4. Suvi, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences
Free-form reflection

ALMS Reflection When I’m thinking of myself as a language learner the first thing that comes to my mind is my year in the U.S. as an exchange student. That was the year I learned a lot obviously. Before that I of course studied English at school but I never liked it because I was very bad at it. I had a very scary teacher in the middle school and she made everybody hate English. All the lessons went thinking of when is my turn to read out loud and will I make mistakes! So, nobody learned anything because they couldn’t concentrate in learning. Anyways, I decided to move to New York and learn more. During taht year I learned to use everyday language pretty well because I had no option but to express myself. At school there we didn’t have to write any esseys etc. so I didn’t have to manage with academic language at all. I just chatted with friends and of course learned their slang:) After that year I had difficulties here in Finland to use academic language. I’d rather use expressions as I’m gonna go or I aint. So at school here I needed to focus in that and I still should. The problem is that I’m a kind of lazy student when it comes to languages. I love to talk and write e-mails etc. but when I have to study some new grammar or words I get so bored. But I know that if I want to improve my English skills I need to find the motivation to study academic vocabulary and grammar. And that’s my main goal during ALMS. I feel that I my language skills haven’t improved a bit during last 6 years so now it could be a time to make an effort and to become better. In the self- evaluation sheet I would place myself into C1 at all other categories except the one that’s about spoken production. It’s very difficult to place myself into categories because I dont’ really know my current level.