10. Noora, Faculty of Science
Kaleidoscope reflection

Needs:
I have had to read books and articles in english, and it has been quite easy for me. My vocabulary has also got better Reading those texts, but it doesn't necessarily show in my spoken language.So my problem is how to speak better; to speak more fluently and enlarge active vocabulary.
Skills:
I\'m doing quite well. I can read quickly and understand both spoken and written english very well. I don\'t have difficulties in writing or grammar. At least I don\'t think I have; I really haven\'t thought about these things, because I have a kind of satisfaction about my english skills and base quite a lot on intuition. But, again, I really need some confidence to speak better. Although I really feel, that I\'m good in english, I don\'t remember words and pronounce awfully because of my uncertainty - and fear of screwing up!
Motivation:
I'm interested in travelling and meeting new people from different cultures. And english is the common language with which to eg. share interests. Language skills are, of course, important in studies and meaningful when applying for job.
Personality:
I quess that I'm analytical, because I find it so important to be accurate and hate making mistakes. On the other hand I also like to learn by listening to others and adapting words and sayings from them. I know, that nobody expects me to be perfect, and have noticed, that it's normal to make mistakes, especially in informal communication. As I've got age, I've stopped comparing myself to others all the time, and started to concentrate more on my own skills – and life as a whole.
Learning background:
I don't have any big feelings about learning languages. I've always been a good student, also in languages (well, excluding classes 8 and 9 in elementary school, had some other interests back then). I've studied english, swedish, german and some french. I haven't been practicing others than german since high school, if reading texts written in english don't count. And yes, I was on that compulsory swedish course in university, but didn't learn anything there. I have cousinsin Colorado, US, who don't speak finnish, which has motivated me to learn english in the first hand. My mother is an interpreter in german and speaks several other languages, so I've had a strick role model. She has never said anything about my language skills, but still I hate speaking foreign languages when she's hearing. I think that's because I've heard her correcting other peoples mistakes...