Did any English Language Book Characters Help You in Your Language Study?

[LauraM]

For non-native and native speakers alike, please let us know if there were any characters in any English language books that helped you in your study of the language in any way. 

Were you inspired to keep reading because you found the character appealing?  Was the character's use of the English language instructive for you?  Or perhaps a character made a memorable impression and you felt encouraged to keep reading in English? 

For me, the character that comes to mind is Sherlock Holmes, the iconic detective of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and novels.  I've read several of the works over the years.  The character and his use of language always fascinated me. 

Let us know your favorites!

[zambothegreat]

I don't think it was any one for me, but I really liked the way old, wise characters like Gandalf or Dumbledore spoke. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings were two of the books/series I got really hooked on when I was a kid, and made me actually want to read. Besides literature, I have taken and take inspiration form lyricists; guys like Neil Fallon. Whenever I was inspired by any character that interested me in any medium, I would try to simulate their cadence for a little while, and some of it would stick sometimes. So, yeah, multiple influences for me.

[asiong123]

The fantasy series Harry Potter definitely helped me improve my English vocabulary. It was written simply enough for the non-native speaker like me to understand, and it was also very engaging that I had to finish the whole series. Not only did I enjoy, I learned new words that I was able to use in everyday conversations. If there was a starter's book for a non-native speaker trying to learn English, it's definitely Harry Potter.

[sos]

I cannnot give one book that has made me learn English. That Is simply because I love reading . Therefore it goes without saying that reading any book aids a lot in learning a language.

[SpiralArchitect]

Considering I am not as huge a fan of the books as a lot of people who grew with them are, I'd hate to consider Harry Potter as a character who had a huge hand on how my English turned out. But there's no two ways about it. I think I've learnt more about the English language from the 7 Harry Potter books than any other work and more from the character than any other source.

[linguaholic]

your well-written posts here on linguaholic.com are a good source of inspiration for me Laura  :grin: for real!  :grin:

[MyDigitalpoint]

Book characters are good motivation to anyone wanting to learn a second language, either English or any other, but parents must be aware that many times fictional characters may have an affected language tone that may not help to learn effectively such idiom in the long-term.

[LauraM]

your well-written posts here on linguaholic.com are a good source of inspiration for me Laura  :grin: for real!  :grin:

Thank you!   I find this forum that you have created to be an inspiration!   We have so many engaging and fascinating discussions here at linguaholic.com.

Great responses right here.  I think it's interesting that we've had a few people mention Harry Potter.  I can see the appeal.  As there were so many books in the series we got a chance to really get to know the character and to see him growing up before our very eyes.  He and the other recurring characters are always so familiar, yet they inhabit a world where the magical elements are taken as given, and they are constantly drawn into circumstances we the readers would never experience. And yet we are drawn into that other world little by little as we keep reading. 

I think that's kind of like the language learning process itself; it allows us to glimpse and to take part in another world, little by little and more and more as we become more proficient.