My language learning history

I’ve been learning English for almost tem years. While I was in São Manuel – my hometown – I took classes with Fernanda, a woman who had lived in th US for a long time and decided to open an English school. She had been my teacher for eight years and now it’s been two years I’m at UFX studying Letters with focus on English.

I attented to a privete school since JHS, and the English classes weren’t so good as they should be. The teachers used to be changed all the time in each year and I believe that interrupted our natural learning because they had different ways of teaching. However, I thank Fernanda, from “Espaço Cultural English School” who showed me the learning way and everything I know, I owe her.

Teh positive things I could talk from her were tho good textbook we used (Interchange), her great focus on writing and reading and her stichness on teaching and correcting. I like to study hard and she was a perfect English teacher for me. We always had to work at the audio lab and there were always video classes, which helped me a lot. The only thing I didn’t like was that she didn’t encourage students to speak English all the time and were really few talking activities.

Before coming to UFX, I expected very hard and strict classes, even because we’re learning to work with it in the future. I always want to learn more and more and I expected things to be challenging in college. My surprise was that my expectations became true! Of course each teacher has her way, but all of them really know how to work with the students and provide that “pressure” I wanted for us.

I ought to be honest and say that so far things have been a review for me, but in a special way. Teachers offer a variety of extra activities (video or music, as well as different dynamics) which makes the ones who already know those subjects motivated to participate and study. I’m also happy that now I have so many chances to speak, as long as we have to do a lot of pair works in class, to talk in English all the time and I’m not shy about doing this as I used to be. I’m overcoming this area pleasantly, because the classes force me to do this naturally.

One thing that helped me a lot to review and to learn things a lot more was giving a support to a friend who had never studied English in life and arrived to this institution to take Secretarial Science. I used to study with her every day and we did work a lot. She’s very dedicated and we – as a team – were successful. Now she’s in higher level than her classes and she’s very proud of herself, just like I feel about her. If it wasn’t this experience, I wouldn’t have had the patience to study basic things by my own again. We still do great together!

What I can tell students who want to start learning English is to go for it! Study hard, look for help when you need and be dedicated in what you’re doing. If you have any difficulties, try different ways ‘till you get an effective learning. I’ve found my way on taching this amazing language and I want people to have a “crush” on it as I do! It’s great!