my background
I started learning English at the age of 12 with a great tutor, a graduate from Moscow Language Institute. She taught me some basic grammar rules like simple past, present and future tenses. Our lessons lasted for about a year, then I had to move to another borough of Moscow (actually to suburbs), and I couldn't attend her lessons anymore, since she lived in downtown Moscow. Then, for about five years, I studied English at school for two hours a week. I didn't learn much at school, I just used what I had already learned with the tutior to get A's. I guess it was enough for me at that time. All we had back then were books and dictionaries; mp3-players didn't even exist.
For the past two years I've been learning English mostly by listening to ESLpod.com - created by Dr Jeff McQuillan and Lucy Tse from Los Angeles. I love their LA accent and I believe I may have even acquired it to some degree. Also I've been learning with LingQ for about 1.5 years, mostly reading Steve Kaufmann's blog posts, and listening to VOA Special English podcast.
Now I'm trying to read more and speak to myself and want to start doing much more writing in English.
I consider myself a literate person. I love reading and listening to different podcasts. By the age of 12, I had become an avid reader and read lots of books in Russian.
I consider myself a socialist, left wing democrat (in the American view). I've been watching lots of American shows, series, and I guess they strongly influenced me.
Also I love American cartoons like Family Guy, American Dad, The Simpsons, NPR's radio talk show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and John Stuart's The Daily Show. These programs have helped me to incorporate English into my daily routine.
For the past two years I've been learning English mostly by listening to ESLpod.com - created by Dr Jeff McQuillan and Lucy Tse from Los Angeles. I love their LA accent and I believe I may have even acquired it to some degree. Also I've been learning with LingQ for about 1.5 years, mostly reading Steve Kaufmann's blog posts, and listening to VOA Special English podcast.
Now I'm trying to read more and speak to myself and want to start doing much more writing in English.
I consider myself a literate person. I love reading and listening to different podcasts. By the age of 12, I had become an avid reader and read lots of books in Russian.
I consider myself a socialist, left wing democrat (in the American view). I've been watching lots of American shows, series, and I guess they strongly influenced me.
Also I love American cartoons like Family Guy, American Dad, The Simpsons, NPR's radio talk show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and John Stuart's The Daily Show. These programs have helped me to incorporate English into my daily routine.