My New Year's resolution was to read the local news (the Solothurner Zeitung). While I am *technically* moderately fluent in German, this is making me even more impressed by everyone who regularly reads complex documents in a language that isn't their first.
Like, you people can just... do this? Without being constantly tempted to reach for the little Translate button?
@solar_chase for better or worse, many non-native speakers of English were exposed to it in their late childhood or early teens, when it is still easier to learn.
For example, I first learned how English sounds (before finding out what the sounds mean) from music, then learned some of it from video games.
Also I used to play with translation sites for fun and they were often hilariously wrong; I don't fully trust them.
