ALMS reflection
My language learning history
My English teachers have always been very traditional; we have been sitting in the classroom and listening the teacher. The teaching has usually been that that we transalate some text, do listening comprehension or check the exercises that we have done at home or in the classroom. Very few occations I can remenber talking in the classroom IN ENGLISH. Too bad I think because I didn´t get the confidence to talk. I have got it outside the school, talking with the foreigners.
I remember when we had to keep some kind of presentation. I was talking about the movie Moulin Rouge. The feedback I got was terrible because it didn´t coincide the feeling I had my self from it. The teacher said that I should relax more and not to be afraid to talk in front of the classroom and even my talking isn´t that good, I should practise without the paper. I was so hurt because I hated beeing the center of attention and talk and I felt that my performance went well and I didn’t even read all the time from the paper. I felt that the teacher didn´t encourage me at all even if she knew that I didn’t like performing alone. I don’t remember liking English lessions so much in high-school. They were consentrated too much in mistakes and how to eliminate all the imperfections. 12 years it was quite the same. The exercises just got more difficult and the vocabulary extended. Although I think that in comprehensive school the teachers were more supportive. And from third to sixth grade my teacher was really English talktive person who hadn´t so good Finnish. That forced us to try to use our English although it wasn´t very good yet. That should have continued, but because teachers were Finnish they let us speak Finnish.
My analytic side meaning making tests was always better than using English in the real situations when I was at school. I was afraid to use it. But I got good results from the tests and I liked doing grammar exercises and memorizing the words. I think my vocabulary might have been even better then but my speaking skills are stronger now. I have always studied at home and usually alone. I made the exercises alone and read the texts and words alone. I prefered self-studing.

My wishes and expectations
My main goal for ALMS is to better my vocabulary and especially the academic vocabulary that will help with my studies because many books are in English and I would also like to review the grammar. These will not only help me with reading but also with everything. Writing will get easier as well as talking. I like talking English so I think I will go to some group where I can keep my talking skills up. My expectation for my self is that I stay motivated and do stuff that wasn´t necessary to pass the course but voluntary because it helps me to improve my English. I hope that the ALMS programme will keep my interest to English high by providing new ways to learn English and not the same tactics I have followed for 12 years in comprehensive and high school.

My current skills
I think I have good basic skills. I can speak, write and my listening skills are ok. Speaking is easy if I just know the right words. Writing, I think, might be the weakest area because there you need vocabulary and grammar which are the things I want to improve. I think I’m in a B2 level and some things are in a C1 level. Listening I think might be better than for example writing or reading. Speaking skills changes depending on the topic and words that are needed (if I know those or not). I think I speak using quite simple phrases and grammar and I think I should get my sentences more advanced.