Name: Mieko Saito

Year: 1997

 

     When I was the first year of junior high school, I was very interested in English. Because it was the first time to learn the foreign language, and it was quite new for me. I liked learning English.

     When I became a high school student, English learning became really hard. Almost in every class, I only had difficult readings. I was taught English grammar or many words, but wasn't taught how to speak or listen to English, which were what I wanted to learn. So I decided to major in English in the university to learn what I couldn't learn in high school.

     I entered Nanzan with a lot of hope and a little anxiety. I was very excited in the classroom at the first day. The teacher came in, and he spoke only English. Only English! I was surprised, but I was happy because I thought I could learn real English.

     In most classes, teachers spoke only English. I listened to them very carefully. At first, it strained my nerves to listen to them for about an hour and half and I tried to understand everything that they said. But gradually, I got used to doing so and it became ordinary.

     And I also wasn't used to speaking English. So I was a little embarrassed when I talked with Japanese classmates in English. It was very difficult to express what I wanted to say in English. But I enjoyed speaking in English.

     After a year of study in Nanzan, I think I have learned English like a little child does. I listened to English and got used to it gradually, and imitated it. It was a good way to learn English. Because it is a natural way to learn any language.

     In the next year, I am going to increase my vocabulary, and improve my English understanding. Last year, I visited my friend who lives in Alabama state in America. I was irritated as I could not express myself satisfactory. I wanted to talk with her much more. And I also wanted to learn from her. So to improve my speaking comprehension is the goal of the next year.

            And the goal of learning English is to improve my humanity. There are so many people in the world. And they have different cultures and different personalities. I want to learn from them. And improve my humanity. I have learned a lot from Japanese people. From my parents, my friends, my teachers, all the people who I have met. I can also learn from foreigners. To talk with foreign people is interesting because they have quite different way of thinking. English is a useful tool to communicate with foreigners. That is why I am learning English.