How I Learned English Naturally: From Romantasy Books to ENGin
Updated: 49 minutes ago
Yulia treated English as a key to new worlds long before she ever thought of it as a skill to study. Books, vlogs, and podcasts filled her free time for years, and three months ago, weekly conversations with her ENGin volunteer from New Zealand became the next chapter in that journey. In her own words, here's how it started.
"English is the tool through which I get to know the world. After many years of spending my free time with English, reading books, watching vlogs, and listening to podcasts, I am now with ENGin."
How It All Started: Reading English Out of Curiosity
It all started with my eagerness to know what comes next. A long time ago, I began to read an American romantasy novel in translation, and ended up continuing it in English. Why? Because the original was the only way to find out where the story was heading. Yes, the only way out. The translation contained only a fragment, as is often the case. At that time, I simply did not consider buying the entire book an option. So the original was all that remained. Moreover, it was a series of five books, of which only two were translated.
And I already knew I was so intrigued by the story that the lack of a translation could not stop me from reading further. So it had to be the original. Only the original. That was when I realized there were no real boundaries to reading in English. Yes, I had doubts: Can I really do this? Am I at the right level? What if I fail? And so on. Yet those doubts could not stand against my real desire to know. I did not give a damn, I did not pretend, I did not force myself. I simply started reading because I was curious.
In translation, I stopped at the most exciting part, and that became my motivation. Curiosity drove me forward. And it worked. There were plenty of unfamiliar words, and the descriptions were hard to follow, so I focused on the dialogues. I realized I could understand what was being said even without knowing every single word in a sentence. An unfamiliar word was not an obstacle as long as I knew the rest, thanks to tutoring and school. That was enough to eventually read the entire five-book series in just two weeks. That's how it all started, and that's how I still read today: straight from the original.
Reading habits like Yulia's are also one of the simplest ways to measure real progress over time, long before any test does.
From K-pop Vlogs to Netflix: Learning English Through Entertainment
A little later, I came across what was perhaps the first English vlog I truly enjoyed, and I still do. It is run by an American girl and is about life in South Korea. K-pop, along with romantasy novels, is another passion of mine, so my interest in K-pop helped me discover life in Korea through English. Of course, I watched with subtitles, especially because this girl speaks in a bright, lively, and clear style, full of idioms and phrasal verbs. I was delighted. Tasting the language through her words was inspiring, and it gradually pushed me to broaden my horizons.
In the end, I began watching movies. I love Netflix. I love light, romantic movies. I enjoy picking out interesting phrases or words, listening to dialogues and conversations. It makes me feel calm, as if I'm entering a space where English is no longer just a subject at school or a dreaded university test. All those old meanings fade away, and English becomes simply English, the language through which I explore the world more deeply.
Why I'm Glad I Started With the Originals
So many years have passed since I started reading romantasy books while still in school. My reading journey was filled with more and more books, until the same books that I read in the original at the time of their release appeared on the shelves of Ukrainian bookstores in Ukrainian translation. Where were they all those years?
Back then, I wouldn't have thought of reading in a foreign language when there was a wonderful Ukrainian translation. But then there wouldn't have been the me who discovered the joy of realizing that I could read English, understand it, and truly know it. There would have been no desire to expand. Who knows. It doesn't matter anymore. Now I enjoy translations just as much as the originals. But that first experience was priceless. I am very grateful to myself for it, as well as for the next equally important experience.
Finding Calm and Confidence Through Podcasts
Over time, regularly watching my favorite vlogs about South Korea led me to one discovery: I am deeply interested in personal development. My curiosity expanded into getting to know myself through people. Why are they the way they are? How do they think? How do they feel about doing this job? That's how I came across Jay Shetty's podcasts. I listened to his interviews with celebrities.
Frankly, at first I was uncomfortable. I couldn't sit still, constantly spinning and trying to translate in my head. It was exhausting and ineffective. So, I let myself go. I just sat back, feet on the floor, and told myself: just listen, don't overthink, don't evaluate, don't deny. That became my mantra. Each time anew, because it felt unusual. Force had always been the usual way, and force drains a lot of vital energy. I did not want it, not during the war. So I chose calm and relaxation. And I managed. I let go, relaxed, and focused on the topic of conversation. Everything around me seemed to be speaking English, and I simply listened. I turned on the subtitles so that I could both see and hear.
And one of the guests was Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She was incredible, speaking so clearly, consciously, confidently. She knew exactly what she was saying. And I realized: I want to speak English like her. I want to invest my attention and time into my English so I can speak with that same clarity. I want English to be an effective tool in my life, always with me, like a magical ability I can use whenever I need it. No matter the conditions, no matter where I am, I know I can speak, get information, and learn everything I need. This is my motivation. That's how I came to ENGin.
That shift, from forcing herself to actually enjoying the process, touches on the same psychology behind language learning that shapes so many ENGin students' journeys.
How I Found ENGin
I came across an ad on Facebook and joined ENGin. The conditions suited me, and, most importantly, it offered live one-on-one conversation. It's been three months now, and I talk to a volunteer from New Zealand every week. And I'm happy because my motivation is still with me. I speak. No, not like Priyanka Chopra Jonas, but I feel I'm getting closer. And when I get upset because of mistakes, I turn to ENGin's Resources / Speaking section, where I find advice like: don't take it personally. And I remember that this is a process and I'm part of it. Learning English is a continuous, dynamic journey, where it's okay to experience ups and downs. So I continue. I will continue, with ENGin.
Letting go of that fear, the way Yulia describes it, is exactly what these tips for speaking without the fear of mistakes are built around.
Yulia's story is a reminder that English doesn't have to start with a textbook. For many ENGin students, curiosity, whether it's a book series, a favorite vlogger, or a podcast, is often the first step toward a weekly conversation that builds real confidence.
Want a learning journey like Yulia's? Learn more about practicing English with an ENGin volunteer.
