Essay on My Experience With Learning the English Language

Reading, writing and learning a language are essential parts of ones life. No one can fully accept to have reached where they are in life without practicing skills of reading, writing and learning a language even if it is their first language. Right from scribbling on the walls, while still young to the days of preschool and the rest of life writing and reading are present through every milestone. The following is an account of an individual with a withstanding difficulty in verbal skills and learning, and how I have put my qualities to use in modifying for my weaknesses in verbal capacities.

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English is not my first language thus I have always had a difficulty mastering the language and speaking to others in English. During my early childhood, precisely three years old I had difficulty with reading the language. My mother and older siblings understood a bit of English, and therefore they would demonstrate the language to me. My mum reminds me that I lacked the ability to write and read and the two presented a daunting task for me for a while. In any case, I eventually learned to read the English letters, but my method was a bit unorthodox. It is because I would first write English words down before reading them. Even when I did read, my pronunciation was still off.

However, a particular experience affected my life to the extent that I appreciated all the effort I had put in place previously in learning, reading and understanding the English language. I am part of a school that uses English in every class that I am part of, and this calls for a great mastery of the language. It also means that there are instances where I have a hard time keeping up with the rest of the class. However, it is not as difficult as how it would have otherwise been if I lacked basic knowledge of the English language.

This day was, however, unique for me. Being in high school, there are instances where students will have to do oral presentations in class. Therefore, our history teacher had informed me during our previous lesson that I would be the one presenting in the next class. I had to give a presentation to the class concerning my culture, and the presentation had to be in English. Therefore, at eight in the morning, I get to class with a few notes I had previously prepared.

Everyone is seated in class including the teacher, and she calls me to the front of the class to give my presentation. I have always been shy in front of people and today was no different. Also, my not so perfect mastery of the English language contributes to the anxiety I already had. I gather my courage and take my notes for reference. Everyone is quiet waiting on me to pass forward my information. I, therefore, start speaking, and I feel like I am pronouncing the words in the wrong way. I feel like the information I am passing to the class is not being portrayed as I would want.

However, I need my presentation marks; therefore, I need to keep talking to the class and making sure that they understand what I am trying to say. As I speak I glance severally at my teacher to identify the expression on her face. It would tell me a lot concerning how she is taking my presentation so far. To my surprise, the few glances I take at her indicate that she is listening keenly and there are a few instances where she nods in response. The class also seems to be enjoying what I am presenting because they are all attentive and keeping their focus on me.

To make the presentation more attractive I decide to involve the rest of the class through asking questions that touch on various aspects of my culture. It is a community that is recognizable around the world, and I am sure that they have some knowledge on how my culture is. They respond to the questions, and some of them give correct answers while some give what they have heard from the public. However, I appreciate the fact that I was able to articulate the questions clearly to the class, which is an indication that my English skills are okay. I have several quotes for my presentation that I thought would have been appropriate to read to the class. These quotes give a clear demonstration of the various aspects of my culture. By now, I have gained confidence in presenting, and I find no problem in reading the quotes out to the class.

I am so engrossed into what I am presenting that I do not notice how articulate my reading skills are. I read out one quote after the other as I explain what the quote is about while relating it to my culture. The class continues to listen as I give an account and express myself. I take approximately thirty minutes to give my presentation, and when I am done, I ask the class to ask questions. Several individuals raise their hands and ask questions while others seek clarification for various issues. There are those who bring out myths concerning my culture, and I get the chance to prove or disapprove these myths.

I give responses to all the students who have concerns then it is the turn of my teacher to give her feedback on my presentation. Her initial reaction relates to how I was able to voice my work. She explains that my reading and speaking skills were excellent and that I presented the work in a way that was clearly understood. She appreciates the effort I put in the work and also appreciates my researching skills. She explains a few adjustments that I need to make in my job to ensure that it is okay. Her remarks mark the end of my presentation, and as I walk to my desk, I feel proud of the accomplishment I have made. On this day I believe that I conquer fears that were interfering with the progress I was making in developing my reading and writing skills specifically for the English language.

In just thirty minutes, I was able to conquer my fear of addressing people. The anxiety was gone during the first few minutes of my presentation. It was because of the non-verbal reactions I got which assured me that I was on the right track. I also believe that at the end of the presentation I had moved a step further in learning and mastering English. I feel that if I had the opportunity, I would have gone further with the presentation. I felt a particular accomplishment and self-confidence, and I was sure that class presentation and public speaking in English would only get better. I may not say that I was perfect, but I can confidently assert that I did better than I expected.

Therefore I continue to appreciate the writing and reading of English that I had previously engaged in. I feel that these instances of learning presented the opportunity for me to better my English. Up to this day, that experience in high school reminds me of how far I have come in learning the English language. I believe that my mastery of the language is almost impeccable and I think that I will have the ability to teach English to individuals who have a struggle with the language even if it is not at a professional level.

It is not always guaranteed that a person will learn a language he or she is not familiar with, and if the individual gets a mastery of the language, there is great effort behind the achievement. There are those who will do earlier while others take a bit longer. There are those who will do it at the expected time. It, therefore, means that society and especially teachers and students need to exercise patience with the student. I believe that what I have learned so far is little compared to what I still have. Therefore I embrace the journey of learning a language and look forward to impressive results.