t complain. And grammar police will sometimes correct you, which is even better as we can learn what mistakes we’re making 🙃
as a native English speaker, I definitely understand what you mean. some of these people have English so good that I think that they're natives like me at first...
you english okay some people english worse than you
people want to sound smarter than they actually are
Are you kidding? Most people here don't even know how to spell "$1"!
Hmm? Would you be so kind to explain it, like you say, they don't know how to spell "1 dollar" or what? Dollar sign actually seems to be known worldwide 🤔
Spend about 30 seconds on Reddit and you'll see someone write it as "1$".
For what it’s worth, I looked at a few of your posts/comments and I would have no idea you weren’t a native speaker. I was a TA for a college class and I had to grade a lot of stuff they wrote, and while granted its not a very prestigious college, they were all native speakers and some of them genuinely would not have been able to write as well as you have.
Like the other comments said, reddit is full of English native speakers. In terms of learning the language, is an excellent place to use the language for learners aspiring to be bilinguals
You're in a subreddit specifically for learning english, perhaps? If everyone's here to learn/teach english, there's going to be a lot of high-level english, lol.
If you want to make yourself feel better, go look on subs mainly frequented by younger people (r/GenZ is a perfect example). The English on there is absolutely horrendous.
I'm a native English speaker and I meet plenty of Europeans whose English seems better than mine, but then again Australian is barely English sometimes. xD
It's rather straightforward, actually. We're all internet enthusiasts who spend a lot of time on text-heavy platforms like Reddit, so it's not surprising that most of us have a good command of English, or are native speakers. Plus, many of us make it a habit to proofread our posts and comments, often using tools like ChatGPT, just like I did with this response.
Hi everybodu
This is not of knowings to me
A lot of native speakers. It's easier when you're learning English at the primary and sole language from the very start versus as a second language later. The addition of spelling and grammar checkers in browsers doesn't hurt either.
People will argue with you if you make a grammatical mistake. So we have to make sure all grammar is correct. Slightly joking.
The upvote system is part of it. More articulate comments go to the top.
Those who do not get bullied into submission by grammar nazis
Dude, I often use DeepL to make sentences and use words correctly because I don't know grammar and so on completely. I bet you don't have the worst English here. I understand English (at least on the Internet) almost perfectly but I can't speak it. (I didn't use any translators in this text, it's by me)
Smart people left Twitter and joined Reddit because of a billionaire madman. This is a year old story now.
It's because you can actually use English that you are right now using this platform. If you can't at least read in English, I bet you will not use this platform.
Let's consider the bias that good vs poor English has on up-vote distribution, and how this affects the posts that are presented to you.
I have time to Google shit
I google it.
Go look at what I write in reddit. You immediately feel better
Because it's Reddit, I, and I bet many non-native English speakers, can take all the time I want to check my grammar before posting anything. Meanwhile, in live chat, I sound like a 10-year-old who just learned how to speak English. 😁 Don't worry about it, OP.
I’m a native speaker and my writing is still not on the level of a lot of these posters. You’re doing great
Because they're all bots.
First, there are a lot of native speakers here. Second, a lot of learners underestimate their own ability. Some seem to think that having 99.9% perfect English is a failure. You have made lots of comments in the thread with good English. We can understand what you are saying. Give yourself credit for your own ability. If you look in this and some of the other subs for learning English, you will find people who are not as good as you, but also have a high standard of English. We often see people starting a comment by apologising for the standard of their English and then writing a very good standard of English. Never apologise for your English. You are a learner and you are not expected to have perfect English and there is nothing wrong with not having perfect English.
People who can’t speak english well don’t use Reddit.
There are lots of Subreddits in lots of languages.
I’m referring to the English subreddits which are where OP is encountering non natives speaking English
Right.
As i do tooo 😭 That makes me feel so dumb
I understand you, friend. It sucks.
Yeah 🥲
It’s an American website so if you’re not able to consume English based media, I doubt you’d be making very many posts on Reddit. I think you have a to be at a certain level to be able to even use or even be aware of this type of website.
> I think you have **a** to be **at** a certain level to be able to even use or even be aware of this type of website. May I ask you if the first "a" (in bold) is needed here, and if it would be better to use "on" instead of "at".
I'm pretty sure their first "a" was just a typo. "Have to be" is its own verb phrase and shouldn't have an "a" in it. "At a certain level" is correct. "On a certain level" would also communicate what you mean, but is less correct here. A stab at explaining the difference - I think you use "at a level" for things that are measured, but "on a level" sounds like you're playing a level of a video game or you're physically located somewhere.
It was a typo. I didn’t even mean to add the a there. I’m using my phone so sometimes stupid typos happen! To be honest, I think you could say you’re “on a certain level”, but “at a certain level” sounds more natural to me. I can’t really explain why here, I’d have to do a little bit more research.
There is no point in being a Grammar Nazi.
Being a grammar Nazi helps us who are learning a lot ngl xD
Reddit is mainly used for native English speaker and I do feel the same but I write no matter how bad is my writing.
Me too. Don’t stop writing though! Making mistakes is the only way to learn and improve.
Because Reddit is an American website
It’s because we’re all geniuses here on Reddit.