Neopets: Your Online Language Teacher

Over the years Neopets has been my very own teacher when it comes to foreign languages. To start with, Neopets already gives you the option to easily switch languages if wanted, from English to Spanish to Portuguese and even to Chinese. Whoever says that Neopets is not a globalized site, then they should reconsider it. Sadly, I'm not going to teach you any new language in this article. I just want to show you the fantastic things this site has brought me throughout so many years!

I've been playing Neopets in English since 2009. I'm someone whose mother language is Spanish. I've been always that kind of person who would self-teach himself just to get to know about new stuff. I'm an avid foreign language learner and lover and Neopets brought me the last spark I was in need of to get into languages more deeply. When I first set English as the main spoken language, I was kind of lost but as I already knew some of the basic vocabulary, I started to improve my knowledge as days went by.

The best thing about learning a new language here at Neopets is basically the chance to meet new people. Each language holds a completely different world... sort of. Isn't it amazing to see people from all over the world and even to be able to get to know them? I haven't played the site in Spanish for a few years now. Not that I don't want to, but you get used to it at some point.

To put it simply, when you get a new phone you practically know how to use it. After a few months you're already pro and you know every little secret it may hide, the question is: would you be able to use it if you switch the language? The answer is YES. Same thing happens here at Neopets. Some of us spend way too much time here and believes Neopets it's their second home. If you are addicted to this site, you may know everything about it by now, but have you ever tried to play the site in a different language? The tombola, fruit machine, neoboards, even your inventory will always stay in the same way, with the only difference that it's just written in a different language. Take two minutes and try it! Go and switch language and tell me if you're still capable of playing the site.

That's how I basically became a lover of foreign languages. Neopets grants you the facility of meeting new people who are willing to chat with you and chatting with people whose native language is the one you are learning, is the BEST way to learn it. It may be hard the first times, but people know that and understand that!

I majored in this language and got my degree in English last year. It wasn't difficult at all and when I see all the progress of my learning, I'm still amazed about how much I've learned. From the vocabulary, which is basically the hardest thing to learn *slaps prepositions* to all the slang, acronyms and ways to speak every single person has. Neopets indeed is my online language teacher. That's why I will always recommend you to have any online translator bookmarked in your favorites. Believe me, you'll always find new and unknown words.

Now-a-days, I run my own guild and site here at Neopets and guess what language they were made in? English, yes! Confidence is the first thing you'll get when you see how much you know about the language. It took me about a year to finally decide to do something for my fellow Neopian friends, and I was still hesitant whether or not I should make both my site and my guild in English. Unfortunately, the Spanish boards are not as active as the English ones so I'd rather work hard and try this out but then in the end I'd be able to see how much both of them would success because of all the people who may visit them, rather than making something easy and in my own language, but then see how my work wouldn't be as appreciated as I was expecting. Then again guys, I keep tell you: It's just practice! "Practice makes perfect" should be your motto from now on!

If you believe in yourself, then people would too. The key is understand what you're typing. If you're a bit of hesitant when typing something in a foreign language, re-write it and try to make it understandable. Sometimes it's better when you don't write in the way you speak your mother language. In my case it happens a lot. I'm a native Spanish speaker, as I previously said, and the way we express ourselves and the way we write sentences are way different in English; they literally are flipped. That's why you have to look up for some grammar guides if you feel you're not understanding what you're saying. To put it simple, If you don't understand yourself, people won't understand you either, even if they make some effort to.

Thank you Neopets and The Neopets Team for offering so many things in so many fantastic ways. Undoubtedly, Neopets can be appreciated in some many ways. From all the variety of things they offer to the chance of switching languages whenever we want to! In my case, Neopets has taken over my influence and appreciation for foreign languages and culture, and I can't wait to keep studying and majoring in what I love the most. (: