The love of making comments, language learning, and personality development

I vividly remember the first time I left a comment on the internet. There was a forum on the BBC website asking the readers if they thought smoking had to be banned. I did not hesitate to leave a comment as I was seriously against smoking, and more importantly I love making comments. Since then, I have been leaving comments anywhere I have had something to say. This has helped me as a (language) learner as well as a person.

I guess quite a few do not know how to write a comment. The number of likes compared to the number of comments on most of the post on social media is proof. As a learner in general, and a language learner specifically, you have to start reading comments to learn to make comments. As you do this, you get to learn about the importance of choice of word, context, and style.

You learn that if you know the right word and make the point with it, you will leave a better impression on the one who has left the post and the others. When you leave a comments and get likes from other viewers, you know you have used the right language.

Learning English as a foreign language in a country which has deprived itself of international tourism and communications, you do not get a lot of opportunity to interact with speakers of English in a real context. You have to stay satisfied with classroom interactions with your teachers and classmate which last as long as you are attending class. On the internet and social media, you get to interact with real people for a real purpose. In this context, you get to learn the significance of context in communicating with others. You learn that it is OK to fail and try again, to get misunderstood and correct, and to get yourself across successfully and have a sense of linguistic achievement.

You get to meet a variety of people in different fields with common interests. You could see difference in the language they use in their posts. Some try to express their thoughts with brevity. Some love to explain everything. Some, like me , love simplicity. I had two connections, one a Brazilian priest with a love of teaching English and the other with an interest in philosophy. I loved reading their posts. You could see the influence of religious and philosophical register on the language of their posts.

Leaving comments can change you as a person. You could learn that you should not take exception to a post if it disagrees with your opinion, and that there could be different perspectives on a subject. You would soon realize that you are not the smartest and there are great people out there with more interesting ideas. You would also learn that no matter how smarter the others might be than you, you all are on a common road with similar needs and expectations.

You could see and go through compassion, competition, cynicism, creativity, and etc. You would definitely see people who are dedicated to making the world a better place. All this could make transform you into a stronger person.

Making comments can provide great opportunities to interact with like-minded people or the otherwise which could turn you into a better learner and person.