A tricky question in my situation :) Those were my parents who made up my mind to go in for linguistics. I was mediocre at any subject. I mean I had fours and fives and no great love for anything, so they decided that foreign languages had always been popular and had been considered the best education for a woman... I don't regret a bit of their decision. They were right. I love it. Moreover, one can always earn for one's living knowing a foreign language... :)

Мышка-Машка, did you get a gold or silver medal at school? And, by the way, how do you communicate with other people in Korea? In English?

Jelllyjam, a diploma of honour at the university. No medals at school, though... :) Have you got a medal? :) Most of Koreans don't know English, though many children have tutors. But it takes 20 lessons for them to learn the alphabet. They don't have many sounds in Korean (e.g., they don't see the difference between "l" and "r", don't have "v", they prefer to end words with a vowel and that's why they try to say all foreign words with Russian "ы" in the end). I've learnt a few set phrases in Korean, like "How much is it?" "Give me two bananas" and so on. I had a desire to learn more, but with a baby it's a hard thing to do. Still, it's quite enough to communicate ;)

Мышка-Машка, no, no, no any medals) I was very bad in chemistry and much worse in physics) I didn't understand anything on these subjects) Don't you regret about having no practice in English?

Physics... I had four only after taking a tutor... I do regret... The only practice I had here was reading in English and BBC from time to time... Now I might as well write here ;)

Well, I study in the math school for 11 years. It just was near my house, so I went there. I got on well in math (except the senoir school), but I was much better in the humanities, I mean Russian, English, literature (but not history!!!), and I really liked them) But where could I go after the finishing of the math school? Of course, to the technical university... I din't like this idea, of course, so I get out of a difficulty by going to the pedagogical University on the math department))) It was interesting to study there, but then 2 events happened...) Once a group of American tutors came to our department and I was the one of those who should tell them about the University on the whole and our department in particular... At the end the tutors asked some questions and then one of them came to me and asked why I was there, at the math department with such good knowledge of English (actually it was worse than it is now, but, you know, for them, it's so nice when somebody learns their native language)... And I began to think... At that time I was reading "The Alchemist" by Coelgho, and the main thought of the book was that if you want to do something you must do it and not give up, and if it is so, all the universe will cooperate with you and help you... So I made up my mind and left the university, 'cause the math is not my choice. Because I don't want to connect my life with it and lose the opportunity of being the person I want to be to)

Исходное сообщение Мышка-Машка I do regret... The only practice I had here was reading in English and BBC from time to time... Now I might as well write here ;)

Does your husband know English? You may communicate with him) By the way, will you teach your child to English and when? From the early age or not?

Jelllyjam, which tense did you mean in the first sentence? mathS - short from mathematics senior - misprint "to leave school" is better solved the difficulty Wow! Coelgho made you change your career! :) And where do you work at the moment? I mean, do you need English at work? History... Is it the subject where you are to know all the dates? :))) In fact, I've got poor memory! :( I was quite bad at Russian. I mean I had four, but I don't quite know it :(((

Исходное сообщение Jelllyjam Does your husband know English? You may communicate with him) By the way, will you teach your child to English and when? From the early age or not?

He does if we don't pay attention to his lack of grammar. I was trying to teach him, when he asked me to, but then he said that it took too much of his attention and that he got tired because of that :) I was planning to teach him since the age of 3. As it's considered to have better effect in case the child speaks his native language well... Still, as we live abroad and can't bring as many childern's books in Russian here, I buy books and tapes in English as well. I switch on fairy tales in English for him as a background. He enjoys them. Hope that won't hamper his speaking Russian...

Unfortunately, I don't need English at work((( I work as a secretary. Yes, I don't like history because of a huge amount of the dates) And in Russian I didn't need to remember the rules, it was instinctive) LI 5.09.15

Мышка-Машка, oh, I meant the Past Simple: "studied"

Jelllyjam, after I retired from the university I was working as a secretary too. My boss knew the vocabulary much better (construction works), so he asked me only if he needed his grammar to be checked... :( Still, he's a really nice man. I liked working with him. He is demanding, but never interfered in the way I was coping with my tasks.

Исходное сообщение Jelllyjam Does your husband know English?

You need to say: "Does your husband know speak English" And "to know English" means something like "to know that there is English language". Unfortunately I don't remember who told me that (my teacher or a native speaker) :)

Irysha, thank you) And, by the way, what is your speciality? (I am just interested)

Исходное сообщение Jelllyjam Irysha, thank you) And, by the way, what is your speciality? (I am just interested)

I graduated from an economic university (bank management).

Irysha, and good English? Where did you study? Or by yourself?

Исходное сообщение Jelllyjam Irysha, and good English?

Honestly I don't think my English is good:) Lack of practice:( I attended English courses (I studied German at school and at the university)

Исходное сообщение Irysha

Исходное сообщение Jelllyjam Does your husband know English?

You need to say: "Does your husband know speak English" And "to know English" means something like "to know that there is English language". Unfortunately I don't remember who told me that (my teacher or a native speaker) :)

Aha! Russian teachers always correct that one. That's incorrect from the point of view of logic, but that is what people may use. Like there are incorrect word combinations in Russian, which Russians use nevertheless...

Мышка-Машка, so? What is right?

Jelllyjam, don't use it as you are supposed to speak "correct" language ;)

Мышка-Машка, don't use "know"?

Just try to use "speak" when saying "знать язык"

Мышка-Машка, ok)

I was 5 when my sister was born. So my parents sent me to a free English course to keep me busy with smth. That decided everything for me :) Then I took Latin in the 5th form and German in the 6th... and became addicted :D And cannot stop ;)

Nad_Gamgee, so you know 2 languages?